Kim Kavin's Blog, page 8

New Review says “Little Boy Blue” is a “Must-Read for All Dog Lovers Out There”

Wag ‘n Woof Pets, a blog that focuses on issues about all kinds of pets, has just posted its review of Little Boy Blue. It calls the book “very well written, thought provoking, and a must-read for all dog lovers out there.”

Little Boy Blue author Kim Kavin says her favorite part of the review is these couple of sentences:

“Interspersed with all this information and the story of Kim’s quest for it is the wonderful story of Blue, and the other dogs in her life.  To me, that made the book enjoyable as well as informative, and in spite of the bad news along the way, it left me feeling hopeful.  I am hopeful that all the good people are trying to do will ultimately overcome the evil, the ignorance and the misinformation that leads to so many dogs dying in shelters.”

See more reader feedback at the Little Boy Blue reviews page.

Filed under: Little Boy Blue: The Book

Writer’s Digest Features “Little Boy Blue” Author

Writer’s Digest just uploaded this interview with Little Boy Blue author Kim Kavin. In it, she talks about how she found her literary agent, why she chose to work with Barron’s as her publisher, and which movie star Blue most resembles.

Filed under: Little Boy Blue: The Book

ASJA Names “Little Boy Blue” One of Year’s Best Nonfiction Books

The American Society of Journalists and Authors has just announced the winners of its 2013 writing competition. Little Boy Blue earned an honorable mention for outstanding general nonfiction book of the year. It was among just five books cited, including the winning title.

“This is the toughest competition that Little Boy Blue has seen so far, and I am grateful that the title was selected,” says author Kim Kavin. “The winner in this category was Buried in the Sky, a bestselling book about sherpas on the mountain K2. Outside magazine called it the most important book on its topic in the past decade. To have Little Boy Blue in that type of company is a real thrill.”

The ASJA Awards will be presented at a reception in Manhattan in April. Kavin, a longtime ASJA member, is expected to attend.

 

Filed under: Little Boy Blue: The Book

“Little Boy Blue” Named Foreword Book of the Year Finalist

Foreword Reviews has just announced its finalists in the 2012 Book of the Year Awards. We are thrilled to report that Little Boy Blue is among five finalists in the pet-book category.

Finalists were selected from 1,300 entries covering 62 categories of books from independent and academic presses. According to Foreword, “These books represent some of the best books produced by small publishing houses in 2012.”

Winners will be selected by a panel of 60 judges, librarians, and booksellers. Winners will be announced at the American Library Association conference in Chicago this June.

 

Filed under: Little Boy Blue: The Book

Little Boy Blue to Appear in Middlesex, New Jersey

Little Boy Blue author Kim Kavin and Blue himself will sign books from noon till 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 11, at One of the Family Pet Supply in Middlesex, New Jersey.

Adoptable dogs and puppies will be on hand through Jersey Girls Animal Rescue.

“Jersey Girls Animal Rescue is a new organization in central New Jersey that is trying to help dogs like Blue, who originated at a shelter in North Carolina with a 95-percent kill rate unless rescue groups intervene.” Kim says. “We hope that people will come out not only to meet Blue and hear a little bit about the interstate dog rescue movement, but also to consider adopting the dogs and puppies who are currently in foster care with Jersey Girls Animal Rescue.”

We hope to see you there!

Filed under: Appearances

CNN Nominated for Genesis Award for “Little Boy Blue” Coverage

We are thrilled to congratulate news anchor Randi Kaye and her entire team at CNN on their nomination for a 2013 Genesis Award from the Humane Society of the United States.

CNN was nominated for its broadcast featuring Little Boy Blue author Kim Kavin and Blue himself—who sat in a director’s chair and looked at the camera like a good boy for nearly 10 full minutes before and during the interview from CNN’s Manhattan studios.

“Randi Kaye, producer Jason Morrell, and everyone at CNN really cared about Little Boy Blue and getting its story of rescue onto the national media stage in as prominent a way as they could,” Kavin says. “They reported in-depth not only on the conditions at the shelter where Blue was found, but also on how his story is the story of so many homeless dogs across America who deserve this type of media attention. In addition, the whole team at CNN, from the makeup room to the set, helped Blue to feel safe and comfortable, and to stand out as a wonderful example of a great rescue dog before a live, national audience.”

CNN’s team worked with Kavin as well as Rhonda Beach, the rescuer who saved Blue from Person County Animal Control in North Carolina, to create a package that included photographs from inside the shelter, of the shelter’s gas chamber, and more. After the report aired, the shelter sped up its efforts to end all use of the gas chamber and remove it from the premises altogether. It is no longer in use.

CNN has continued to follow the story of Little Boy Blue and the Person County shelter, including in this follow-up report.

Our heartfelt congratulations go out to the entire CNN team. We wish them the best of luck when the Genesis Award winners are announced on March 23.

Filed under: Little Boy Blue: The Book

Little Boy Blue to Appear at Well Bred in Chester, New Jersey

Little Boy Blue author Kim Kavin and Blue himself will sign books starting at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 27, at Well Bred in Chester, N.J.

Weather permitting, adoptable dogs and puppies will also be on hand through Coming Home Rescue.

“Well Bred is one of Blue’s favorite places in the entire world,” Kim says. “We shop there all the time for treats, bones, food, and toys. Owner Patti Storms and her whole team do a great job of offering the best dog supplies that are out there on the market. They also are always willing to help me work on obedience skills with my own dogs or my foster puppies right there in the store. I am a huge fan of Well Bred and am thrilled to be signing books at the shop.”

We hope to see you there!

Filed under: Appearances

Little Boy Blue to Appear at BookTowne in Manasquan, New Jersey

We’ve just scheduled our first book signing for spring 2013. It will be at BookTowne in Manasquan, New Jersey, starting at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 20. Little Boy Blue author Kim Kavin will be there along with Blue himself.

This is a venue where you may also have a chance to meet longtime friends of Kim’s, as she grew up in neighboring Wall Township and served pizza on Manasquan Beach for many years as a teenager.

We hope to see you there!

 

Filed under: Appearances

“Little Boy Blue” Wins Merial Human-Animal Bond Award

Little Boy Blue was named winner of the 2012 Merial Human-Animal Bond Award at the annual banquet of the Dog Writers Association of America last night in Manhattan.

This special award from DWAA goes to “the work that best highlights the unique relationship between a dog and its owner, and best brings to life the concept of the human-animal bond.”

“It was such an honor to accept the Merial Human-Animal Bond Award, since it is among just a handful of special awards that DWAA gives each year,” says Little Boy Blue author Kim Kavin. “I felt like I was on stage representing not just myself, but also the whole publishing team at Barron’s and, of course, great rescue mutts like Blue everywhere.”

Merial is the maker of Frontline, Heartgard, and other products that are intended to keep dogs safe from ticks, fleas, heartworm, and more.

Little Boy Blue also was among four finalists for best general-interest or reference book of 2012. That award went to Show Dog, a book from Harper-Collins about a year in the life of a purebred.

Filed under: Little Boy Blue: The Book

“Little Boy Blue” Author to Appear on CNN This Saturday Morning

Little Boy Blue author Kim Kavin will return to CNN this Saturday at 8 a.m. She will appear alongside Westminster Kennel Club show spokesman David Frei, in a discussion about why purebreds are always presented on television as perfect champions while rescue dogs are so often shown as downtrodden and desperate.

“I am working on an idea for counter-programming for 2014, an entire dog show just for dogs who have been rescued, spayed, and neutered,” Kavin says. “My recent book tour for Little Boy Blue taught me that dogs like him are always thought of as having an overpopulation problem, when in reality they have a marketing problem. CNN got hold of my idea for a dog show devoted just to rescue dogs, and their producers think it will make for a newsworthy discussion as this year’s Westminster show prepares to air. Personally, I think it’s about time that sponsors and networks started investing as much in promoting awesome rescue dogs like Blue as they do in promoting for-profit breeder clubs, and I look forward to being able to spread that message far and wide.”

In 2012, the Westminster Kennel Club faced criticism after banning the commercials of longtime sponsor Pedigree that championed shelter dogs and urged viewers to adopt them. This year’s dog show will be the club’s 137th and will be held at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Saturday’s appearance will be Kavin’s third on CNN. She originally was featured when Little Boy Blue was published in late summer 2012, and then again a few months later when the shelter where Blue was rescued bowed to public pressure and agreed to remove and dismantle its gas chamber.

Filed under: Appearances