The Last Dogs: The Vanishing (The Last Dogs, 1) - Softcover

Holt, Christopher

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0316200042 ISBN 13: 9780316200042

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2013

Synopsis

When all the humans in his world disappear, Max, a yellow Labrador Retriever, begins the search for his family. He knows that if he can just find Madame Curie, a wise, old black Lab, she'll be able to help. Madame had a premonition of astonishing events to come -- she might know where Max's family is.

But Max can't make the journey alone. Joined by friends Rocky and Gizmo, Max sets off to find Madame. Along the way, the trio must face a pack of angry wolves, forage for food in a land where kibble is akin to gold, befriend a house full of cats, and outsmart a gang of subway rats. Ultimately, they'll have to escape from the biggest threat of all: the Corporation, a "perfect" society for dogs and by dogs, where nothing is quite as it seems.

The Last Dogs: The Vanishing is a thrilling adventure and a tale of three unlikely friends on an epic quest to find their people -- and bring them home.

About this title

About the Author:

Christopher Holt grew up in a house filled to the rafters with dogs. He draws on his memories -- of Salt, Pepper, Cupcake, Ariel, Shadow, Brandy, Sir Edmund Spunk, and Showtime Double Feature -- to create the four-footed heroes of The Last Dogs. He has worked other jobs -- most notably, selling gum balls and gum ball machines -- but began writing professionally at the age of eighteen. Christopher currently lives in Seattle, Washington.

From School Library Journal:

Gr 4-7-Left alone at the vet's, Max has had no food or water for two days. All of the other dogs and the people have disappeared. He begins to sink into despair when Rocky, a small dachshund, flies through the room and gives him brief instructions on how to escape the kennel. As the Labrador retriever wearily pinches the latch open using just his teeth, he takes his fill of water and explores his eerily empty environment. Approaching the front entrance, he sees a wolf trying to break in, searching for the small dog that saved him, and their food. Max and Rocky best the wolves, but are later forced to flee. Thus begins their adventure through villages, cities, forests, and waterways in search of their now-missing pack leaders and the missing people. Part Incredible Journey and part Life as We Knew It, this is an interesting blend of genres that allows accessibility to the traditional YA dystopian-future genre. The pacing of the story can be slow at times as it is told in episodic segments characterized by new settings and cultures of dogs. This approach would be appealing to those who may prefer to read in bursts rather than long periods at a time, but keeping track of so many characters and settings could also prove a challenge to some readers. The book is illustrated with a number of images that greatly enhance some chapters. Patient readers ready for thick books will find a lot to enjoy in this cliff-hanging first installment.-Devin Burritt, Wells Public Library, MEα(c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

About this edition

• Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 0316200042
• ISBN 13: 9780316200042
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 400
• Illustrator: Call Greg