Grk Down Under by Joshua Doder

When Tim goes on vacation for 3 days, he has to drop of the dog, Grk, at Cuddles Kennels, a place for pets to stay while their owners were on holiday. Tim's parents think that Grk would have a lovely time at the kennels but Tim and Grk however, think differently. Grk, "trapped in a prison" behind bars, is miserable and lonely, wondering why he was deserted by himself, locked up in a cage. The second time the gate is open for Grk to be fed, he rushes out of the cage, running away as fast as he can, occasionally stopping for a food break. Cuddles Kennels is situated next door to the airport, so that it is handy for people to drop of their pets before boarding their flight. Tempted by a scent of sausage, Grk manages to get through to the airport, into a suitcase and aboard a flight halfway across the world to Australia from New York.

I think this story is great for all dog lovers because you can make out similarities of Grk to your own dog and remember all the great moments you've had with your dog. The adventures Grk goes through are fun to read because the ideas Doder comes up with are catchy and luring. Grk Down Under is actually one of the books in the series in which i haven't read, so to find out more information and what happened at the very beginning you have to start from the top and go down. Doder often makes references about previous books in the series so in order to fully enjo the book i recommend you start reading from the first book, A Dog Called Grk.

Age Group: Kids

Star Rating: 6.5/10
The plot was cool but this isn't really the right book for me ;)

Shadow by Michael Morpurgo

Shadow by Michael Morpurgo, is a emotional story about how hard life is for people living in third world countries and the huge impact of war on communities.

Shadow is about a boy (Aman) and his mother who have been through a lot to escape their country, but have been forced to return. During the war in Afghanistan, they escape their country, however, doing so is not as easy as it sounds. Aman and his mother come from a tribe that is disliked by those who are evading into their country and everywhere they go they could be facing trouble. However, wherever they go there is a dog that is following them that attracts a lot of attention.

The story is quite sad as it reflects many's lives even nowadays. The plot is also quite interesting; it is rather unexpected, so that adds to the excitement. This book is made up of many chapters, each with a different character narrating, which is a new twist on an old idea.

Age group: 11-15 years

Rating 7/10

By Alvie