The Field of the Dogs

Moving to an old Vermont farmhouse with his mom, his new stepfather, and a new baby brother has been a terribly lonely experience for Josh Wilkinson. And to make things even worse, now the school bully and his gang have picked Josh as their main target.

Then one day, while trying to find his dog, Manch, in the woods behind his house, Josh discovers a secret. Manch and his friends can talk! Not only that, but they're also faced with a bully problem - a pack of dogs running wild in the area. Josh thinks he can solve the dogs' problem and his own with a single solution. The only hitch to Josh's plan is that it's dangerous.

Like Katherine Paterson's award-winning books Bridge to Terabithia and Jacob Have I Loved, The Field of the Dogs is filled with taut suspense and compelling characters, all brought grippingly to life through Johnny Heller's remarkable narration.

©2001 Minna Murra, Inc. (P)2001 Recorded Books

Avoid this if you like Paterson

What's wrong with this title, I wondered at the beginning. Typical Paterson situation with a boy searching for his new place in a rural world. Narration is pretty okay. After a few minutes I realized why this title has been ranked so low. The dogs in this story are TALKING. Quite surprising from a realistic author. I quickly left the audio alone.