LIFE OF A READER

Photo Albums

by Judy Newman with Alana Pedalino

This week, I spent several hours searching through my photos, which are loosely stored in an unmanageable, never-to-be-properly-cataloged assortment of digital spaces, print photo albums, and shoeboxes. (There was a time when mail-in photo developers offered two-for-one deals, so not only do I have thousands of photos, I have two copies of every picture I took in the ’80s.)

I was looking through all these images to find photos of my own golden retrievers to illustrate my thoughts about The Puppy Place: Goldie, this week’s Scholastic Book Clubs Book of the Week, which has also been made into a wonderful show on Apple TV+. As usually happens when I do this (or clean my closet), I got distracted.

I spent a lot of time noticing the similarities between my daughter, Rebecca, when she was a toddler, and her daughter, Sophie Rae, now 18 months old. For example, look at these two shots—taken 30 years apart:

I did eventually get refocused and found photos of my two beloved golden retrievers.

These two dogs, each in their own way, were part of our family. They are in practically every photograph we took during their reigns on our couches and in our hearts. Annie died several years ago, and we made the “mature and rational” decision not to get another dog. During the pandemic, we almost convinced ourselves we could manage a puppy, but then that grown-up practicality prevailed, and we decided to wait until things get back to a “new normal” before we bring a new lovable fluffball of joy into our lives.

The restraint is getting to me, so I imagine by this time next year, I will have photos of our new golden retriever to share with you. In the meantime, I’ll get my puppy fix from reading Puppy Place books and hearing stories from my Scholastic Book Clubs colleagues, who are each inspired, instructed—and okay, ruled—by their pets!

1. Monty Is My Alarm Clock

“Every single morning, between 6:45 and 7 a.m., my dog, Monty, will come into my bedroom and rest his chin on the edge of the bed. Most days, I wake up to him nudging me with his nose, telling me, ‘It’s time to get up!’” —Elliott, Book Boy

2. Fizz and Saz Are (Not) Really in Charge

“My cats, Fizz and Saz, are supercute brothers, but Fizz has a history of peeing on my bed when he is emotionally distressed. Now with the pandemic, they are used to me being at home most of the time. And when I do go out, they expect to be fed when I get home, no matter what time it is or when they last ate (or else…). So now when I go out in the evenings, I only give them half of their dinner before I leave and the other half when I get home. They think they are getting two dinners, but it is actually the same amount of food. Train me? Ha, the joke’s on you, cats!” —Godwin, Senior Copy Director

3. A.J. Needs Some Screen Time

“A.J. is a Siberian cat, so if he happens to walk past my screen during a Zoom call, his extra-fluffy tail literally takes up the whole screen. Once I figured out that A.J. just wanted to be ‘in on the action’ during my meetings, I gave him a cardboard box to sit/nap in while I work.” —Alana, Blog Manager

4. Bucky’s Eyes Have It!

“My dog, Bucky, believes every grocery store trip means your human brings back a present for you. And if they forget … just flash your signature puppy dog eyes to get what you want!” —Alexie, Writer

David Vozar, whose dog, Yoshi, is a constant source of inspiration, reflects on how a puppy is like a good book:

If anyone wants to weigh in on whether I should get another golden retriever, I would love to hear their thoughts. You can reach me anytime at judy.newman@scholastic.com.

Happy reading!

XX,
Judy

Judy Newman is President and Reader-in-Chief of Scholastic Book Clubs. For more information, visit judynewmanatscholastic.com.