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Summary
Summary
In the Colorado mountain town of Steamboat Springs there must be three hundred dogs.Jack's malamute, McKinley, is the leader of them all. But Jack, being human, has no way of knowing that. For him, his family's dog is just a great pal. And protector.Jack cannot know that Redburn, a "leash-licking" Irish setter, is McKinley's rival for the job of head dog. The boy cannot know, with the sudden hillside appearance of a she-wolf, Lupin, that not only McKinley's job -- but hislife --is in danger. Lupin's message: Dogs free yourselves from mankind. Come join us, we who need you to replenish our diminishing wolf pack in the wild.But imagine how a good dog, loyal to his human pup, would hear Lupin's call!McKinley's thrilling story tells itself, as first he and the boy together encounter Lupin in a canyon perfect for an old-time ambush, and later as they try to save her from both Redburn and a neighbor, a vicious man armed with a gun and a grudge. No one -- not even McKinley -- can foresee the end.
Author Notes
Avi was born in 1937, in the city of New York and raised in Brooklyn. He began his writing career as a playwright, and didn't start writing childrens books until he had kids of his own.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (5)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Themes reminiscent of Jack London's Call of the Wild ring throughout this vividly imagined animal story told from a canine perspective, said PW. The action moves along at a crackling pace, reaching a crescendo in a dramatic moonlight confrontation. Ages 8-12. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
(Intermediate) McKinley has a pup named Jack. But in this novel, written from the perspective of the dog, McKinley is a malamute, Jack his human pup. McKinley is also the ""head dog"" in Steamboat Springs, which means he needs to get involved when a local greyhound, Duchess, runs away from her abusive owner and a wolf, Lupin, comes into town seeking dogs to join her depleted pack. The book is overplotted: McKinley helps Duchess escape, assists the wild and wary Lupin in finding refuge when she's shot, and staves off a challenge to his authority by an Irish setter. There is also a hint of puppy love between the malamute and the retriever next door, and complications involving Jack's family, to whom McKinley is devoted. The strongest parts of the book depict the communication gap between animal and human; to McKinley, a book is a ""block of staring papers"" and a TV is a ""glow box."" He responds to occasional human words, but often doesn't fully understand what is being said. The novel falls somewhere between a naturalistic account of animal life and a fantasy. The dogs engage in conversation among themselves (though their words are ""barked,"" ""whimpered,"" ""snapped,"" and so on), and their actions frequently strain credibility, as when all the dogs in town leave their homes and gather for a big middle-of-the-night meeting. But while McKinley's story may not be fully believable, many aspects of his personality do ring true: his inborn sense of pride and dignity, the yearning that even a domesticated dog feels for the wild, and the connections of duty and affection that bind animals and humans. p.d.s. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
Gr. 3-6. Life is good for malamute McKinley. As head dog of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, he enjoys both his leadership role and the responsibility of looking after Jack, the boy he regards as his "human pup." But when Lupin, a wolf with a mission, shows up, McKinley's comfortable world is turned upside down. Hoping to recruit dogs to replenish her dwindling pack, Lupin promises freedom from what she calls enslavement by humans. Before long McKinley's leadership is challenged and his loyalty to Jack is tested as he finds himself wondering why it is that humans think they own their dogs. It's a valid question and Avi presents it, from McKinley's point of view, in an interesting mix of adventure and animal rights advocacy. A welcome element of humor in the otherwise serious story derives from Avi's creation of dog names for human objects: TV, for example, is a "glow box"; a book is "a block of staring papers." Avi's many fans will, doubtless, be glad to stare at the always-inventive author's latest block of papers. --Michael Cart
School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-6-A story with a decidedly canine point of view that will delight dog lovers. Jack's malamute, McKinley, is the top dog in Steamboat Springs, CO. His enemy is not a cat but a sad excuse for an Irish setter, Redburn. Sedate small-town life is interrupted by the appearance of Lupin, a she-wolf that urges dogs to free themselves from the tyranny of domesticated life. The noble McKinley tries to help her, and save a mistreated greyhound, but is misunderstood and relegated to the "dog house" by rather dim-witted humans. Communication between dogs and humans is awkward at best. There is a lot of dialogue among the dogs, among the humans, and between humans and dogs. The people come off as pretty stupid and McKinley is rather tolerant of the limitations of his "human pup" owner. It is confusing that sometimes McKinley seems to understand exactly what humans think and say and at other times professes ignorance. Still, fans of the film version of The Incredible Journey and Beethoven will lap this up as it has a very cinematic feel. Many scenes seem almost written directly for film. Readers will have no problem following the rapid, almost relentless action. John Erickson's "Hank the Cowdog" series (Viking) and James Howe's "Bunnicula" series (Atheneum) are similar in tone.-Marilyn Payne Phillips, University City Public Library, MO (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
When the wild calls, will this good dog answer? For McKinley the malamute is a very good dog, one who takes his contract with his humans seriously: he assiduously guards his human family, especially the pup, Jack. He is also a politically astute dog: he is head dog of the Steamboat Springs dog pack. His retriever friend Aspen, had she the language of pop psychology, would call him a codependent dog: "You watch out for everybody but yourself." His comfortable life is disturbed when a lamed wolf, Lupin, comes down out of the hills to recruit dogs to join her dwindling pack. McKinley feels drawn to her wildness, while at the same time remaining mindful of his doggy responsibilities. These become immensely more complicated when his pup (inspired by The Jungle Book and Julie of the Wolves) decides to try to run away and live with the wolves even as the human community gears up for a massive wolf hunt and an upstart Irish setter begins to challenge McKinley's leadership. How can McKinley acquit his obligations to his pup, to Lupin, and to an abused greyhound whose escape sets the plot in motion, while at the same time preserving his position in the pack? Avi (The Secret School, p. 1021, etc.) by and large does a creditable job of keeping the many subplots going, although the action occasionally gets bogged down in discussions of the political doggy climate. The narrative is filtered through a dog's-eye-view with occasional whimsical touches (streets have names like "Horse Smell Way"), but for the most part the text takes itself as seriously as McKinley does. Almost wholly absent from the story is a real exploration of the mutual affection that underlies the human-dog relationship; without this, McKinley's decision to stay with his humans rather than follow Lupin is an intellectual, and ultimately unsatisfying, one. (Fiction. 8-12)
Excerpts
Excerpts
Chapter 1 "Dad! Ma! McKinley! Guess what I saw!" McKinley had been sleeping in the front yard bushes. Hearing the familiar voice, he lifted his head and looked around with sleepy eyes. He was just in time to see Jack, his human pup, skid so fast on his mountain bike that gravel scattered everywhere. The boy leaped off the bike, raced across the place where the cars sat, and ran into the house. Now what? McKinley wondered. Though he would have liked to sleep more, McKinley stood, yawned, stretched his muscles until they were tight, then relaxed them until they were loose. Shaking his head, he jangled his collar tags, and then ambled toward the house. By the time McKinley reached the door, it had already swung shut. As he had taught himself to do, he bent down, wedged a large forepaw where there was a gap beneath the door, extended his claws, and pushed. The door popped open a little. Sticking his nose into the gap, McKinley shoved the door further open and squirmed inside. Once there, he sniffed. Smelling dinner, he trotted down the hallway, wagging his tail, till he heard Jack saying, "Dad, I'm not making it up. I really saw a wolf." McKinley stopped short. His tail drooped. Was that the wolf word the boy had used? When he was young -- Jack had also been much younger -- McKinley had spotted a wolf during a walk with his people. It was just a glimpse, but the people had seen it, too. They had become very excited. That's when McKinley learned the wolf word. He could recall the wolf's reek, a mix of deep woods, dark earth, and fresh meat. Its wildness had frightened him. And excited him. But that was a long time ago. Wide awake now, McKinley hurried past the large room and into the small food place. Jack was talking to the man of the family. Sometimes the man was called Dad, sometimes Gil. McKinley liked him and the way he always smelled of the outdoors. "Now, hang on, Jack," the man said. "You sure it wasn't just a big old German shepherd? They can look a lot like a wolf." McKinley stood still, his head cocked. There it was again, the wolf word. "No way, Dad," the human pup answered. "You know how much I've read about wolves. I'm sure this was one. I mean, yeah, at first I thought it was McKinley. But it wasn't." Wanting to understand more, McKinley jumped onto one of the sitting places near where the humans put their food when they ate. Mouth slightly open, tail wagging, he sat, turning from the pup to the man as each spoke. "I'm not saying you're wrong," the man said. "Just, if you're right, it's pretty amazing. Hasn't been a wolf sighted around here for years. Remember the time we spotted one up in the Zirkel Wilderness? But not here in Steamboat Springs." McKinley saw Jack look around. "Where's Mom?" At the mention of Jack's female -- the boy called her Mom, the man called her Sarah -- McKinley barked once. The woman spent time on Most Cars Way in a place where there was lots of food, and often brought him treats -- like bones. Gil said, "She has to work the dinner shift. So it'll be just you and me tonight. Sausages and carrots. And your mom made bread. Now keep talking as you set the table." Jack all but threw down his eating sticks and tall, clear bowls as he chattered. "I was a little scared," he was saying. "I mean, that wolf really surprised me. I think I surprised him, too." The human pup poured water for himself and the man into the tall bowls, then thumped down onto the sitting place. McKinley edged closer to the boy. "Here's grub," the man said as he brought food to the boy and sat across from him. "And I'm starving." McKinley, eyeing the food, drooled and licked his own nose. "I was marking trail up by Rabbit Ears Pass all day," the man said. "Fair amount of snow up there already. Promises a good season." "Hear that, McKinley?" Jack cried. "Snow is coming!" Snow, a word McKinley knew and loved. He barked in appreciation. "But go on," the man said to the pup. "Tell me exactly what you saw." Jack spoke between mouthfuls. "See -- the wolf had this thick, gray fur coat -- with sort of flecks of gold. His head was wide -- his muzzle was light colored -- and I think he had a limp." "Was he bigger than McKinley?" Jack turned toward him. McKinley, wishing the human pup would calm down and speak slower, leaned over and licked his face. "A lot skinnier," Jack said, wiping his cheek with the back of a hand. "Longer legs, too. Gray fur. Not blackish." "You didn't see a collar, did you?" "No way." "Describe his eyes." McKinley watched closely as Jack swallowed the last of the sausage. "Not, you know, brown and round like McKinley's. Like, sort of yellowish. And, you know, egg-shaped." The man reached for his tall bowl and drank. Then he said, "Well, that's certainly wolflike. Where'd you see him?" "Up in Strawberry Park." McKinley yawned with nervousness. Strawberry Park was a small valley outside of Steamboat Springs. It was hemmed in by forested hills, and beyond, by snow-peaked mountains. Looming over everything was the great mountain, where most of the humans did their snow sliding. There were only a few houses in the area, and the dogs who lived there ran completely free. McKinley was head dog there as well as in town. "What were you doing there?" Gil asked. Jack shrugged. "School was out. I was exploring." "McKinley with you?" Jack gave his dog a quick smile. "Wish he was." Liking the attention, McKinley barked. "Hey, how about feeding him his dinner?" "McKinley, I'm sorry!" The pup leaped up. McKinley watched as Jack snatched his food bowl from the floor, then reached into a food box. The boy put some bits into the bowl, added water, and set it back on the ground. As a final touch, he placed two dog biscuits on top. McKinley wagged his tail, jumped off the sitting place, and went for the wet food, gulping down the biscuits first. "Jack," Gil said, "if that was a wolf -- and I'm not saying it wasn't -- there are going to be lots of people in town stirred up. Generally speaking, folks don't like wolves." McKinley stopped eating to look around. There it was again, the wolf word. "I know, Dad," Jack said. "People say wolves are mean and vicious. They aren't. Look at McKinley." "McKinley is a malamute," Gil said. "Not a wolf." "Part wolf," Jack insisted. "Well, maybe so, way back. Not now. Look Jack, the point is, this is still ranching country. If people learn there's a wolf nearby, some of them will be wanting to hunt it down. Kill it. I'm serious, Jack. Since you like wolves, be smart. Don't let anybody know what you saw." The words hunt and kill unsettled McKinley. Hunting was not something that Jack's family did. But there were many humans in town -- and their dogs -- who hunted. For McKinley it meant danger. Just the sense of it made him bark. Jack and Gil turned to look at him. Gil asked, "What do you think he's saying?" "Wish I knew," Jack said. Copyright © 2001 by Avi Excerpted from The Good Dog by Avi All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
