Katie Up and Down the Hall: The True Story of How One Dog Turned Five Neighbors into a Family

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Katie Up and Down the Hall: The True Story of How One Dog Turned Five Neighbors into a Family

3.89 of 5 stars 3.89 · rating details · 413 ratings · 115 reviews

For families and animal lovers everywhere, Katie Up and Down the Hall is the transcendent tale of how three generations of strangers and an astutely intelligent dog create their own little family in a waterside community along the Hudson River.

It all begins with a random meeting between a younger man and his octogenarian neighbor, Pearl, their attachment cemented by a blon...more For families and animal lovers everywhere, Katie Up and Down the Hall is the transcendent tale of how three generations of strangers and an astutely intelligent dog create their own little family in a waterside community along the Hudson River.

It all begins with a random meeting between a younger man and his octogenarian neighbor, Pearl, their attachment cemented by a blond-haired puppy. It isn't long before writer Glenn Plaskin, Pearl, and her husband, Arthur, form a profound bond that blesses all in its sphere. This includes a three-year-old boy named Ryan and his single dad, John, who also happen to be living down the same hallway in a downtown Manhattan high-rise, just opposite the World Trade Center.

The group gravitates around Katie, the magnetic cocker spaniel whose domain is a 120-foot red-carpeted hallway the site of dog races, obedience training sessions, Halloween parades, and a passageway to parties and late-night exchanges of confidences. With an uncanny instinct for responding to the needs of her pack, Katie merrily trots up and down her territory, navigating from apartment to apartment, pushing open the doors purposefully left ajar and bringing the entire group together. Her canine antics include fashion modeling, using the TV remote, typing, sitting posture-perfect at the dining table (her paws delicately around her food bowl), expertly eating corn on the cob, charming celebrities (Katharine Hepburn, Peter Jennings, Bette Midler, and Ivana Trump among them), and racing neighborhood kids down the hallway.

Pearl, nicknamed Granny Down the Hall, is the family s feisty matriarch (and referee), her dining table home base. Ryan, who has no mom, finds a grandmother in Pearl; his dad, with no living parents, inherits a mom; while Glenn discovers a confidante.

Over the next sixteen years, we witness adventures that encompass Hollywood high times, bad health, accidents, even the terrors of 9/11, brought to life here as never before. Through it all, this family clings together, sharing a deep bond that gives each comfort, support, and security.

But nothing lasts forever nothing except the abiding love of family, which can never be broken apart, even by the inevitability of separation, illness, and death. Based on a widely read article in Family Circle, here is a riveting tale about the true meaning of love and the magic of opening your door to a neighbor, turning friendship to family.(less)

Hardcover, 256 pages

Published September 8th 2010 by Center Street (first published January 1st 2010)

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Community Reviews

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Aug 24, 2011 Alyce (At Home With Books) rated it 3 of 5 stars

I was drawn to Katie Up and Down the Hall for two reasons: the setting and the main character. The book is set in Battery Park City in New York City, and since I visited New York for the first time last summer I’ve been enjoying revisiting the city vicariously through this book. The main character is Katie, a Cocker Spaniel who belonged to the author (Glenn Plaskin), and united him in friendship with some special neighbors. (I say that she is the main character, and she is, but the book is not w...more I was drawn to Katie Up and Down the Hall for two reasons: the setting and the main character. The book is set in Battery Park City in New York City, and since I visited New York for the first time last summer I’ve been enjoying revisiting the city vicariously through this book. The main character is Katie, a Cocker Spaniel who belonged to the author (Glenn Plaskin), and united him in friendship with some special neighbors. (I say that she is the main character, and she is, but the book is not written from her point of view as seems to be so popular lately, but rather that of the author.)

I don’t know why it is, but I love reading stories about real life animals – animal memoirs if you want to call them that – yet I despise most fiction stories about animals. I think the difference is that I have no problem reading about things that really happen when it comes to animals and their special relationships with humans, because even though there is an inevitable sad ending, it is based on fact. When it comes to fiction though I get very emotional and angry if the author lets anything bad happen to the animal characters. Fiction of that sort strikes me as emotionally manipulative and underhanded. I think it’s the difference between someone sharing a sorrow with you (i.e. a true story) and someone telling you something terrible just to watch you cry (fiction).

I say all of this as if this were a sad book, but for the most part it isn’t. It is a story of joy, friendships and neighbors who become like family. It’s just that when you read about an animal you know that they aren’t going to be around forever. In the case of this real life story I was not disappointed by the content. It was amusing reading about the author’s introduction to pet care, and how Katie soon took over his life. The way that she was the catalyst for several neighbors to develop friendships was touching.

There were a few times where the author seemed to be beating me over the head with repetitions of how cute and special Katie was, but I let that go in much the same way I would have patience with a parent bragging about their precocious child.

Since Katie’s owner was a journalist who interviewed famous people, Katie also got to meet her share of celebrities. Along with the celebrity interview stories, I also enjoyed the anecdotes of how the author sneaked Katie onto airplanes, into hotels, and even into the hospital with him.

The story’s strength is in the growing relationships between the author and his elderly neighbors, and then later between all of them and a young neighbor boy. The story seems so unusual and touching because I wouldn’t normally think of New York City as a place where neighbors take the time to get to know each other, much less become close like family. It gives a hopeful message of inspiration: that you should consider those around you as potential future friends.

Katie Up and Down the Hall is a sweet story, and I won’t lie to you, I cried buckets when it came to the inevitable sad ending. I would recommend this book to animal lovers (especially dog lovers). (less)

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Jan 05, 2011 Linda rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was a nice little book to read. A story of how dogs can enter our lives and change them.

This dog brought neighbors in a New York high rise together into a family. I thought the author spent a little too much time, at the beginning of the book, talking about his profession and the celebrities he interviewed but all in all it was about the dog and the people she brought together.

I was amazed at how dog friendly New York is; at all the places he was able to take his dog with him and all the p...more

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Sep 24, 2010 Ellie Revert rated it 3 of 5 stars

If you love dogs--and we do---this book will touch your heart. Fascinating information about Battery Park South, a beautiful development on the Hudson River---1700 apts. Overlooking the World Trade Center. Lots to learn about this area, and about 9/11 and the ensuing months. It also confirms for me that Brent and I have been very good to our dogs---Charmin for 9 years, Daffodil for 13, Bailey for 12, Shandy for just a few months, the original Darby for 5 months, and now Darby for 5 years. We hav...more

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Aug 08, 2011 Almira rated it 4 of 5 stars

What started out as a book about Katie the cocker spaniel, evolved into a lovely story about family, friendship and love. Along the way, however, 9-11 occured, and Glenn's apartment building was right in the path of the aftermath of that day. This is the first book that I have read that records the aftermath of those that lived in the area, and what happened to their lives, as well as those who lost their lives and families of the victims. I now have an entirely different perspective of 9-11. I...more

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Jan 06, 2012 Mike rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: dog lovers

Recommended to Mike by: found at Borders

Shelves: dog-stories

This book is for all dog lovers out there...the story of Katie....and how she brought three generations of people together that lived on the same floor in Battery Park in New York City. Five people brought together by one dog.

Its funny how dogs bring people together...there is something about their unconditional love and loyalty...and if trained right, these dogs not only protect their owners, but also reach out to others as Katie did. An old senior couple, the author, and a father and son unit...more

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Nov 09, 2011 Kcoloney rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was recommended in the Best Friends magazine as a good Christmas gift for a dog lover. I totally agree. Since it's a true story there are ups and downs, strengths and weaknesses, gladness and sadness in the lives of the people in the "family" up and down the hall. Through the laughter and the tears the author never loses sight of his main theme: the joy of having realtionship with a dog and a family. The up close and personal account of their 9/11 experience made a big impact on me. Th...more

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Jun 27, 2011 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book is good for those who love to read stories about dogs, especially dogs who touch others and join people together. That is exactly what this is about, and it really made me think of the current situation I'm in. I just lost my dog that I got when I was 6 years old and seeing the hardships of losing Katie that Glenn goes through and the advice his friends give him really opened my eyes. An inspirational story. I didn't want to put it down, and luckily I had plenty of time to read it all...more

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Nov 06, 2011 Steph rated it 5 of 5 stars

I must admit, I originally picked this book up because of the cute Cocker Spaniel on the cover and I have a lovely Cocker of my own :-) Also, I have quite a penchant for memoirs- especially dog oriented ones.

This book really made me laugh, smile, cry and constantly stop to blow my nose all at the same time. Most things don't make me do all of that. It really showcases the healing power that dogs have with people and how they bring the most unlikely of people together. I know my own dog has done...more

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Feb 08, 2013 Suzy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: dog-books

This is a touching story that spans generations. It is more about the people than about the dog, which is fine (just don't expect the dog to be centre of this story for the entire story). I am an avid dog lover myself, but I didn't appreciate the writer, Glenn Plaskin, getting fake certificates certifying Katie as a hearing aid dog so that Glenn could take her onto planes with him, rather than have her in the cargo hold. Both Glenn and the doctor who wrote the fake letter should be held accounta...more

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Feb 14, 2013 Lori rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: animals-dogs

A *3.5* this is a pretty good read. I am a big dog lover so I enjoy reading books where the dog is one of the main "characters" Katie is a real life Cocker spaniel. who lived with her owner Glenn Plaskin. he is a writer who has made his career interviewing celebrities for awhile. some freelance writing and writing articles for Family circle. Glenn had never had a dog of his own until he decided to get a cocker spaniel he named Katie { after Katherine Hepburn}. Very soon after getting this adorab...more

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Aug 30, 2011 Darcie rated it 3 of 5 stars

While very much an animal lover, I hate the genre of pet memoirs. They all seem to be about some incredibly remarkable animal and we all know how they're going to end--I just don't need or want to read that. But "Katie Up and Down the Hall" was different for me; it was relatable.

As someone who had grown up with cocker spaniels--the last of which who had to be euthanized a few months prior to my finding this book--I found in it a sense of consolation. To find a book about a cocker spaniel AND to...more

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Jun 04, 2011 Lis Carey rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dogs, non-fiction, biography, favorites

In 1988, Glenn Plaskin bought a twelve-week-old cocker spaniel puppy, and named her Katie. As a first-time dog owner, he hardly knew where to begin, but a mutual friend introduced him to his neighbors down the hall in his Battery Park City apartment building, Pearl and Arthur. This older couple were life-long dog owners, and their last dog, a cocker spaniel named Brandy, had died two years earlier. Unprepared to get a new dog at this late stage of their lives, Pearl in particular is more than wi...more In 1988, Glenn Plaskin bought a twelve-week-old cocker spaniel puppy, and named her Katie. As a first-time dog owner, he hardly knew where to begin, but a mutual friend introduced him to his neighbors down the hall in his Battery Park City apartment building, Pearl and Arthur. This older couple were life-long dog owners, and their last dog, a cocker spaniel named Brandy, had died two years earlier. Unprepared to get a new dog at this late stage of their lives, Pearl in particular is more than willing to help Glenn learn how to be a dog owner, and provide dog-sitting services.

It's not long before Glenn, Pearl, Arthur, and Katie start to build a bond a good deal closer than friendly neighbors. Arthur and Pearl were never able to have children, and Glenn's family, while close emotionally, is not close geographically. Pearl becomes another grandmother for Glenn, and a vital part of Katie's life, since she can't (usually!) accompany him to the office. Katie is a pampered darling, but a sweet, cooperative dog as well, and the fun grows when, as an indirect result of Glenn's work as a newspaper columnist, Katie starts to get modeling jobs.

And then Glenn's life runs full speed into a brick wall. The paper he works for is sold, and he's among the many let go. With all the other newspaper people on the job market at the same time, he's not having any success finding a new job. While he's still looking, his long-standing back trouble worsens dramatically, leaving him too disabled to work. He's getting physical therapy and attending a support group at a local community center--and Katie, accompanying him to the center, expands his family once again. She starts playing with six-year-old Ryan, and Glenn forms a friendship with Ryan's single dad, John. Coincidentally, John wants to move to someplace that will give him a less stressful and demanding commute, and an apartment becomes available in Glenn's building, on the same hall. Pearl becomes a friend and confidant to John and a grandmother to Ryan, and the three households bind together. They're in and out of each other's apartments, having "family" dinners together on a regular basis, and celebrating birthdays together. When Glenn is recovered enough to work again, he gets a job with Family Circle, and one of his feature articles is "Grandma Down the Hall," about the family they've created together.

It isn't all high spirits and fun. They're in the residential building closest to the Twin Towers. They live through the terror of realizing what's happened, fleeing the expanding debris cloud, and slowly rebuilding their lives and waiting out the time until they can return to their apartments. Also, Pearl and Arthur are in their late seventies when we meet them, and Katie is a dog, so in one sense the ending is no surprise. Glenn Plaskin makes Katie and his human neighbors come alive on the page, though, and while the ending is natural and inevitable, it's also deeply moving. Honestly, I cried through most of the last two chapters.

This is not a depressing book, though. It's warm and engaging and hopeful, and a must-read whether or not you're a "dog person."

Highly recommended.

I bought this book in ebook format.

You can read more of my reviews at Lis Carey's Library (less)

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Sep 26, 2010 Jennifer rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: memoir, non-fiction, pets

From my book review blog Rundpinne...[return]...Sometimes I want to sit down and read a sweet book that makes me laugh, cry, and smile just for having read the book. I found such a book in the delightfully charming and heart-warming novel Katie Up and Down the Hall by Glenn Plaskin. Katie, a gorgeous cocker spaniel, not only works her way into the heart of author Glenn Plaskin, but also into the lives of inhabitants of a Battery Park High Rise where Katie and Glenn reside. Plaskin writes beautif...more

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Sep 06, 2010 Mary (BookHounds) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010-book-challenge, from-publisher-author

Glenn Plaskin writes about his dog Katie and how she unites a group of neighbors so that an apartment building of people truly become family. I fell in love with the cover of this book and the story is equally admirable. The story takes you through Katie's life of glamor as a model, meeting the rich and famous and a general bringer of good moods. Katie even gets to meet her namesake, Kathryn Hepburn! The story is much more than the life of Katie and includes the people she becomes close to and p...more

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Sep 26, 2010 NebraskaIcebergs rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: own, first-reads

As a lover of books and dogs, I am a sucker for any book about a dog. Obviously, I did not hesitate to enter goodread's giveaway of Katie Up And Down the Hall by Glenn Plaskin. Yet being a sucker for true stories about dogs also means I have read enough of them to know their formula:
• An individual purchases a dog. Preferably the individual is new to the experience of being a pet owner.
• The dog changes his owner's life, causing the owner (if not the dog) to mature.
• And, as my husband warned me...more As a lover of books and dogs, I am a sucker for any book about a dog. Obviously, I did not hesitate to enter goodread's giveaway of Katie Up And Down the Hall by Glenn Plaskin. Yet being a sucker for true stories about dogs also means I have read enough of them to know their formula:
• An individual purchases a dog. Preferably the individual is new to the experience of being a pet owner.
• The dog changes his owner's life, causing the owner (if not the dog) to mature.
• And, as my husband warned me: "The dog will die in the end."
I felt especially intrigued to read Katie Up and Down the Hall, because its teaser did not fit the formula: "The true story of how one dog turned five neighbors into a family."

Yet for the first few chapters, I felt uncertain about whether I would like this book. For one thing, the chapters were following the formula. Glenn Plaskin grew up without a dog but for twenty-five years his to-do list included: "Get a dog." One day he took the plunge and on a whim bought a pug at a store. Twenty-four hours later, he panicked and returned the dog. I felt terrible for the dog, but recalled how overwhelmed my boyfriend (now husband) felt after buying his first dog. Even my dad and I (long-time dog owners) had initially questioned our decision to take on two puppies. Becoming a "parent" is a daunting challenge! I admired Glenn Plaskin's honesty in these first few chapters, but also wondered whether he would share any new tales or truths.

Then there's the difference in our lifestyles. Glenn Plaskin once lived in a claustrophobic, dark apartment in the Upper East Side of New York and escaped by moving into a new high-rise building in nearby Battery Park. I hate apartments of any kind. Glenn Plaskin used to be obsessed by his career, which included accomplishments such as a published biography and a fulltime position with a professional magazine. Even when he starts feeling as if there needs to be more to life, and so desires to have a canine companion, his job still involves the prestige of interviewing celebrities. How as a teacher and aspiring writer will I relate to any of this man's experiences?

Even after Glenn finds the perfect pet in Katie, a homely cocker spaniel brought from a breeder, it is initially the people he meets who make his book unique. There's Pearl and Arthur, a senior couple who live down the hall. They used to own a cocker spaniel too, but Brandy had recently died. They become like grandparents to Glenn. There's also John and his son Ryan whom Glenn met at a community center. John needed to find an apartment in Manhattan, because the commute was becoming unmanageable. Glenn encouraged him to look into Battery Park. Next thing you know, they’re neighbors! John and Glenn developed a friendship, while Ryan became like a son to Glenn and grandson to Pearl and Arthur. Thrown into this mix was Katie, who united everyone as she went up and down the hall, and I smile because my own family's dogs had similarly often inspired conversation from people whom we would meet on walks.

Soon the book settled into a warm and fuzzy story about this "family" of six. By this point, the characters had all become real to me and so I could not bear to put the book down until its conclusion, for I needed to know what happened to everyone. Life is never static and so soon there are twists: Glenn is in a bike accident. Pearl's husband Arthur is hospitalized with pneumonia. John finds a new partner and decides to move. 9/11 happens and damages their neighborhood. Throughout all these changes and losses, a new purpose emerged for Glenn. He discovered new writing niches such as self-help, inspiration, and service-related articles, which all reflected changing priorities: family, friends, and dogs. He even began writing about the new stars in his life such as his "grandmother" Pearl. Of course, the final chapters are about Katie, and despite the risk of *SPOILING* the end, I have to warn that these will probably be the saddest moments of the book for dog owners. Every scene reminded me of our dogs, who also suffered the frailty of life and will forever be missed. That the book impacted me so strongly shows that Glenn Plaskin's successfully passed on Katie's legacy of connecting people. For her story now feels part of my life too.
(less)

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Nov 22, 2010 Danielle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: chicklit, for-review, books-i-own

Are you an animal lover? More specifically, do you love dogs? If you answered yes to either or both of these questions then you will want to read this fantastic new memoir. Glenn Plaskin has been a dog lover his whole life and despite his (and his grandfather’s) most eager attempts to secure one early in life, he fails. As a child his mother couldn’t bring herself to allow another “child” into the home that needed to be cared for in addition to her already booming family. So, after waiting and s...more Are you an animal lover? More specifically, do you love dogs? If you answered yes to either or both of these questions then you will want to read this fantastic new memoir. Glenn Plaskin has been a dog lover his whole life and despite his (and his grandfather’s) most eager attempts to secure one early in life, he fails. As a child his mother couldn’t bring herself to allow another “child” into the home that needed to be cared for in addition to her already booming family. So, after waiting and seeking many years Glenn finally finds Katie, a beautiful golden Cocker Spaniel puppy, and by so doing brings with her a host of new family and friends. This is the story of how one animal can change and alter the lives of many, for good, for years and years to come.

I’m definitely an animal person. From the time I was quite young I can remember having a pet of some sort in our home. From fish to birds and of course cats, we were never without a furry (or non-furry) companion to brighten our day. Unfortunately for Glenn, though his mother loved animals, she couldn’t bring herself to add a dog into the mix of toddlers and small children in the home. Something I can definitely relate to currently. It’s often hard enough trying to care for the kiddos in your life without adding all that goes into properly caring for an animal.

Because of his mother’s trepidation and an early “scary” experience with a larger dog, Glenn waits many years before he finally decides to add to his “family”. And Katie’s arrival is not one he ventures into lightly. It’s this planning and preparing that really began to catch my interest in the book and then the subsequent concern for Katie and the very “child-like” behavoirs she exhibited early on. It was delightful and quite fun to see how his experiences with Katie often mirrored some of the little quirky things that young children do as well as the love he quickly felt for her.

Not only did Glenn fall in love with Katie, but everyone else did as well. For those unaware, Glenn Paskin is actually a celebrity journalist and much of the memoir covers the time when he was interviewing many of them. Oddly enough, he felt comfortable bringing her with him to interviews with the likes of Katherine Hepburn, Ivana Trump and Calvin Klein. Katie even made the articles of Page Six, a celebrity gossip column! Everyone she seemed to come in contact with was almost immediately at ease with her, with very few exceptions, and she had a way of bringing people who would otherwise keep a distance, together. This is truly the beauty of the book.

If I had any qualms with the book it would be that with the exception of the last 30 pages or so, I felt just “pretty good” about reading the book. It was a fun and quick read, with excellent writing and strong characters. Quite honestly, I read it in an afternoon. But it’s not until the last few pages of the book that the questions arise, the connection with Katie and Granny firmly implant themselves in your heart. Those last pages make every bit of the book worth reading. You will find yourself wondering if his journey was worth it? Was it the right thing for him to have added Katie to his family to begin with? Where would he be without her, as well as the others he met along the way?

Relationships that were formed as a result of Katie’s arrival and the subsequent partings were what brought heart to this memoir. Glenn Plaskin’s Katie Up and Down the Hall is one animal lovers and especially dog lovers, will fall in love with easily. You will relate on so many levels and find yourself looking back at fond memories of your own. This is definitely a book I’d recommend and would highly suggest waiting until you finish the very last page before deciding exactly how you feel about Katie and Glenn’s story. A story of heart that will teach you that some of the most important things in life are often the people we pass in the “hallways” each day.(less)

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Jun 22, 2011 Carol rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, dog-cat-bird

This is love story between a dog and the people living on a floor of an apartment building in Battery Park City. The author, Glenn Plaskin was impressed by a cocker spaniel owned by one of his friends in the apartment building. He wanted to have a dog but did want not be as strict as his friend Joe. He located a breeder with one last cocker. He didn’t like the name Twiggy so he promptly changed her to Katie.

Katie turned out to have an unusual talent for bringing people together and making them...more

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Oct 02, 2010 Leigh-ann rated it 2 of 5 stars

If you know me, you know I love all animals, and that I've been rescuing dogs, cats, and parrots for years. Despite that, I just couldn't get into this book. I couldn't relate to the neurotic author who started out afraid of dogs, and wasn't excited by the celebrity anecdotes. I much preferred "Homer's Odyssey" in the genre, "I'm a New Yorker who survived 9/11 with my special pet", although it's obvious YMMV because I'm the only person here who isn't in love with "Katie Up and Down the Hall".

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Jun 13, 2012 Patricia Summers rated it 4 of 5 stars

I read this book sometime back in 2010. A friend of mine recommend that I read this book, I told her I would. She let me borrow it. It was a great book. This is one of those feel good book. I loved how one dog a bring entire group of people together to the point they become family. The little boy Ryan is so cute, he loved Katie so much. Of course, everyone loved Katie. Just like any ending to these similar books, I teared up. I won't spoil any about the book or ending. It is truly a great book....more

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Mar 25, 2011 Dorothy Dubel rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recently my publicist Dawn Hudson met Glenn Plaskin, noted author and interviewer at the Southern Independent Booksellers Association conference in Daytona Beach, Florida. Glenn's new book Katie, Up and Down the Hall, is a heart-warming story about his dog Katie (named after the astounding actress Kathrine Hepburn, whom he knew personally) and gathering new and unexpected friendships. You'll see this book on the shelves in November 2010.

- Dorothy

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Oct 23, 2010 Suzanne rated it 5 of 5 stars

Glenn Paskin told a great story about his dog. I thought the book was going to be similar to Marley and Me by John Grogan but it wasn't. This story was about the power of a dog to bring people together, how relationships grow, and how people and animals can change our lives. I am not a "dog person" but I thoroughly enjoyed the book. Several times it brought me to tears. Glenn did a great job of bringing his family and friends to live.

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Mar 14, 2012 Kelly rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: dog-books-non-fiction

Plaskin's book about his little Cocker Spaniel Katie and their lives together in Battery Park, NYC is a must-read for anybody that enjoys relationship-centered books. Although Katie is the catalyst for many of Plaskin's friendships, the book is about more than just Katie. It is about how we touch those around us, and how our family can be made up of more than just blood relatives. This book is very well-written and compelling.

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Aug 10, 2011 Kim rated it 3 of 5 stars

Pretty fun book, very light pleasurable reading. This is a book about how a dog changes a NYC man's life. He says he was searching for something (socially) that he never found. He'd also always wanted a dog (part of his bucket list) and so, being lonely after moving into a new apartment, he acquires a dog from a good breeder.

Katie, his blonde cocker spaniel, does change his life and in the very best ways. Very charming book.

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Aug 30, 2011 April rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

I loved this book! It is totally a break away from my usual books, but who doesn't love a sweet story about a man and his dog? What I loved is the relationships that were built due to Katie, and how several people in an apartment building became like family. Plaskin really tells his story well, and I felt like I knew Katie, Pearl, Glenn, John, and Ryan. Yes, there were times I balled, but this was not a "sad" story. It really is uplifting, though it does have upsetting moments.

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Feb 20, 2011 Miko Lee rated it 3 of 5 stars

Sweet true story of NYC writer who gets a dog in his Battery Park apartment. The dog ends up binding this lonely man to the older couple down the hall and the gay dad and son next door. The book follows the entire 12 year life of the dog and her human family through career highs an lows, death, depress and 9/11. I don't know why I have been so fascinated by dog tales as of late. It was fluff and predictable, but it was fun.

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Nov 03, 2010 Theresa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: biography

Glenn adopts Katie as a puppy and takes us through her life in an New York apartment building. In this book you come away knowing how important Katie was to her owner and the people around her and how much she loved them. We also come to realize Katie became the dog she was because of Glenn's care, not everyone would have been willing to share their pet so much with others. Very moving story of a dogs life.

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Jan 25, 2011 Melissa Kayden rated it 3 of 5 stars

Cute book about a single guy that got a dog and how the dog "introduced" him to the neighbors. These nieghbors then became like family. It was a cute book, although I don't know any man that would dress his dog up in so many costumes and be so proud of it. I especially liked reading about their experiences on 9/11 and how such a terrible day brought out so much kindness between people trying to help each other.

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Jan 01, 2011 Khris Sellin rated it 4 of 5 stars

How could I not read this book, about a loving, sweet cocker spaniel??? (NOTHING like our demon cocker spaniel Brookie.)
Thanks, Denise!

***

Very heart-warming story. These people were all lucky to have each other, and Katie! I'm just imagining our Brookie running up and down the hall, only he would be doing it to terrorize all the neighbors and see how many bites he could get in in one trip! ;-)

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Aug 02, 2011 Jessi rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, biography-memoir

First line: "As a kid I was never a 'dog person,' to say the least."

This book was good in general, but I think it was a little too sentimental for the mood I was in. It was all just a little too idyllic for me - even when there was conflict in the story it was just too happy happy. It didn't come anywhere close to beating out my top three pet stories: Marley and Me, The Art of Racing in the Rain, Homer's Oddessy. However, I was intrigued enough to keep reading. I never have been a fan of small d...more

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Dec 06, 2011 Karen & Gerard rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: animals, biographies-autobiographies, relationships

This is a wonderful story about Katie, a small dog, who is able to bring people together in a small apartment complex in New York. I especially enjoyed the part of how they all dealt with the tragedy of September 11, 2001. This is really a good read and the writing is very good. Give it a try, it's worth it!
(Gerard's Review)

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About Glenn Plaskin

Veteran journalist and celebrity interviewer Glenn Plaskin is the bestselling author of Horowitz: The Biography of Vladimir Horowitz and Turning Point: Pivotal Moments in the Lives of America’s Celebrities. His profiles and columns have appeared in the New York Times, the Daily News, San Francisco Chronicle, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Family Circle, US Weekly, Ladies Home Journal, Cosmopo...more Veteran journalist and celebrity interviewer Glenn Plaskin is the bestselling author of Horowitz: The Biography of Vladimir Horowitz and Turning Point: Pivotal Moments in the Lives of America’s Celebrities. His profiles and columns have appeared in the New York Times, the Daily News, San Francisco Chronicle, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Family Circle, US Weekly, Ladies Home Journal, Cosmopolitan, W, and Playboy.

His interview subjects have included such figures as Katharine Hepburn, Nancy Reagan, Calvin Klein, Senator Edward Kennedy, Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, Leona Helmsley, Barbara Walters, Diane Sawyer, Donald Trump, Al Pacino, and Meryl Streep. His TV appearances include The Today Show, Oprah, and Larry King Live. He lives in New York City. Visit the author’s website and read the full story at www.glennplaskin.com.

A native of Buffalo, N.Y. Plaskin was first trained as a classical pianist, studying under the renowned Kennedy Center honoree Leon Fleisher. With a dramatic change of career in his mid-20’s, he began writing culture profiles for the New York Times, securing his first book contract at age 26.

He was encouraged in his writing by then-Doubleday editor Jacqueline Onassis, who would later write: “I’ve known Glenn for some years and am his great admirer. He’s witty, articulate, and has this uncanny ability to draw people out and gain their confidence.”

His literary debut was a cause célèbre—the first-ever biography of the legendary pianist Vladimir Horowitz—published in the U.S., Canada, England, France, Germany, Japan, and Finland.

Plaskin’s Horowitz book was hailed by the New York Times as “a well-researched biography that will throw much light on Horowitz the man and the artist.” The Los Angeles Times opined: “It is done well, even masterfully.” The Chicago Tribune: “An absorbing well-written and well-balanced portrait…as delicious as a good detective thriller.”

Thereafter, the author established himself as one of the nation’s leading celebrity interviewers. As the Celebrity Service International wrote: “When it comes to the brutally competitive world of celebrity journalism, no one is more successful at nailing down the big names than entertainment reporter Glenn Plaskin.”

Among Plaskin’s interviews with film stars, politicians, TV personalities, and media figures are classic profiles of Harrison Ford, Al Pacino, Robert DeNiro, Mary Tyler Moore, Peter Jennings, Danielle Steel, Paul Newman, Carol Burnett, Leona Helmsley, Christopher Reeve, Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, Bill Gates, Colin Powell, Bill Cosby, Mike Wallace, among hundreds of others.

In recent years, Plaskin has gone beyond celebrity interviewing to writing articles and books focused on service, self-help, and inspiration. He has worked with many of the leading figures in this genre. Read the Celebrity Testimonials

“Glenn,” writes Susan Ungaro, the magazine’s former editor-in-chief, “is a master at celebrity interviews and service journalism—with a true gift for creating a compelling story that grips the reader from beginning to end.”

Plaskin, a resident of Battery Park City, is surrounded by more than 500 dogs in Lower Manhattan neighborhood, a waterside community that inspired this book and the remarkable events in it.
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title link	preview: Katie Up and Down the Hall: The True Story of How One Dog Turned Five Neighbors into a Family
avg rating	preview: Katie Up and Down the Hall: The True Story of How One Dog Turned Five Neighbors into a Family Goodreads rating: 3.89 (413 ratings)
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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8044564-katie-up-and-down-the-hall?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1344264695l/8044564.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8044564-katie-up-and-down-the-hall?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Katie Up and Down the Hall: The True Story of How One Dog Turned Five Neighbors into a Family by Glenn Plaskin[/url]

Katie Up and Down the Hall: The True Story of How One Dog Turned Five Neighbors into a Family

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