Darling, Mercy Dog of World War I

by Alison Hart, Michael G. Montgomery (Illustrator)

Overview

A World War I canine hero saves the day in this action-packed, heartwarming story.

When the British military asks for dogs to help the war effort, Darling's family reluctantly sends her to be trained as a mercy dog. Through gunfire and poisonous gases, it's Darling's job to find injured soldiers on the battlefield and fetch help from the medics. After saving the lives of numerous soldiers, Darling suddenly finds herself in need of rescue. Will she ever make it back to England?

This wartime adventure is a touching and exciting introduction to World War I. Darling's story of bravery and devotion reminds readers that dogs can be so much more than pets.

The Dog Chronicles series features fast-paced, fascinating historical fiction about working dogs, perfect for readers who love books

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781561458707
Publisher:	Holiday House
Publication date:	03/01/2016
Series:	Dog Chronicles , #1
Sold by:	Penguin Random House Publisher Services
Format:	eBook
Pages:	160
File size:	19 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	7 - 10 Years

About the Author

When Alison Hart was seven years old, she wrote, illustrated, and self-published a book called The Wild Dog. Since then, she's authored more than sixty books for young readers. A former teacher, she lives in Virginia.

Michael G. Montgomery attended Georgia Southern University and the University of Georgia and has created illustrations for magazines, books, newspapers, and advertising. The illustrator of several books for children, he lives in Georgia.

Editorial Reviews

09/23/2013
A rambunctious family pet becomes a vigilant Red Cross dog in this first book in Hart’s Dog Chronicles. A herder by breed, Darling constantly runs away from her young owners, Robert and Katherine, and insists, “I didn’t care about war and hard times” when the children’s father ships out from England to France during WWI. The dog has a change of attitude after her family, unable to pay the increased dog tax, volunteers her for service in the British army. Though the dog doesn’t actually perform a rescue mission until more than halfway through the novel, her descriptions of life on the Belgian front carry weight. Montgomery’s soft pencil drawings reinforce the affection between Darling and her handlers, and back matter offers additional facts about WWI and military dogs. Ages 7–10. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

"The simple narrative is detailed but never graphic. . . While never shying away from the tragedies of battle, Darling's story focuses on bravery, sacrifice and devotion. Finely detailed pencil sketches and an afterword explaining the history behind the story are included. Wartime adventure with plenty of heart."—Kirkus Reviews

"Descriptions of life on the Belgian front carry weight. Montgomery's soft pencil drawings reinforce the affection between Darling and her handlers, and back matter offers additional facts about WWI and military dogs."—Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

2013-09-15
Darling, a rambunctious family dog, is drafted to serve in the British Army during World War I. The dog's-eye view offers a unique look at the lives of both two-footed and four-footed soldiers fighting at the front. Darling, desperate to return home, looks for every opportunity to run away, but when she happens upon a wounded soldier, she also discovers her true calling as a "mercy dog," searching out soldiers in need. Other dogs in her regiment are trained as messengers, scouts or sentries. Dogs travel with their handlers through France and Belgium toward their ultimate destination: no man's land. Darling quickly learns the brutality of war, watching dogs and soldiers die on both sides of the battlefield. She notes that the hated Germans are barely older than the children she left behind at home. The simple narrative is detailed but never graphic. Specifics about weapons and geography often outpace a dog's understanding, but this break in narration is only occasionally distracting. While never shying away from the tragedies of battle, Darling's story focuses on bravery, sacrifice and devotion. Finely detailed pencil sketches and an afterword explaining the history behind the story are included. Wartime adventure with plenty of heart. (Historical fiction. 7-10)

Kirkus Reviews