Just A Dog

I didn't know a lot about this book before I picked it up at the library. I knew that it had been an Honour Book in the Children's Book Council of Australia awards this year. I had seen the cover, and liked it. Who wouldn't? That's some cute dog. Looking a bit sad. Or maybe guilty. 

The thing about reading a dog story, any dog story, is that you know the dog will die. They all do. In life and at the end of the book. And Mr Mosely is no exception. And we'll cry. We always do. 

The book is more than just a dog story however, it is the story of a family told through the oldest child, Corey, who picks Mr Mosely, the quiet one in the mixed Dalmation/bitzer litter. Mr Mosely quickly becomes part of the family, and we learn of their struggles, ups and downs through Corey and Mr Mosely. Corey's dad loses his job, the family is under considerable financial strain, and the inevitable ensuing tensions between the parents. 

I haven't read anything by Michael Gerard Bauer before. Indeed I didn't know all that much about him. It's not surprising to find that he is from Queensland, given that Corey's family have a big mango tree in the back yard. His first book (and possibly most famous) The Running Man is in my 1001 quest, and I look forward to reading more from him.