Hello everyone, it's Poppy the cream retriever here.
I hope you're all keeping safe and well.
Over the weekend, I made a new friend in the forest. There were quite a lot of people around so Mom and big bro, Nathan, kept me and Devon on our leads. We didn't mind though because we were in our favourite place. đ˛đł
As we were making our way back home, my nose pressed against the floor, as usual, picking up all sorts of new and exciting smells, we saw a lovely little girl with her grandad and brothers.
The moment I saw her beaming smile I started wagging my tail.
The little girl wanted to make a fuss of Devon and me. Being as Devon is the little pup (well, a pretty big pup TBH đ), she stepped towards her first. But Devon became nervous. She jumped back against Nathan's legs and tried running away. She was pulling and tugging, but Nathan calmed her. He had a good tight grip on her lead so she couldn't run off.
Her grandad told her not to approach dogs she didn't know because they could bite.
Mom reassured them that we're friendly but that he was right, it's best to be cautious of dogs you don't know - I can vouch for that after my encounter with an unfriendly labrador, but that's a different story...
Mom told the little girl that she could say hello to me because I'm a real softie. I let her stroke the top of my head and my silky ears. I know never to jump up at children because it can frighten them, so I stayed still - except for my tail that is.
She was wearing a pair of the prettiest shoes. They were decorated in lilac flowers. I brushed my nose across them but I couldn't smell the heady scent like the roses in Jubilee Gardens (I'll tell you more about that place another time. Watch this space...)
The little girl giggled, feeling my nose brush across her toes.
I do love children - so long as they don't make too much noise!
I remember when Mom and I were invited to the fabulous bookshop, Wyre Forest Books, and also to Bewdley Primary School. I loved every minute. It was wonderful meeting the children and receiving so much fuss đ The owner of Wyre Forest Books, Nick Farress even gave me a delicious dog biscuit đ
I felt right at home at the bookshop and not just because of the warm and friendly atmosphere that always greets you. Being at Wyre Forest Books feels like home from home to me because it's crammed with books!
Books, books and more books!
Home is always bursting with books. Mom doesn't just love middle-grade fiction, she enjoys reading historical fiction and non-fiction, thrillers, crime, horror, the occasional romance - but not much! biographies, ghost/supernatural, mythology and to be honest the list would go on and on.
Here are just a few of the books we have. As you can see there is a wide variety!
Nathan and Becki were brought up with books. When they were little they loved listening to stories by the late Beatrix Potter. Peter Rabbit, Benjamin Bunny, and Squirrel Nutkin were particular favourites of theirs. The small gold books in the third photograph were bought from the Beatrix Potter shop in the Lake District which is where the great author lived. Her home was the beautiful Hill Top Farm in Ambleside. Visiting the farm is one of the many things on Mom's bucket list.
Nathan and Becki's library has evolved over the years with books such as :
Godzilla picture books
Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne
ladybird fairy tales
Horrid Henry by Francesca Simon
Goth Girl by Chris Riddell (Mom is also a huge fan!)
The Snow Angel by Christine Leeson and stunning illustrations by Jane Chapman
The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis
Charlotte's Web by E. B. White
Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
The Middle School Series by James Patterson
All of these have been read by Nathan, Becki, and Mom. As the children got older and outgrew some of the books, Mom didn't. She still loves reading these as well as work from her favourite authors such as:
Kate Mosse
Cynthia Harrod Eagles
Stephen King
Sam Bourne
C J. Samsom
Agatha Christie
Neil Gaiman...
I'd better stop there because her list of favourites could go on forever. If Mom was blogging this right now, it would be the longest blog in history. She could bore you senseless talking about books and writers. As it is I'm writing this - indeed, I am a clever pooch đ
Everyone in our house has been touched by books someway or another and I'm no exception. Here I am reading to Mom...
But this isn't just any book. Have you seen who's mentioned on the cover? Yep, that's right, it's little ole me!
Mom has enjoyed writing stories for years and not just middle-grade fiction either. Since her school days, she's written romance, horror, supernatural, and whatever inspires her at the time. However, her work is generally guided towards middle grade and I reckon that's where her heart lies.
Poppy Dog's favourite middle grade book.
Ah well, that's an easy one. It's got to be the book, Poppy on Safari and guess who's the leading lady? ME!
Mom's favourite middle grade/YA book.
Humm...That's a tough one. She loves so many, however...
Two books that stand out and really struck a chord with her are both written by the wonderful David Almond. These books are:
Skellig
A Song for Ella Grey.
Both are written in a way that brings the characters and the scene to life. When she reads these she feels like she's actually there, playing a part in the story. Both have a supernatural feel which adds to the magic and fires Mom's imagination.
If you haven't already read them then please do and let Mom and I know what you think. We'd love to hear from you!
Ever since Mom's discovered the world of blogging, she's come across many which she enjoys following, here are just a few blogs she likes and finds very helpful too:
Go and check them out and tell us what you think? If you know of any other blogs, either book or golden retriever related, which you think Mom and I would like, please feel free to mention them in the comments box below. đ
Well, the forest beckons, so I must go.
Stay safe and well friends,
I'll be in touch again soon.
Poppy dog . đž