My Dog Skip [Paperback]

Willie Morris (Author)

Book Description

Now a major motion picture form Warner Brothers, starring Kevin Bacon, Diane Lane, Luke Wilson, Frankie Muniz, and "Eddie" from the TV show Frasier (as Skip), and produced by Mark Johnson (Rain Man).

In 1943 in a sleepy town on the banks of the Yazoo River, a boy fell in love with a puppy with a lively gait and an intellingent way of listening.  The two grew up together having the most wonderful adventures.  A classic story of a boy, a dog, and small-town America, My Dog Skip belongs on the same shelf as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Russell Baker's Growing Up.  It will enchant readers of all ages for years to come.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Former Harper's editor Morris presents a memoir of his small-town childhood in the 1940s and the dog who shared it with him.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

In 1943, nine-year-old Morris first met Skip, an English smooth-haired fox terrier puppy who immediately went to sleep in his arms. From that magical moment of connection ("I was an only child, and he now was an only dog") until Morris left home to go to college, boy and dog were inseparable companions. In this sweetly sentimental if slight memoir, the author of New York Days (LJ 8/93) and North Toward Home (9/15/67) recalls growing up with Skip in the small, sleepy town of Yazoo, Mississippi. Unlike the other dogs Morris's family had owned, Skip was special. He could play football, running the "Statue of Liberty" play, much to the amazement of spectators ("Look at that dog playin' football!"). With a little assistance from Morris, Skip could drive a car ("Look at that ol' dog drivin' a car!"). He could run the 100-yard dash in 7.8 seconds, a world record for fox terriers. For anyone who has ever loved a dog, Morris's loving tribute will be a delightful read.
--Wilda Williams, "Library Journal"
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Vintage (January 30, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679767223
• ISBN-13: 978-0679767220
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.4 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (44 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #92,022 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Boy and His Dog..., January 3, 2003

By 

Tiffany Ann Rogers "tiffytutu" (Dyersburg, TN United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: My Dog Skip (Paperback)

What a wonderful book! Willie Morris is a wonderful storyteller and his re-telling of his childhood with his dog skip is just wonderful. He weaves a story that every pet lover and childhood pet owner can relate to. Willie is 9 years old when he gets Skip and they become inseperable. Skip is like a little brother to Willie who is an only child. Together they have many adventures in the Delta and spend so much time together. Skip is well known throughout the whole town and is pretty much treated like a little person.
The reader is transported back into the 40's with Willie and his dog. The imagery is so vivid that you really feel as if you are there. I love books set in this time period when things were so much simpler. Morris' story took me back to that time.
I very rarely cry at books, but I bawled at this one. It brought out so many of my childhood memories and I could hardly put it down. The adventures were wonderful, the scenery was vivid, and the characters are some that I will not forget for along time to come. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to take a little break from our fast paced world and visit Skip's!

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the BEST dog stories I've ever read, December 5, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Ann Arbor, Michigan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: My Dog Skip (Paperback)

I LOVED this book. I have owned many a dog in my life and this book summed it all up well. Much better than the usual psychological gibberish about how we humans anthropomorphize our animals... who CARES! They are part of our lives and part of our families (for most of us anyway) and this story draws out all the feelings of love, laughter and loss that each of us who have loved and lost a dog know. It was a great read.

35 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Story, March 1, 2000

By 

Joseph Pentecost - See all my reviews

This review is from: My Dog Skip (Paperback)

I read this book when it first came out about five years ago. I think it's a wonderful story about a small boy and his best friend. It also is a very good look at what life was like in America, particularly in the South, at a time when things weren't as complicated as they are today and when a kid could really just be a kid. I was born in the early '50's, so I can sort of relate to some of Willie Morris's adventures as a child, even though I grew up in a big city (Memphis, TN). I am currently reading "Spit McGee" and I find it just as cute and charming as "Skip". I can't wait to see the movie. I recommend this book to anyone who has ever owned a dog (I have a 13 year-old beagle) who, while not as energetic as Skip, is just as special to me as Skip was to Willie Morris.