Ep. 38 - Emily McKeehan: When Reading Goes To The Dogs

Our guest this week, Emily McKeehan, left a job in the insurance industry to follow her dream of becoming a high school English teacher because she felt that was what she has been called to do.

When she saw a Facebook article about how therapy dogs can help young elementary students with their reading, she had the crazy idea of trying them with her students at Eastern High School, which is in eastern Jefferson county outside Louisville. What she hoped for was to build confidence in her reluctant freshman readers, but what she got was so much more.

Emily talks to us about some books that are reliable favorites of her students year after year, what kind of students she feels get the most from working with a reading therapy dog, and what TV show was her bridge to loving the true crime genre.

We feel lucky to have had the chance to interview Emily the day before the Kentucky governor called off schools in the state for the corona virus pandemic.

Books discussed in this episode:

1- The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
2- The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
3- The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
4- The Freedom Writers Diary by Erin Gruwell and the Freedom Writers
5- Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls by David Sedaris
6- The Stranger Beside Me by Ann Rule
7- I'll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara
8- In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
9- Notes from a Young Black Chef by Kwame Onwuachi and Joshua David Stein
10- Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann

You can find us on FB, instagram (@perksofbeingabookloverpod) and on our blog site at www.perksofbeingabooklover.com

Perks airs on Forward Radio 106.5 FM and forwardradio.org every Wednesday at 6 pm, Thursdays at 6 am and 12 pm. We have purchased the rights to the theme music used.