Description
Book SynopsisThat ugly red fungus killed all the wheat for flour, killed all the oat, and sugar cane for sugar and golden syrup, along with all the grass for cows and butter. Killed just about every ingredient that me and Dad used to use when we made Anzac bickies. I don't think I'll ever see another Anzac bickie in my whole life.
Ella and her brother Emery are alone in a city that's starving to death. If they are going to survive, they must get away, upcountry, to find Emery's mum. But how can two kids travel such big distances across a dry, barren and dangerous landscape? Well, when you've got a few big doggos, the answer is you go mushing. When Emery is injured, Elle finds herself suddenly responsible for safely navigating the wheeled dog-sled through rough terrain, and even rougher encounters with desperate people. Like How to Bee, MacDibble's award-winning Middle Grade debut,The Dog Runner is set in an all-too-possible dystopian future Australia where climate change has taken hold. This compelling adventure underlines the depth of ancient knowledge and the human ingenuity which will give tomorrow's generations hope of averting ultimate global disaster.
Trade ReviewIn The Dog Runner, not only does the reader encounter a stark possibility for the future as we unbalance the world and its resources, but themes of loyalty, what constitutes family, the almost primeval bond between humans and dogs, love and identity (including ethnic and social) are all there to be contemplated.
There is such depth to The Dog Runner that it would make a sensational class reader for children aged 9-13, but I'd like to see as many adults as possible read it too because there is a warning here for us all as well as a superbly compelling narrative.
* Linda's Book Bag blog *
The Dog Runner is a tense, thrilling adventure story full of close calls and peril, but it's also glowing with heart, whether it's the relationship between Ella and Emery or their love for the "doggos" helping them get to where they need to be. The all-too timely reminders about the importance of the environment and food security, Bren MacDibble's distinctive writing style, and the delicious sense of threat make The Dog Runner hard to resist.
The Dog Runner is a powerful imagining of things to come, and a reminder of the importance of kindness in the midst of uncertainty ... an excellent choice for sophisticated middle grade readers who want something meaty. It’s also a hopeful story for children thinking about climate crisis and what they might be able to do about it.
The Dog Runner is a non-stop adventure which will entertain as much as it will provoke thought about the importance of looking after our planet and how we should be doing this now – not waiting until it’s too late.
-- Victoria Dilly * thebookactivist blog *
