Synopses & Reviews
In the quiet of Hog's Hollow, each member of the River family pursues a dream. Old Man River sets out to build a fallout shelter in case the war in Vietnam "brings the end of everything;" his wife Flo, who collects Gone with the Wind dolls, attempts to pen her own Southern saga; Beau, their older son, suffers from space fever and aspires to be an astronaut. As for Danny, the younger River boy, well, he just dreams of having a dog. Then in the spring of 1965 tragedy befalls the Rivers a tragedy that makes the Old Man wish he'd never started building the shelter, stops Flo from finishing her bestseller, and leaves Beau grounded rather than airborne. But the tragedy does finally bring a dog into Danny's life. And not just any old dog. Danny comes to believe that the mixed-breed stray embodies the spirit of someone he dearly loves. He won't allow anyone to separate him from the dog, not even after it bites the neighborhood bully and the police are sent to take it away. Together Danny and his dog run off, heading toward Cape Caneveral, where the Gemini missions blast off from, and where dreams come true.
Review
"[A] good read with well drawn characters and many poignant passages." Children's Literature
Review
"Adventure abounds....This robust novel offers an affirming and hopeful look at a difficult subject." School Library Journal
Review
"This book will attract and hook middle school boys." VOYA
Review
"This robust novel offers an affirming and hopeful look at a difficult subject." School Library Journal
Review
"Lively prose, quirky characters and strong dialogue animate this moving story of a family and a boy, and an astronaut who sees the whole world as a miracle." Kirkus Reviews
Synopsis
When his dog bites the neighborhood bully and the police are sent to take it away, Danny and the dog run off, heading toward Cape Canaveral, where the Gemini missions blast off from, and where dreams come true.
About the Author
Iain Lawrence is a journalist, travel writer, and avid sailor, and the author of many acclaimed novels, including Ghost Boy, Lord of the Nutcracker Men, and the High Seas Trilogy: The Wreckers, The Smugglers, and
The Buccaneers. The author lives in Gabriola Island, B.C..