In this post, we feature award-winning author Pete Hautman, whose previous titles include The Big Crunch, which won The Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Young Adult Literature among other honors. You can hear him speak about his new novel, Answers to Dog, and try his “invitation to imagine” activity. You’ll also find other resources to explore. Thanks for joining us, and let us know what you think in the comments below!
Answers to Dog
- Written by Pete Hautman
- Published by Candlewick Press
- Release date: October 1, 2024
Evan doesn’t seem to fit in at school or at home. He goes out of his way to avoid attention. He sits at the back of the bus, keeps his head down in class, and keeps to himself. But when a burr-covered border collie—a survivor with a gut instinct about the Boy—starts following him around and joining him on his runs, Evan’s simple duck-and-dodge existence becomes a lot more complicated. Evolving from wary companions to steadfast friends, Evan and the dog run fast and far together, thwart an abusive dog breeder and the school bully, and find the courage to stand up for themselves and to open up to those who matter most. Narrated in alternating viewpoints, this relatable contemporary novel with classic coming-of-age themes has all the hope, pathos, and emotional complexity that mark Pete Hautman’s books for middle-grade readers—and is a deeply satisfying read for animal lovers of all ages.
From Answers to Dog, written by Pete Hautman.
“The white dog showed up on a chilly autumn morning just as Evan Dunn was leaving for school.”
Click here to view a longer preview of Answers to Dog, written by Pete Hautman.
Explore Answers to Dog
Listen to Pete Hautman talking with TeachingBooks about creating Answers to Dog. You can click the player below or experience the recording on TeachingBooks, where you can read along as you listen, and also translate the text to another language.
- Listen to Pete Hautman pronounce his name.
- Sample the e-book of Answers to Dog, by Pete Hautman, on Overdrive.com.
- Sample the audiobook of Answers to Dog, by Pete Hautman, on Overdrive.com.
- Explore TeachingBooks’ collection of activities and resources for Answers to Dog.
Invitation to Imagine
TeachingBooks asks each author or illustrator on our Virtual Book Tour to share a writing prompt, a drawing exercise, or just an interesting question to spark curiosity and creativity. Enjoy the following activity contributed by Pete Hautman.
Imagination Activity with Pete Hautman
Actors on stage pretend to be people they are not. Authors do the same thing; we get to know our characters inside and out so that we can tell their stories. But what if your character is a dog? How do you find out what it’s like to be a dog? Do you get down on all fours and roll around on the grass? Do you bark at squirrels? Do you wear a collar and pee on fire hydrants? What are some other ways to imagine being a dog? (I mean, without biting anybody.)
Finish This Sentence . . . with Pete Hautman
As part of our Virtual Book Tour, TeachingBooks asks authors and illustrators to complete short sentence prompts. Enjoy Pete Hautman’s response.
“An interesting thing I learned while working on my book…”
One thing I learned while working on Answers to Dog is that dogs have remarkably sensitive noses. A dog’s sense of smell is up to a million times more sensitive than ours. That’s why dogs are used by the police to detect illegal drugs in luggage, and how they can find people trapped deep in the rubble of collapsed buildings. Some dogs can detect cancer and Parkinson’s disease in people even before they have any symptoms.
“My favorite books as a young reader were…”
My favorite books when I was a kid were adventure stories, especially books about animals. Best of all were the books about dogs. Jim Kjelgaard’s Big Red, about an Irish Setter, was the first chapter book I ever finished. Jack London’s White Fang, the story of a wolf-dog hybrid, was an all-time favorite. But I didn’t like the books where the dog dies at the end!
Thank you!
To wrap up this Virtual Book Tour, we thank Pete Hautman for signing a book for all of us.
More Connections to Pete Hautman and Answers to Dog
- Discover books like Answers to Dog on TeachingBooks.
- Candlewick’s page about Answers to Dog , written by Pete Hautman.
- Buy Answers to Dog, written by Pete Hautman.
All text and images are courtesy of Pete Hautman and Candlewick Press and may not be used without expressed written consent.
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