Dogs of the Deadlands: SHORTLISTED FOR THE WEEK JUNIOR BOOK AWARDS

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For more posts like this, here’s the link: https://thechrysalisbrewproject.com/category/bookish-posts/. Disclaimer and Disclosure Chernobyl, 1986. The world is coming to an end. Dragged from her bed in the middle of the night, Natasha is forced to leave her beloved puppy behind and has no idea if she’ll ever return home. Although parts of the novel follow Natasha as she grows up and examines how the loss of her pup changes her as she gradually loses hope, the bulk of the action takes place away from humans. We're given brief insights into how Zoya survived those early days but this is really Misha's story, beginning when he and his malformed brother, Bratan are the only survivors of their litter. Anthony McGowan never patronises his young readers with long explanations or heavy information, with this being a subtle but powerful indication of the birth defects and neonatal deaths caused by radiation poisoning. As the pups grow they experience important life lessons and the dramatic scenes of peril are complemented by the day-to-day pressures of finding enough food to survive. There is humour to be found here too, with their first savoury soup meal sure to amuse and disgust in equal measure!

Dogs of the Deadlands review — surviving Chernobyl

Overall, Dogs of the Deadlands is a magical tale of love, loss, loyalty, hope, survival, separation, and reconciliation. It not only teaches us a lot about the animal kingdom but also gives us deep insights into humanity. I recommend this book to anyone and everyone. People who love dogs and tales of survival would especially enjoy this book. Book Details As with any great animal story, there is a degree of anthropomorphism, as it’s hard not to see the dogs’ personalities through human characteristics but the wild behaviour of the animals is not sugar-coated though and comes across as very realistically animal in nature. Natasha is dragged from her bed in the middle of the night as the world seems to be coming to an end. She is forced to leave her beloved puppy behind and has no idea if she will ever return. Puppies Misha and Bratan must learn to live wild and fast in the shadow of the ruined nuclear plant. Creatures lurk in the woods watching them. Will the dogs survive without humans, and can humans live without them? This gripping and unusual tale imagines how life might have evolved for the domestic animals forced to become wild in the aftermath of the Chernobyl disaster and the repercussions for their owners.This is recommended for 10+ and I would definitely agree with this, as it doesn’t shy away from the hardships and reality of the dogs survival. Many poor creatures meet their ends in the name of dinner! The fight for supremacy in the wilds is often portrayed as realistically brutal too. The second challenge this book faces is in its weaving of its characters’ stories. To be realistic, the author tells several different dog stories (since dogs don’t live as long as humans), and then weaves in one brief human story while putting the primary human mostly on hiatus. Natasha plays a much smaller role than I expected at the beginning, and by the time her adult story is really told, the main action and arcs of the dogs are mostly finished, so it feels like an afterthought, thrown in for denouement. While the end is ultimately satisfying, there are multiple ends throughout the book, which keeps you guessing exactly how the author wants this to wrap up. This is a strength for some, but could be considered disjointed or incomplete for others. The author mentions War and Peace as an inspiration, and having read that tome this year, I can say that that’s not for everyone: it’s a very difficult task to weave so many arcs together and still satisfy your (young?) readers. The dogs’ arcs are compelling, but the humans’ feel rushed, despite the difference in lifespan. The Oxford Literary Festival has in my mind become the leading literary festival of the year. The organisation, the roster of speakers, the ambience and the sheer quality of it all is superb. May it now go from strength to strength each year stretching its ambition more and more. I believe it will.

Dogs of the Deadlands: THE TIMES CHILDREN’S BOOK OF THE WEEK Dogs of the Deadlands: THE TIMES CHILDREN’S BOOK OF THE WEEK

Anne Katrin Schlag and Alex Stevens Chaired by Stephen Law Oxford Debate. Drug Policy: Are Politicians Following the Evidence or Ignoring It? Oxford Martin School: Lecture Theatre 2:00pm Sun 2 Sunday, 2 April 2023 See this event The inhuman and human perspectives on the tragic tale come full circle in a bittersweet way. The sense of place is excellent, the characterisation perfect, and the plot is an utterly compulsive cover-to-cover. It has many twists and turns; some chapters are nail-biting, some will make you smile, and some will give you tears. Keith Robinson's illustrations are beautiful, making you want to imitate the “awww factor” once you see those adorable dogs. A powerful glimpse at the untold stories of those often forgotten, will raise questions in young readers about Chernobyl and energy safety.

Natasha’s life is emotionally blighted by this loss, as we see in chapters interspersed with the heart of the story which is of how Zoya survives in this fierce, cold and terrifying landscape where it is not just predators she has to fear. She makes it in the wild, mating with a wolf and raising two cubs, Misha and the radiation damaged Bratan and when she is finally killed in a battle with a lynx the story becomes theirs. Helena Lee Interviewed by Adam Rutherford Who Gets to Tell the Story? Amplifying Overlooked Voices in Britain Today with East Side Voices Lincoln College: Oakeshott Room 12:00pm Sun 2 Sunday, 2 April 2023 See this event Weaknesses: I'm not much for narratives told from a dog's perspective, and I somehow missed where Misha was the son of Zoya. After the whole regurgitated worm thing, I found it a little hard to concentrate. Growing up in the shadow of the ruined nuclear power plant, pups Misha and Bratan need to learn how to live wild—and fast. Creatures with sharp teeth, claws and yellow eyes lurk in the overgrown woods. And they’re watching the brothers… This was a real emotional read and I admit to shedding a tear or two in a few places. The relationships between both humans and dogs, and dogs and other animals is beautifully written. I particularly loved the bond between brothers Misha and Bratan.

Dogs of the Deadlands: SHORTLISTED FOR THE WEEK JUNIOR BOOK Dogs of the Deadlands: SHORTLISTED FOR THE WEEK JUNIOR BOOK

Every so often a story comes along that makes you its prey, takes you in its jaws, shakes you — and you have no option but to go limp and submit. Such is the case with the new young adult novel from the Carnegie-winning author Anthony McGowan, who has written a classic best described as a post-nuclear The Hundred and One Dalmatians with a little of The Incredible Journey thrown in. Yet it has a howl all of its own. Every literary festival stays in an author’s mind for slightly individual reasons. I shall remember the Oxford festival for: The Carnegie medal winner McGowan is superb at stories about children who do not have all the advantages.’ Sunday TimesThe world is coming to an end. Dragged from her bed in the middle of the night and forced to leave her beloved puppy behind, Natasha has no idea if she’ll ever return home. Dolphin lovers will appreciate this look at our complicated relationship with these marine mammals. This visceral story of heartbreak and survival…has the memorable feel of a classic.’ Guardian, Best children’s and YA books of 2022 This is NOT a fluffy dog story full of cuteness. This is brutal, dark and dog-eat-dog... so to speak. Join us for the celebration of our 300th episode and also say farewell to Steve and Ken. The Nerd Cantina Show has been a fantastic experience and we thank anyone who has listened, supported, or joined in on the conversations.

Dogs of the Deadlands: The Week Junior Book Awards 2023 Dogs of the Deadlands: The Week Junior Book Awards 2023

Her joy turns to heartbreak, however, when she is dragged from her bed in the middle of the night and evacuated to a safe place after a cataclysmic nuclear disaster: with her family but without her beloved puppy, Zoya.It was a privilege for me to visit the festival to receive the Bodley Medal. As an incidental blessing I saw Oxford at its most mysterious and atmospheric. It was a day of piercing cold and as I walked through the twilight from the Sheldonian to Christ Church, the streets were empty and the whole city was shutting itself away. Christ Church was silent except for the footfall of unseen persons around corners and the sounds of evensong creeping from behind closed doors. For the first time I understood thoroughly the power of college ghost stories. He definitely did not fail. He's weaved a tale of tragedy and hope using, quite interestingly, both human and non-human POVs, and it all comes together in a beautiful, bittersweet way. The prose is easy to get through without sacrificing any of the emotional impact; I finished the whole thing in a day yet I was moved despite the speed of which I went through with it. The story then follows Zoya, who finds life in the woods, starts a family, and then we see her son and his journey. It is a book about struggle, some of it very harsh as Misha tries to survive. It’s also about coming home and making a life even in the midst of hard times. We also see Natasha grow up and become a focused and sullen scientist, but one with deep wounds. Those wounds can only heal if she can take a step outside of herself and build the relationships she desperately needs. Carnegie-winning novelist Anthony McGowan talks about his new book Dogs of the Deadlands, set in the aftermath of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.