Need something inspiring to read to your kids during a visit?

Granite is full of adventure, trials and tribulations, near defeat and an incredible come-back.

The inside front cover reads:
“Granite is the greatest lead dog in history, but that wasn’t always a given. As a puppy, Granite was small and shy. Even though he lacked self-confidence, he had a spark of potential ready to ignite. All he needed was for someone to believe in him, to encourage him day after day, and to show him that the best leaders are found in unlikely places. That person was Susan Butcher.”

Incarcerated folks are lucky that the vice-principal of our education department found Granite and donated it to our library. Its underdog narrative with a “don’t give up” attitude is something that we want our children to have and, quiet though it’s kept, we like those kind of stories, too — the ones that build self-confidence and where leaders are found in the most unlikely places.

We all should feel special as Butcher, who won the famous Iditarod dog-sled race four times, writes to us, “May you find peace chasing your dreams!”