In the tradition of The Incredible Journey and Lassie Come-Home comes a heartwarming, suspenseful tale. An inspiring portrayal of devotion and survival against all odds.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Fans of the Lassie stories and The Incredible Journey will lose themselves in this harrowing adventure. This is an uplifting tale of devotion, perseverance and love beyond boundaries.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Readers will find it tough not to flip to the final pages to find out how this heartfelt story ends. Hand this to fans of Phyllis Reynolds Naylor’s Shiloh and Kathi Appelt’s The Underneath and they will not be disappointed.” — Booklist
“Bobbie Pyron gives us a triumphant story about faith and hope and never giving up, especially on the ones you love.” — Kathi Appelt, Newbery Honor author of The Underneath
“A Dog’s Way Home is at times hilarious, at times mystical, at times page-turningly suspenseful. The heartbeat of this story—like the strong heartbeat of the Sheltie at its center—will stay with you for a very, very long time.” — Gary D. Schmidt, Newbery Honor and Printz Honor author of Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy and The Wednesday Wars
“Beautifully written, this is an important story that speaks to the special kinship between child and dog. I simply LOVE this book!” — Patricia MacLachlan, Newbery Medal-winning author of Sarah, Plain and Tall
Readers will find it tough not to flip to the final pages to find out how this heartfelt story ends. Hand this to fans of Phyllis Reynolds Naylor’s Shiloh and Kathi Appelt’s The Underneath and they will not be disappointed.
A Dog’s Way Home is at times hilarious, at times mystical, at times page-turningly suspenseful. The heartbeat of this story—like the strong heartbeat of the Sheltie at its center—will stay with you for a very, very long time.
Bobbie Pyron gives us a triumphant story about faith and hope and never giving up, especially on the ones you love.
In the tradition of The Incredible Journey and Lassie Come-Home comes a heartwarming, suspenseful tale of a dog's arduous 400-mile journey to find his 11-year-old owner, Abby. Tam, a champion sheltie, nearly loses his life on his way home from a competition when the truck he's in slides off the road and his crate is thrown into a creek. He manages to escape a watery death, but finding his way back to "his girl," who was hospitalized after the crash, proves physically exhausting and requires learning new survival skills. Meanwhile, Abby refuses to believe Tam is dead, even after weeks pass and her family pulls up stakes in Harmony Gap, N.C., to move to Nashville. Switching credibly between Abby and Tam's perspectives (in first- and third-person, respectively), Pyron (The Ring) draws parallels between the changes that each undergoes. Tension mounts as unforeseen obstacles make it seem as though dog and owner will never reunite, yet readers, like the story's heroes, aren't likely to give up hope. With vibrant, sympathetic characterizations, Pyron creates an inspiring portrayal of devotion and survival against all odds. Ages 8–12. (Mar.)
Beautifully written, this is an important story that speaks to the special kinship between child and dog. I simply LOVE this book!
Readers will find it tough not to flip to the final pages to find out how this heartfelt story ends. Hand this to fans of Phyllis Reynolds Naylor’s Shiloh and Kathi Appelt’s The Underneath and they will not be disappointed.
Gr 4–8—On their way home from an agility championship competition that Abby's Shetland sheepdog won, Abby and her mother are in an accident. Tam is thrown, cage and all, from the car into the river. The sixth grader and her mom are both in need of emergency medical help. No one is able to return to look for Tam until days later when there is no sign of him. In alternating chapters, Tam and Abby tell their stories. The dog's is one of harrowing hardship and dangerous circumstances, reminiscent of Sheila Burnford's The Incredible Journey (Little, Brown, 1961) as he attempts to travel hundreds of miles home to "his girl." Abby is experiencing the stress of moving and fitting in at a new school because of her dad's job, but her thoughts never stray from her beloved dog. Though months go by, Abby never gives up hope that somehow Tam will be found. This is encouraged by her grandmother, who has psychic visions of Tam trying to come home. Other mystical elements play well, such as a coyote that befriends the dog and later returns as an apparition to lead him along the correct route. There is a guardian crow, too, that protects Tam and is key in the story's finale. The alternating, brief chapters effectively help set the fast pace of the story. Though there may be too many near-death experiences for Tam, creating frustration rather than adding tension to the plot, the subject matter and page-turning intensity will hook animal lovers, including reluctant readers.—Tina Martin, Arlington Heights Memorial Library, IL
In alternating chapters, Emily Eiden delivers the mountain girl twang of 11-year-old Abby, a spunky delight from Harmony Gap, North Carolina, and Chuck Carrington renders the sure, steady voice of Abby's whip-smart Shetland sheepdog, Tam. We meet the pair as they win an agility championship on the northern end of the Blue Ridge Parkway. A truck accident on the way home separates them, leaving Abby in the hospital and Tam fighting for survival. Both narrators hold their own, so you're never left wishing you were in the dog's story instead of the girl's or vice versa. Listeners will be touched by the close (sometimes psychic) bond between girl and dog as their reunion is thwarted by nature, nasty humans, and Abby's often clueless parents. (But after seven months of struggle, you may begin to think "Home" should be retitled "Give This Poor Dog a Break.") M.M.C. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine
