"The Dogs of Winter" by Bobbie Pyron

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)

Short Excerpt

Fun Stuff About the Author:

• I once stuck a piece of popcorn up my nose (because I didn't like the babysitter) and never got it out!
• My sister, mother, and I lived for two weeks on The Queen Elizabeth II, a very famous and historic ocean liner.
• My great-great-great aunt is Harriot Beecher Stowe, the author of Uncle Tom's Cabin.
• My favorite word is “wilderness”
• I've never ridden a roller coaster
• Given a choice, I'd rather have popcorn than chocolate
• I cannot for the life of me whistle
• The town where I live, Park City, is at an elevation of 7,000 feet!
• Some of the more unusual jobs I've had are: dog trainer, gladiola harvester, wilderness education instructor

DISCLOSURE:  A complimentary copy was given to us in exchange for our honest review. Opinions expressed are solely those of the reviewer.