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Based on a true story!
When Ivan's mother disappears, he's abandoned on the streets of Moscow, with little chance to make it through the harsh winter. But help comes in an unexpected form: Ivan is adopted by a pack of dogs, and the dogs quickly become more than just his street companions: They become his family. Soon Ivan, who used to love reading fairytales, is practically living in one, as he and his pack roam the city and countryside, using their wits to find food and shelter, dodging danger, begging for coins. But Ivan can’t stay hidden from the world of people forever. When help is finally offered to him, will he be able to accept it? Will he even want to?
A heart-pounding tale of survival and a moving look at what makes us human.
Anonymous
Posted March 4, 2013
Dogs of Winter may be a good book, but there is no warning for parents about the more graphic aspects of this story. After reading A Dogs Way Home our 9 year old was thrilled to find another "dog" story by the same author. This is definitely better suited for 12-14 year olds.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Bobbie Pyron has taken a bit of history and turned it into a captivating tale of a little boy's survival. Never could I have imagined a child's bond with wild dogs as seen in The Dogs of Winter!
Ivan Andreovich is only five years old when his mother goes missing and her boyfriend tries to take Ivan to an orphanage. In the City, somewhere in Russia, Ivan decides to run away, hoping that his mother will come searching for him. He spends days and nights on the streets and train station, at first taken in by a rowdy group of young children who steal food and beg money for vodka and cigarettes. In the midst of these kids who will do anything to survive, Ivan tries to hold on to the morals his mother taught him like to not steal or lie. When the dogs come into Ivan's life it gets a little easier to make it. He finds food for them and himself, warm places to sleep at night, and protection from the older street kids and gangs.
But, of course, obstacles take place that hinder Ivan's ability to keep himself fed and clothed. He's very naive throughout most of the story, but the more wild he gets the more cunning. Throughout the novel, Pyron makes me wonder whether anything will go right for the Dog Boy, but time and time again his pack proves that they have his back and they'll endure through the most dire situations. Except for when Ivan is captured and forced back into human society. I found that I didn't feel the big emotional pull until Ivan had been shown just one ounce of kindness from someone who wasn't one of his dogs.
The Dogs of Winter is a novel that I would highly recommend to dog lovers and readers who love an encouraging tale of survival. Even through the darkest parts of the novel, when life just wasn't kind to little Ivan, the dogs lightened the pall.
*Book provided in exchange for an honest review*
Anonymous
Posted February 24, 2013
Best book ever it show how love if made and shows even though you may be ritch or poor it wil make you ask if you really are the person you can really be this book will make you sad or mad i may be a young teen but even i can see how you love are loyalty really dos matter this book has inspired me to help and show commpasion to those who are special ed or even my pets i hope you like what i said thid is a good animal lovers book comment us agree thanks for reading even if i dont see or hear
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged. Based on a true story, "The Dogs of Winter" is targeted for 6th grade readers and older.
Ivan is a 5-year old boy who has been abandoned on the streets of Russia. He encounters gangs of children who have been abandoned and they try to draw him to work for them. These gangs often are cruel and mistreat each other, as well as Ivan. Eventually Ivan ends up on his own and discovers a pack of dogs who help take care of him. The dogs become his family and Ivan even begins to look and act like his family.
They travel the city during the winter looking for food and shelter and move to the country during the warmer months and live in the woods near a fairground. The bond that develops between boy and dog is strong. They protect, defend, and provide for each other.
When I first started reading this book, I thought it was entirely fiction. I did not realize that it was based on a true story. I was over a fourth of the way through the book when I discovered this simple fact.
I enjoyed this story, found it very easy to read and actually read it in one day. While this story focuses on one young boy who is homeless, it does a good job of raising our awareness that there are homeless children all over the world, even here in our own small spot in the United States. It does this without being overbearing.
The Dogs of Winter is a simple story about a boy and his dogs, but it is a wonderful story about a boy and his dogs! (rev. P.Howard)
DISCLOSURE: A complimentary copy was given to us in exchange for our honest review. Opinions expressed are solely those of the reviewer.
Anonymous
Posted October 19, 2012
No text was provided for this review.
Overview
Based on a true story!
When Ivan's mother disappears, he's abandoned on the streets of Moscow, with little chance to make it through the harsh winter. But help comes in an unexpected form: Ivan is adopted by a pack of dogs, and the dogs quickly become more than just his street companions: They become his family. Soon Ivan, who used to love reading fairytales, is practically living...