A Dog's Way Home

by Bobbie Pyron Narrated by Chuck Carrington, Emily Eiden

Overview

Daddy says, “Most folks got a north star in their life-something that gives their life extra meaning. Mine is music.”
Without even thinking, I say, “Mine is Tam.”
*
Abby knows that Tam, her Shetland sheepdog, is her north star, and she's pretty certain she's his, too. But when an accident separates Abby and Tam, it feels as though all the stars have fallen out of the sky and nothing will ever be right again. As the days between them turn to weeks, then months, dangers and changes fill up Abby's and Tam's lives. Will they ever find their way home to each other?

Set in the Blue Ridge Mountains, a dog's way home is an unforgettable tale of the many miles, months, and mountains that divide two loyal friends-but that can't possibly keep them apart.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

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.)

From the Publisher

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

Patricia MacLachlan

Beautifully written, this is an important story that speaks to the special kinship between child and dog. I simply LOVE this book!

Booklist

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.

Gary D. Schmidt

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.

Kathi Appelt

Bobbie Pyron gives us a triumphant story about faith and hope and never giving up, especially on the ones you love.

Booklist

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.

School Library Journal - Audio

Gr 4–8—Abby Whistler, 11, and her Shetland sheepdog, Tam, are inseparable. After winning the Junior Agility Championship in a town 400 miles away from home, Abby puts her dog into his crate in the back of her mama's truck. They are involved in a terrible accident when their truck swerves to avoid hitting a deer. Tam, stuck in his crate, is thrown into the raging ice-cold river and Abby ends up in the hospital. The two are forced apart by fate. Tam is injured and endures dangerous encounters in the wild, while Abby's family moves to Nashville, TN. Months pass, and it seems like Abby and Tam will never be reunited. Will their love and strong bond beat the odds and bring them back together? Bobby Pyron's story (Katherine Tegen Books, 2011) is told from the points of view of the girl and her dog by Emily Eiden and Chuck Carrington, who reflect their emotions and bring the characters to life. An excellent addition to audiobook collections.—Kira Moody, Whitmore Public Library, Salt Lake City, UT

School Library Journal

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

OCTOBER 2012 - AudioFile

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

Product Details

BN ID:	2940170312023
Publisher:	Penguin Random House
Publication date:	06/26/2012
Edition description:	Unabridged
Age Range:	8 - 11 Years

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