This book was read for the Four-Legged Friends challenge and the Fall Into Reading challenge. This book was read in November.
This is a tween novel, ages 9 and up about a boy who is thrown overboard of a ship to save his life and is washed up on an island full of dogs. The dogs were left behind by the former islanders. The dogs have split into two groups, with the more wild dogs called Fangoes by the sheep dogs. However it’s been a while since people were on the island and most of the dogs don’t remember humans. The boy, Jack, is the first human they’ve seen and he doesn’t fit what they have heard about humans.
In the final battle between the two groups of dogs, Jack finds he can understand the dogs. Suddenly he doesn’t feel much like a human.
I really enjoyed this book and am glad I found it. It’s sort of like a younger person’s version of The Island of the Blue Dolphins. It’s an action, adventure story, told alternately by Jack and Moxie, one of the sheep dogs. Reading a dog’s point of view was very interesting, especially when she describes what she’s been told about humans and how Jack differs from this view. The stranded dog’s views are very believable.
I really enjoyed this book and recommend it.
Others Reviews
Dog Ear Diary