| Title | : | Darling, Mercy Dog of World War I (Dog Chronicles, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1561457051 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781561457052 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 160 |
| Publication | : | First published October 1, 2013 |
Darling, Mercy Dog of World War I (Dog Chronicles, #1) Reviews
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Really good historical fiction. This is a quality-written story that takes place during World War I, as seen through the eyes of Darling, a sheep-herding dog.
The story is an emotional roller-coaster for me... it starts with some happy moments of Darling living it up at home... followed by her summons to the war front. There are hard events she has to live through in the war, but she's being trained to help the soldiers, and actually learns how to save their lives. She is one smart doggie.
Honestly, (and I'm in my twenties, and also I'm reading about history all the time, yet...) I had never before heard of Mercy Dogs being used in World War I. I also didn't know that there was a Dog Tax imposed on people on the home front, if they wanted to keep their dogs at home. There are actually so many ways that the military put these dogs to work, it's incredible.
Overall? I love this story. I'm glad I picked it up, and that I wasn't put off by it being a "just a kid's book". It's heart-warming, and you may just learn a new thing or two about history. Definitely recommend. -
Darling, the book's charming narrator, is an adventurous dog from a loving home in England. When WWI breaks out, the British army teaches her to be a mercy dog one who locates wounded soldiers on the battlefield regardless of danger: gunfire, bomb blasts, poison gas, uneven terrain, and barbed wire. Renamed War Dog 204, Darling takes the reader from her village, to the training ground, and into the trenches of war-torn Belgium. She relates the sights, sounds, smells, and fears associated with war while valiantly putting her life on the line. In the heat of the Battle of Messines Ridge, Darling is wounded but manages to save trapped soldiers. This chapter book offers an introduction to the Great War but focuses on the unsung heroes of the battlefield. Darling's tale is supplemented with interesting facts and background information about dogs and war, and this first book in the Dog Chronicles series will certainly delight young readers who love stories about their canine pals. This review was written by Jeanne Fredriksen for Booklist.
I agree with the review in that this book is a great way to introduce World War 1 to students in a creative way. I loved the use of a dog as the narrator! I would also suggest for a student to read the material at the back before reading the book, so he or she can build some background knowledge on WWI. -
A wonderful dog story that incorporates interesting aspects of the first World War. It will appeal to both those interested in war stories, as well as dog lovers. My middle-grade students will love this book, though I may want to add a vocabulary list with it. There are many terms that are included, but not explained. Perhaps a glossary would have helped in this case. A quick and enjoyable read and will definitely be added to my library.
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Title: Darling, Mercy Dog of World War 1 - Dog Chronicles Book 1
Author: Allison Hart
Illustrator: Michael G Montgomery
Publisher: Peachtree Publishers
Published: 9-16-2013
Pages: 160
Genre: History
Sub-Genre: Dogs; Europe; Military Wars; Children's Fiction
ISBN: 9781561457052
Reviewed For NetGalley and Peachtree Publishers
Reviewer: DelAnne
Rating: 5 stars
Told from Darling's POV, this is a delightful read for preteen readers. Paired with adorable illustrations to suit the easy to understand text. Young readers will enjoy the story from beginning to end. Set in the WWI time period, readers will not realize they are learning as they read.
My rating of Darling, Mercy Dog of World War 1 is 5 out of 5 stars. Share it the enjoyment with others.
Amazon Link:
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Barnes and Noble Link:
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Twitter:
https://twitter.com/DelAnne531/status... -
I lover reading children's books or juveniles! I love dog stories and happy endings. This series is well researched and well written. The history is sound. Compassion and stick-to-it lessons to be gently learned. I hate to think of those dogs in trenches with fleas and barbed wire. I was happy that the soldiers -- or so it said -- spent a week at the front and then were sent to the back of the line to get fed, washed up, and to recover. Darling was wounded and visited mates in the hospital. Good example.
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A very enjoyable way to teach children about World War I. I loved that the story was told from the perspective of the service dog. I would highly recommend this book for any child old enough to understand a little about the horrors of war, also for adults like me who love dogs and want to learn more about their loyal and devoted service to humans.
I received a free digital copy of this book through Net Galley for the purpose of reviewing. -
Darling, a mischievous collie, must leave the children she loves, and who love her, to become a soldier for the British. The tax on dogs rose once again and the family could no longer afford to feed her. The military will train Darling as either a messenger dog or a sentry dog, depending upon her skills. Darling’s best skill is her ability to run away. She likes to meet up with her friend Rags, who is a stray living alone in the chalk pits to avoid the dogcatcher who wants to send him to Battlesea Dog's Home, and the farmer out to shoot both dogs for trying to herd his sheep.
The first chance she had to run back home she would. Darling got that chance several weeks later at a final test, but turned around when she heard her handler and knew he was hurt. She failed the test, but a new position had been established and Darling seemed a perfect fit. The mercy dog worked on the front line--in "no man's land." The dogs were sent into the battlefield to find wounded soldiers. The dogs would return and then lead the medics out to the injured man. They brought the injured back on stretchers, following the dog to get back.
Darling worked the front lines magnificently, until she was hit with a bullet, several times. She was taken to the vet clinic set up back at the base camp. But if Darling did not get better, if she grew lame, if she could no longer perform the duty she was trained for, the military would reward her previously courageous acts that saved many men by shooting her. This happened to the horses as well. Rather than returning the dog to its owner. This is the saddest reality that many of the more than 7000 dogs that served in British military in WWI.
Mesmerized by Darling’s story from the first time she ran off to play with Rags I could not put the book down. There were no other dogs in a village that had many before the First World War and the subsequent dog tax families had to pay in order to keep a dog. Most could hardly afford to feed their dog. The police shot all strays they came upon. The dogcatcher put the dogs in the Battersea Dog Home, a place Darling does not describe with endearing terms. Nearly every dog put into the home were recruited into the War Dog School.
This is new to me. I had no idea dogs played such a crucial role in the war. Considering the dogs’ vital roles as messengers, mercy dogs, and sentries, how could they not be in our children’s history books? Darling, Mercy Dog of World War I is the book to supplement history texts. Narrated by Darling, her point of view is much less harsh than any human’s would have been, making it easier to present this material to kids. The war and all its horrors are still in the story, mainly from Darling’s less graphic perspective. After Darling’s story, the author wrote down some of the history of military dogs, describes a soldiers life in the field, some “Cool Facts," and more about the Battle of Messines Ridge in 1917, on which this story is based. Darling is an amazing dog who never forgot about the two children she loved, and who loved her. This historical fiction book should be on every required reading list for kids age eight and up.
originally published on Kid Lit Reviews link:
http://wp.me/p1sRJW-35H -
I have read many dog lover books and this is one of them. I think the society has finally come to the point when we can recognize the hard work of others and celebrate that hard work. In World War I many animals were trained to help the soldiers, if it were horses pulling wagons or dogs finding wounded soldiers and delivering messages.
We may remember C.S. Lewis's story of "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe" -- where we hear a tell of what it is like to be a child in war torn Britain. "Darling, mercy dog of World War I" tells a story of what it was like to be a dog.
There is a dog tax so it is more expensive to have dogs in war time. Eventually with the father away and finances tight, they need to give up Darling. The war department thinks that she will make a good messenger dog for she seems smart and quick. However, on her final test, she is thinking more of going home than completing the task at hand. However on her way across the field en route to home, she hears that her handler is hurt and she goes to him and then finds help. At that point the trainers learn that she is much better suited to being a mercy dog, a dog that finds wounded soldiers. She successfully completes her training and goes to the front.
This is a great story -- with a happy ending (a rare occurrence for a trained military animal in World War I) but we learn about the possibility of unhappy endings. This story is fictional enough to make it a pleasant reading experience but also has just enough truth to know that these animals were amazing and the trainers were truly hard working.
If you have an early independent reader who enjoys animal books -- this is a great read. A highly recommended book! -
I am impressed that more books about the roles of animals during times of conflict are being published. This one will appeal to middle graders and older readers since it is told from the point of view of Darling, a border collie who ends up being given a number (204) once she joins the war effort. The pet of two children whose family can no longer afford the tax placed on dogs during WWI, Darling is taken by train to a camp where she is trained and tested to determine her fitness for the war effort. She fails miserably as a messenger and she isn't strong enough to pull much weight, but she is adept at finding wounded soldiers and bringing rescuers to their side. Thus, she becomes a Mercy Dog, and her heroism and loyalty cause her to risk her own life several times for the men with whom she serves. The story is touching as is Darling's awareness that animals that no longer have any use to the military effort are usually killed. She's a lucky dog since her story doesn't end that way due to some manipulation on the part of her handler and the sergeant who befriended her. Filled with lively pencil illustrations that show her courage and personality, the book will surely touch many young hearts and have readers clamoring for Darling to receive a medal of her own. The author provides just enough hints about war and the treatment of animals during conflicts to tantalize readers. Pair this one with War Dogs and Cracker, which deal with brave canine war dogs as well. Since this was my first encounter with the Dog Chronicles series, I plan to seek at other titles.
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Darling's story - a dog loved, but unaffordable during the crunch of wartime, and given to the army to be trained as a war dog - gives us a glimpse of the Great War from her perspective. Failing as a messenger dog, and not strong enough to be used to pull carts, Darling finds her calling as a mercy dog. After specific training, she races out into the unknown to find missing wounded soldiers, carrying first aid supplies in her saddlebags in case they are conscious; if not, she returns to the medical team to lead them to their new patient.
It doesn't hide the need for a certain callousness that appears in wartime, nor the inability to continue with luxuries, but doesn't dwell on it too much.
Good for elementary students, particularly those who don't know anything about life in the trenches or the privations of a war in the muddy fields of Europe. It's marketed at the 4-8 age group, and this seems fine (there's no undue suffering and includes a happy ending), and the author included a section at the end titled "The History Behind Darling" and a good bibliography for further exploration. My only criticism is the lack of a glossary for some of the terminology, such as howitzer, and Tommy cookers, as many of these would be unfamiliar even to an adult audience.
I see it's the first in a new series, and I'll look forward to the other titles.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. -
Lackland AFB, which is located in my hometown, is the home to the DOD Military Working Dog School, and there are always people in my neighborhood who are involved in fostering and training potential puppies until the pup takes the entrance exam into the actual school. It is an 18 month process, so the dogs become part of our neighborhood. Unlike the book, if a dog fails to pass, they are put up for adoption, and not put down. I could relate to this book. It does have a touch of drama and pulls at your heart strings, but that is not a bad thing. The story unfolds in the voice of Darling. When the British military calls for more dogs to be trained as mercy or messenger dogs, her family in Cosham donates their family pet, Darling. When sent away, Robert and Katherine, the family's children, attach a note requesting Darling be returned at the end of her service. As a mercy dog, she searched and found the wounded in No Man's Land, and then lead the stretcher bearers to these injured soldiers. She excelled. Generous historical information about the trenches and the dogs themselves. Bibliography, resources, and black and white illustrations.
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I loved this new book by Alison Hart, which sheds light on the use of dogs in World War 1. Just as War Horse informed us of the plight of horses during this long war, Darling, Mercy Dog of World War 1 talks about the training and use of dogs for scouts, messengers, and mercy dogs to tend the wounded.
Told from the dog's point of view, Darling explains how she is sent away from her family in England for training, ultimately to serve in the trenches of the war in Europe. Although this book obviously is about a horrific war, it does not dwell excessively on these facts, but mostly details Darling's story: her struggles and triumphs, and the human connections she makes along the way. Because of this, author Alison Hart not only makes this story palatable to elementary readers, but it also tugged at a few heartstrings in this animal-loving grown-up. (Yes, I teared up at the end.)
Small Spoiler Alert: it has a happy, although not perfect, ending. One of a series of new dog books from Peachtree called Dog Chronicles, this one is especially good for dog and animal lovers. -
Darling lives with her family in England. It is the height of WWI and dogs are in demand on the front. Her family sends her to be a soldier. She learns how to be a mercy, or red cross, dog. She finds wounded soldiers on the battlefield and brings her handler back with help. Darling is sent to the front lines in Belgium and sees several battles. She rescues lots of soldiers. During the a big battle she is wounded, but still manages to save several soldiers including her handler Private Kent. She becomes a hero of the war and is sent back home.
This was a cute little book perfect for beginning chapter book readers. It was interesting reading this from a dog's perspective. I like the fact that it is pretty historically accurate. The author includes information on war dogs and WWI. I received a copy of this book from Netgalley. -
dog sent to find wounded soldiers. Told from the standpoint of the dog, yet still unique in narration. Everything is spoken and done normally but since Darling is a dog, she only understands part. Doesn't glamorous war, which I really appreciated. Instead showed balanced honest look without being too graphic. For example there are some German soldiers who are captured. She knows they are the enemy but when she looks at them she's surprised to find out that they're only boys. I was worried about her fate but the conclusion was clever and enjoyable. There are also some very interesting history after the story.
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Darling is an average house dog who likes to run away, chase sheep, and hang out with her friend, Rags. Everything changes when the dog tax increases too much for her family to pay, so she is sent to be trained by the army. Quickly, Darling realizes that not all dogs make it back to their families. Darling is trained to be a mercy dog. She goes out into the field to find wounded soldiers so they can be taken back to camp for treatment. A big battle is looming. Will Darling make it through the war, or will she be another causualty?
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I was skeptical of this based on the title and cover (both of which are a little questionable, I think), but found myself completely captivated by this based-on-real-events historical fiction. Darling is a regular pet who is recruited into the British army during World War I to help find fallen soldiers on the battlefield. This is a very accessible and lower grade appropriate look at the grim realities of war. Darling is a hugely likeable character!
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Darling, a collie has to leave his British family when the dog tax becomes too high during World War I. Sent to Belgium, he is trained and eventually becomes a Mercy Dog. Full of facts about battles in Belgium during World War I, Darling tells the story of his suspenseful and brave adventures in battle saving soldiers who are left wounded and helpless on the battlefield. Readers who love dogs and army story will devour this one, especially once Darling begins his training as a war dog.
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A wonderful dog story that incorporates interesting aspects of the first World War. It will appeal to both those interested in war stories, as well as dog lovers. My middle-grade students will love this book, though I may want to add a vocabulary list with it. There are many terms that are included, but not explained. Perhaps a glossary would have helped in this case. A quick and enjoyable read and will definitely be added to my library.
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Darling loves a good run through the neighborhood, even if the neighbors aren’t very fond of it. Dad is away fighting in WWI, and the family makes the difficult decision to give Darling to the military to become a messenger dog. Instead, Darling becomes a heroic mercy dog and saves the lives of wounded soldiers. (Reviewer #26)
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A good dog story and war story rolled into one. Provides good details of the trench warfare experienced during WWI without being too graphic. The fact that war dogs were destroyed after the war leaves the reader wondering until the end as to the fate of Darling. Would be enjoyed by dog lovers for sure and those that also enjoy war stories. Appropriate for 3rd through 5th grades.
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Reads somewhat like "Black Beauty" as the narrative is from the dog, Darling. The story progresses quickly, set during WWI trench warfare. It gives enough war detail for younger readers to gain insight into the severity of conditions. The information after is interesting and contains bibliography and links for further inquiry.
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Great references, good compelling war story, good job on avoiding anthropomorphizing Darling while still giving reader necessary information to move the plot forward. Wish it'd defined more words like parapet & howitzer in context.
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An excellent start to a promising new middle-grade series. This is high-quality historical fiction: well-researched, exciting, and immersive. Darling is a hero kids will be rooting for.
Back matter provided a map, facts, background information, references, and suggested sources for further reading. -
Honest depiction of war brutality without graphic details. Though the narration told through the dog’s voice focuses on camaraderie, bravery and heroism, it more acutely captures the sadness and waste. Sensitive readers will cry. I certainly did.
