Free 1022 Evergreen Place by Debbie Macomber Page B

dealing with depression.”
    â€œI think so, too.” Grace hoped the program would provide Tanni with some encouragement—and that the girls would keep their mutual dislike out of the library.
    At three-thirty that same afternoon, Grace was surrounded by dogs and kids and mild chaos as the children were matched up with their new canine friends.
    â€œKristen,” Grace said, “I want you to work with Mimi and Aubrey.” Mimi was a mixed breed, part Pomeranian and part something else she couldn’t identify. Aubrey was a first-grader who clung to her mother’s hand until she was introduced to Mimi. Grace found it gratifying to see how quickly the youngster responded to the dog.
    Kristen led the girl to a fairly secluded area by the window, where the lighting was good. Together Aubrey and Kristen sat down on the carpet. Mimi snuggled up next to Aubrey and placed her chin on the little girl’s knee.
    â€œTanni, I’m going to assign you to Boomer and Tyler.”
    â€œYou got it.” The girl nodded and led seven-year-old Tyler and Boomer to the opposite end of the area reserved for the program. Boomer was a golden retriever who reminded Grace of Buttercup, her own dog.
    Grace couldn’t help noticing that Tanni moved as far away from Kristen as she could, which didn’t surprise her.
    She paired the two adults with two children and two dogs each, but those children were older—ten and eleven, eight and ten, respectively.
    Grace stood back and waited. Her research indicated that the children felt more comfortable reading aloud to the dogs than to adults and achieved higher reading levels with practice, which of course made sense. Research showed that being with dogs enhanced their social skills and helped overcome shyness. Watching the children interact with the animals, she witnessed a startling—and very rapid—transformation in each child. She smiled as Boomer, the golden retriever, looked up at Tyler with hisbig brown eyes and actually held the book open with his paw pressed across the top of the page.
    Grace had learned that various bookstores as well as libraries across the continent participated in programs very similar to this. In fact, one large Seattle bookstore brought therapy dogs into the children’s section twice a month. Apparently other bookstores were starting to do the same thing.
    Grace only hoped that the reading program at the Cedar Cove library would prove to be as popular and as rewarding.
    The thirty minutes seemed to flash by. She moved silently from one reading group to another. It was important that the children feel relaxed and at ease; the volunteers were there to oversee the kids and dogs, but once the children were set up with books, they were to quietly extract themselves and watch from a distance, letting the children read to “their” dogs alone.
    Grace joined Kristen after she’d left Aubrey. “What do you think?” she asked.
    Kristen’s pretty face lit up with a smile. “Aubrey took to Mimi right away. It was amazing. Did you notice how Mimi cuddled up to Aubrey? It was so sweet.”
    From the corner of her eye, Grace noticed as Tanni made a face. Kristen saw it, too. Grace saw a flicker of pain in the girl’s eyes. She didn’t say anything but Grace knew Tanni’s look of contempt had hurt.
    When the children were finished, Beth Morehouse collected the dogs and walked them out of the library, with Kristen and Tanni’s help.
    Tanni returned to retrieve her backpack. “Do you have a minute?” Grace asked, stopping her.
    â€œYeah, sure.”
    Grace led the way into her small office. “How did youfeel the first session went?” she asked, gesturing for Tanni to take the seat across from her.
    The teenager slouched down in the chair. “All right, I think. Tyler and Boomer seem to be a good match. I was surprised by how easily Tyler felt comfortable with such a big dog.