Set in Nome, Alaska in 1900, this lively young adult tale
introduces us to Murphy, a sled dog in a team. His driver
thinks nothing of caring for his animals; all that's on
his
mind is gold fever, because MURPHY, GOLD RUSH DOG is
caught
up in a stampede of people, mostly ignorant of the
hardships involved, who are coming up to Alaska to search
for gold.
Freeing himself overnight and exploring the town, the
skinny, tired dog scrounges and gets either kicks or
attempted captures from the hard-bitten men. He has no
intention of going back to being a sled dog so he steers
clear until he meets a newly-arrived mother and daughter.
Mama and Sally have just stepped off the boat and some men
try to make off with their belongings. Murphy thinks Sally
looks like a kind, friendly young girl, so he doesn't
hesitate to defend her. Mama has brought a typewriter so
that she can make a respectable living by preparing
advertising, contracts and other documents for the miners
and traders. Sally can run around town delivering mail,
and
she is determined to learn how gold can be panned. With
Sally and Mama, Murphy finds a family, but in such a rowdy
town they are bound to find trouble... including Murphy's
former owner, who has put a reward out for him.
The characters are terrific and the chaos of the town with
its sudden influx of people and lack of accommodation is
well described. Lovely drawings illustrate the book, by
Michael Montgomery, showing us the people and big shaggy
dog. MURPHY, GOLD RUSH DOG by Alison Hart is a fun read
about a courageous girl and big-hearted dog, and I think
boys and girls equally should appreciate it and get a good
feeling for the history behind the story. Murphy is
second
in a series called Dog Chronicles.
Murphy escapes a grueling life as part of a dogsled team, mercilessly driven by a cruel owner. When word spreads that gold has been discovered in Nome, Murphy is taken in by two recent arrivals: Sally and her mother, who hope to provide secretarial labor so that they can buy their own stake. They live in a canvas tent on the beach with thousands of other fortune-seekers. Murphy wants to help Sally and Mama build a new life, but life in the mining town is not easy. Can the three of them find a home—and maybe a fortune?
© 2003-2024 off-the-edge.net
all rights reserved Privacy Policy