Teacher Guide

The Art of Racing in the Rain Lesson Plan

Introduction to The Art of Racing in the Rain

The Art of Racing in the Rain is the award-winning third novel by author Garth Stein. Stein has stated that two specific pieces inspired the novel: The 1998 Mongolian documentary State of Dogs and Billy Collins's poem "The Revenant." He also drew on his own experiences with car-racing and the life of a close friend who was facing some familial struggles at the time. While Stein originally had some difficulty in getting the novel published due to the fact that it is narrated by a dog, once it was released, it became a quick hit.

Published in 2008, the novel stayed on the New York Times Best Seller list for over 156 weeks. The novel received several awards, including Seattle Times Best...

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