Publishers Weekly
07/19/2021
Set in Moscow in 1957 against the internationally charged space race, Shepherd’s (The Secret Horses of Briar Hill) tautly paced historical novel portrays the friendship between a stray dog and an empathic 12-year-old, both in the orbit of the Starflyer mission to launch animals into space. Alternating chapters follow Laika, a captured street dog inducted into training as a cosmonaut on a remote-controlled spacecraft, and Nina, the presumed-white daughter of a prominent rocket scientist, who volunteers with the group under a patriotic service program. The emotionally intense narrative effectively captures Laika’s senses and viewpoint, both on the streets and in the lab, as she begins to trust other dogs, scientists, and especially Nina, who falls under suspicion after the sudden defection of her best friend’s family to America. Though some perspectives feel heavy-handed, palpably-wrought authoritarianism follows Nina, who struggles to distance herself from her former friend and to conform to social pressure, priming her for a bond with Laika. Likewise, the voice of wise higher power Dog Star, who speaks to Laika, can feel out of place, but sympathetic characters deliver a tense and compelling adventure that stays true to historical events. An author’s note offers background on the real Laika and the space race. Ages 8–12. Agent: Josh Adams, Adams Literary. (Sept.)
From the Publisher
A NCSS Notable Book
"Shepherd’s tautly paced historical novel portrays the friendship between a stray dog and an empathic 12-year-old, both in the orbit of the Starflyer mission to launch animals into space. . . . [S]ympathetic characters deliver a tense and compelling adventure that stays true to historical events." —Publishers Weekly
"A poignant story that accessibly illuminates a milestone in space exploration history." —Kirkus Reviews
"Recommended for its insight into a pivotal moment in history and the touching relationship between a girl and her dog." — Beth Rosania
Kirkus Reviews
2021-07-27
Laika is a stray struggling to stay alive on the cold, mean streets of Moscow; Nina, 12, is the daughter of a scientist working at the Institute of Space Medicine.
It’s 1957, the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union is on, and the Soviets are determined to be the first to send a living creature into space. When they settle on dogs, Laika is plucked off the streets as a recruit, and her path crosses with Nina’s during a family visit day at the Institute after the little dog has been brought in for testing. A bond immediately forms between them, and Nina engineers a service project through her Young Pioneers group so she can volunteer to care for Laika and the other dogs. The more invested Nina becomes in Laika, the more she begins to question the outright lies and lies of omission churned out by the Soviet propaganda machine, especially in light of her best friend Ludmilla’s family’s defection to the U.S. And when the question of Laika’s well-being arises, Nina will stop at nothing to protect her new friend. The narrative alternates between Nina’s and Laika’s points of view; Laika’s perspective is anthropomorphized with inner monologue as well as dialogue between dogs, and this works to the story’s advantage in arousing sympathy for the small animal who was sacrificed for science.
A poignant story that accessibly illuminates a milestone in space exploration history. (author's note, recommended reading) (Historical fiction. 8-12)
