Nubs: The True Story of a Mutt, a Marine & a Miracle by Major Brian Dennis, Kirby Larson, and Mary Nethery

Nubs was the leader of a pack of wild dogs living in a border fort in western Iraq, and the fact that his ears had been cut off branded him a dog of war.  He lived a hard life, feeding on scraps when there were scraps to be had and barely surviving the harsh conditions of the desert.  Nubs:  The True Story of a Mutt, a Marine & a Miracle is the story of Nubs and the marine who named him, Major Brian Dennis of the Border Transition team 3/5/2, which was tasked with training Iraqi soldiers.

Brian first met Nubs in October 2007, and they became fast friends, sharing food and guard duty.  Each time Brian and his men left the fort, Nubs chased the Humvees.  When they returned, Nubs, starving and nursing a wound, eagerly greeted Brian.  When Brian and his men were called to the Jordanian border about 70 miles away, Nubs, obviously unaware that marines can't have pets, had no plans to let Brian go.  Featuring real pictures of Nubs and Brian in Iraq, Nubs:  The True Story of a Mutt, a Marine & a Miracle shows the bond between man and dog and Nubs' miraculous journey to a new life.

I first heard of Nubs at Book Expo America in May, and I snagged a pin and some dog tags advertising the book for The Girl, who is a big-time dog lover.  She's always wearing the dog tags and couldn't wait to read the book.  When an unexpected package from Hachette arrived a couple of days ago, she shrieked in delight, and last night we cuddled on the couch and read all about Nubs.

We both loved this inspiring, heart-warming story and fell in love with Nubs from the very first page.  Nubs is a very brave dog, and his story proves that a little kindness and love can change lives.  Nubs:  The True Story of a Mutt, a Marine & a Miracle is a charming story for children and adults alike.

Here's what The Girl (age 9) had to say about the book:

This was a great, awesome, incredible story.  I loved the pictures, and I loved Nubs.  It explained a lot about the dog and his owner and was just great.

The Girl wrote the review on a piece of notebook paper for me last night, and I wish you could see it because she drew a picture of Nubs (or at least the half-dog, half-cat version) at the bottom.  It's so cute.

Disclosure:  We received a free copy of Nubs:  The True Story of a Mutt, a Marine & a Miracle from Hachette for review purposes.


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