By Paul Jennings (author) , Geoff Kelly (illustrator)
"In a nutshell: exciting, unusual rescue story set in Australia’s dense forest"
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A Different Dog is the story of the special relationship that develops between a boy and a dog and how it saves them both. It’s beautifully told in short, spare sentences that will make it accessible to all readers, and full of unexpected twists. The boy at the centre of the story – we never learn his name – is poor, lonely and bullied by other children because of his selective mutism.
The dog he rescues from a car crash that has killed its owner is subject to its own set of painful compulsions, finding out why is one of the surprises and rewards of the story. This will absorb readers, from the opening page to its warm, uplifting final line. Readers will also enjoy Pippa Goodhart’s A Dog Called Flow , which tells another satisfying story of the special, healing bond between a boy and a dog.
Find more books with Positive Images of Disability .
The child narrator of A Different Dog can't speak - we assume it is from a disability or a reaction to a trauma in his past. He is teased by the other kids and is a loner. On a cold winter's day, when everyone is participating in a fun run on the mountain, our narrator finds himself alone at the scene of a car accident where the driver has died.
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But there is a little dog in the car... What follows is a moving story of survival and redemption (and somehow humour in the midst of all that), all told in a 96-page novella.
You can see an interesting interview with Paul Jenning on Australian Channel SBS On Demand here. Courtesy & © SBS TV.
Praise for A Different Dog ;
‘This is a story of need, and … the importance of finding your own voice and redemption in a world of chaos and cruelty ... Paul Jennings has created an interesting and absorbing short novel that will make you long for the end so you can discover the who, why and how of it all. Once again, his work won’t disappoint.’ Kids Book Review
‘For adults this is a beautiful, emotional, well-written short story. For children this is a look at how the odd child out deals with life, and the beautiful relationship that can develop between a child and their pet and how this can be life changing – for both!’ The Bookbubble
`Paul Jennings is a master of his craft. Effortlessly, he draws the reader into this story of a boy, and a dog, and a journey both physical and emotional. The illustrations by Geoff Kelly complement the mood of this story perfectly. This book is perfect in every way.' - Goodreads.com
‘Short, spare in its telling and yet with incredible breadth of subjects - memory, loss, friendship, trauma and resilience - it's a book which, like a concertina, expands out to occupy every corner of the mind, leaving readers thinking, feeling and left feeling that little bit more alive after reading. It's a triumph!’ – Jake Hope, Youth Libraries Group & Reading Consultant
Paul Jennings is one of Australia’s most loved and best selling authors, with over 100 books to his credit. Since the publication of Unreal! in 1985, readers all around the world have loved Paul Jennings’ stories, and he has sold more than ten million books. The first two seasons of the top-rating TV series Round the Twist were based on Paul’s popular short-story collections and he received two Awgie awards for screenwriting episodes. He was made a Member of the Order of Australia for services to children’s literature in 1995 and was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Children’s Book Council of Australia in 2019. His books have been nominated and longlisted for the Carnegie Medal here in the UK. Much of Paul's writing draws on his childhood experience of emigrating to Australia from England and his subsequent career working as a teacher and speech therapist.
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The child narrator of A Different Dog can't speak - we assume it is from a disability or a reaction to a trauma in his past. He is teased by the other kids and is a loner.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed A Different Dog and determined it is suitable for children aged 11-12 years old
A Different Dog features in the following genres: Books to Motivate Reluctant Readers age 11+, Recommendations, Gritty Reads, Animal Stories, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Featured Books for 11+ readers
Paperback. £6.29, down from the £6.99 cover price. In Stock.
A Different Dog was written by Paul Jennings and published by Old Barn Books
A Different Dog has 81 pages
£6.29, reduced from £6.99. In Stock.
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