Review: A Dog’s Way Home

Tweet

Pin It

Title: A Dog's Way Home
Author: Bobbie Pyron
Genre: Children's book age 9-12

Publisher: Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins

Physical Description: 336-page hardcover
List Price: $16.99
ISBN: 978-0061986741
For More Info: http://www.bobbiepyron.com/

Synopsis:

One late fall afternoon, a tragic highway accident leaves eleven-year-old Abby and her beloved Shetland sheepdog, Tam, stranded at opposite ends of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Though each is determined to be reunited with the other, the days separating them turn to weeks, then months, and dangers and changes fill up Abby's and Tam's lives. Will they ever find their way back home to one another?

Classic in its themes and contemporary in its telling, Bobbie Pyron's A Dog's Way Home is the unforgettable tale of the many miles, months, and mountains that separate two loyal friends—but that can't possibly keep them apart.

About the Author:

Bobbie Pyron calls A Dog's Way Home "my own personal love letter to all the great, classic dog books I've read and loved—and to all the dogs I've loved too." As a part-time librarian, Bobbie enjoys sharing dog stories and books of all kinds with readers. Bobbie is also the author of The Ring, a teen novel about the world of competitive boxing.

When she's not writing, working as a librarian, or volunteering with animal rescue organizations, Bobbie and her dogs Boo, Teddy, and Sherlock can often be found walking in the woods of Park City, Utah, with her husband,  Todd.

What I Liked: 

 

• The awesome dog.  Even if you're not a huge dog fan, little Tam will tug at your heartstrings.  His intelligence, perseverance, and loyalty had me rooting for him from the get-go.
• Family values.  I appreciated Abby's relationship with her parents and her Meemaw.  Very real, complete with misunderstandings and conflict, but also full of love.  I could so relate to the mom's comment about Abby being her northern star.
• Abby's rock-her-world character.  Abby didn't allow herself to be classified as a misfit, but rather changed the world of those around her for the better.  She stayed upbeat and action-oriented in spite of personal disappointments.  A great role-model of a character for middle-schoolers.
• The dog's perspective.  I've never thought much about all the challenges, human and wild, a dog might face on his own.  The author did a great job entwining a range of characters into the dog's story.
• Easy readability.  This was an easy page-turner, with enough action to keep the reader engaged throughout as Tam's rescue seemed just within reach, only to be thwarted again and again.

Overall, this is a terrific kid-friendly book that I look forward to introducing to my animal-loving daughter when she is just a bit older.  The book included references to "the Sight" that, as a Christian reader, I initially questioned, but it left plenty of room for interpretation depending on the reader's paradigm.  Thanks to the author for an uplifting, positive children's book to add to my library!

Thanks to the author for the review copy of this book and to Premier Virtual Author Book Tours for coordinating this tour.

Comment on our giveaway post of The Ring, also authored by Bobbie Pyron, by 10/25 for a chance to win!