When it comes to subjects in school my girls love, it is different for both of them. While they both love English and grammar, my oldest loves to read and write, while my youngest is all about math and history. So, when I plan our monthly lessons, I try and find fun books and activities to get them both excited about subjects they may otherwise not care about.
This past month we were learning about the different wars. Knowing it would not be a thrilling for my oldest daughter, I found a way to make it more interesting and fun for her. She is a huge dog lover, so I incorporated the recently released Sgt. Stubby movie into one of our lessons, and also had the girls read Bertie the Blitz Dog, which is a chapter book about a dog who lost his owner, but ended up finding a new home and people to love him, while also helping to protect them during a war that was going on.
This book was great in introducing kids to war and the use of large breed dogs like Alsatians and Collies, to help defend their countries. The dogs were used to carry messages back and forth between the troops. This story is told by Blitz the dog, and shares his story of losing his beloved owner, and finding himself on the streets of London during the war, with bombs going off all around him. He, as well as the locals are hungry and scared.
Both of my girls thoroughly enjoyed this chapter book about a dog looking for someone to love him, while also finding himself in a new role, helping to protect the streets he found himself wandering helplessly after losing Annie, his original owner. Blitz learns that family doesn't mean you have to be related. It just means caring and protecting, and this goes for animals and humans. Bertie shared his life with many humans, and wouldn't change his journey for the world. I ended up reading this book last night after hearing the girls rave about it, and found myself tearing up at this heartwarming story, that is definitely a must read by dog lovers young and old.
More about this chapter book:
"THE PERFECT HEARTWARMING READ for THE NEW YEAR . . .
As bombs rain from the skies, can Bertie the Blitz dog find a safe home?
Pampered pooch Bertie's owner has passed away. Cold, alone and scared, he's now a stray on London's streets. With a terrible war on, the city is bombed nightly. While rationing has left people starving.
It is a dangerous time to have four legs and no owner.
So when Bertie meets one special little boy, he thinks he has a chance to find a new home and happiness amidst the rubble.
But Bertie - a small dog with the very big heart - knows it'll take all his courage to keep himself and his new friends safe . . .
Hopeful, heart-warming and fun, Bertie the Blitz Dog is perfect for fans of Felix the Railway Cat and The Nightingale Christmas Show, Donna Douglas."
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About the Author:
Libby Parker grew up in the countryside in Somerset surrounded by animals of all varieties. She has been, and always will be, an animal lover, so when she began to write she knew that they would play a central role in her fiction. Libby still lives in Somerset with her husband, two children, three dogs, two cats, two alpacas and the rest of the menagerie. Bertie the Blitz Dog is her first novel and she is working on her second.
Disclosure: I was sent a review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All views shared are mine and mine alone.
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