The Storm (Dogs of the Drowned City Series #1)

by Dayna Lorentz

Overview

Warriors and Guardians of Ga'Hoole fans have a new animal adventure to sink their teeth into!A terrible storm -- and the beginning of a thrilling new animal adventure trilogy!When a hurricane forces his family to evacuate without him, Shep the German sheperd is confused. Where is his boy? Will he ever return? And what will Shep do in the meantime, now that the extra bowls of food -- not to mention all those tasty things he found in the big cold box -- are gone? Then another dog shows up at Shep's window and convinces him to escape. There's food outside, and a whole empty city to explore. Shep just wants to go home ... but the adventure of a lifetime is just beginning.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780545388818
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	04/01/2012
Series:	Dogs of the Drowned City Series , #1
Sold by:	Scholastic, Inc.
Format:	eBook
Pages:	224
Lexile:	720L (what's this?)
File size:	1 MB
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Dayna Lorentz has shared her life with many pets of various species, but self-identifies as a dog person (just don't tell her cat!). She lives in Vermont with her husband, daughter, two rescued pug mixes, and a rescued Maine coon cat. Dogs of the Drowned City is her first series. Visit her online at www.daynalorentz.com.

Editorial Reviews

Gr 4–6—A former fighting dog, Shep has been rescued and is living with a boy and his family. He continues to suffer from nightmares of his former life. His fragile recovery is compounded when the family members evacuate their home because of a hurricane and leaves him behind. Most of the narrative focuses on Shep's struggle for survival and his bonding with other abandoned and stray dogs as they face not only a severe storm, but also roaming gangs of feral animals. The dialogue is mundane, and the constant chatter that dominates the pages is more of a distraction than an enhancement to the plot or character development. Lorentz tries too hard to keep the sense of the dogs' speech by constantly adding unnecessary adjectives to remind readers that the speakers are canines. The overuse of such descriptors as "whined," "woofed," "yapped," and "whimpered" hinder empathy. Still, the scenes are highly descriptive and the action is steadily paced, as dogs move from one dire situation to the next. Youngsters will appreciate Shep's scrappiness as he fights off his vicious opponents and will undoubtedly be waiting for the next two installments for the conclusion. A quick read for children who seek action and adventure.—Tina Hudak, St. Albans School, Washington, DC

School Library Journal

If a dog wrote a book about the adventures of a dog, it would sound almost exactly like this, although some people might think the dog was exaggerating a bit. It's possible readers have never thought about what a dog would say if dogs could talk. But Lorentz, very credibly, creates an entire dog vocabulary. A vacuum is a floor-sucker. A television is a light-window. Afternoon is midsun. One midsun, the light-window shows a storm coming, and the dog is abandoned by his human family. By chapter two, the city is nothing but dogs, and the main character, Shep, has to find shelter, even if it means battling whole packs of wild canines. Lorentz moves from fight scenes to tidal waves at a pace that would leave White Fang or Bodger gasping. In fact, this trilogy opener sometimes resembles a television series, with wacky characters who argue and make up in the end. There are far too many of these characters, and cynical readers may start picturing the Happy Meal toys. But even jaded children will want to know what happens next, and there are some genuine surprises. Not every moment is plausible--can dogs really open locks?--but the story is never dull. Even readers who don't consider themselves dog people may start seeing the world from Shep's point of view and turning the pages faster and faster. (Animal fantasy. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews