This book hurt. A truly emotional rollercoaster, wrapped up in an adorable looking package. Think of every film you watched as a kid featuring talking animals and very few humans, throw them together and tease out the best elements, and you’ve kind of got A Street Dog Named Pup. This falls under the Children’s/Middle Grade categories – it’s slightly too young for Young Adult, but I’d say mature Children’s readers and most Middle Grade readers would be able to deal with this, though if you are getting this for a kid in your life, I strongly suggest checking out content warnings and knowing what the younger reader can handle.

In many ways, this book reminded me of Oliver & Company, which I maintain is a very underrated Disney film. There are also elements of All Dogs Go to Heaven and Aristocats, in really good ways. It’s a very sweet story, but incredibly sad and, at times, bleak – more so than the previously mentioned films! But at its core, this book is about hope – about keeping it when all seems lost, about the value of community and friends, about survival and the struggles that come with that, and the crucial role hope and sometimes faith can play in our lives.

Pup loves his boy, and his boy loves him. But when Pup is taken away and abandoned, both their lives change forever. Pup soon meets another dog who takes him under his wing, and Pup becomes a Street Dog in a small pack, learning from the others how to get food and avoid the snatchers.

I do think if you’re ready to have certain conversations with younger readers, this is a great way to open them up to a huge variety of topics. And it can definitely be enjoyed by older readers (like me!) too. Though there are stretches of the book where it feels like nothing will go right for our brave little Pup, it does, ultimately, have the happiest ending a dog could ask for. This is a great book for younger and older animal lovers, and Lewis has done a great job with the characterisation of the different dogs along with the animal POV. This is a solid recommendation from me!

Lovely book to read. I read it to my children and they didn’t move throughout the whole book. They loved it. That’s the most important feedback I can give

A wonderful and gentle book, rarely have I seen a relationship between a dog and their human so perfectly described.

Pup goes from being a loved pet to a street dog overnight. At first he is bewildered and believes his 'boy' will find him. He is rescued by Frenchi, a french bulldog, who introduces him to his 'pack'. Pup then embarks on a journey as he learns to survive on the street with his new family.
However get the tissues ready because Pup does not stay as a street dog....

I am a massive fan of Gill Lewis and this is yet another beautifully written book from her.

In A Street Dog Named Pup, poor Pup is separated from his beloved Boy and abandoned in an alley, nicknamed 'Dead Dog Alley'. Frenchie, a veteran street dog, takes pity on Pup and takes him back to his pack of misfit street dogs living in a railway arch. Pup learns to survive on the streets with the help of his pack but he never gives up hope of finding his boy again.

Pup is such a well developed character, that you can't help but be drawn straight in to his heartwarming, heart-wrenching tale. This book certainly highlights important issues of breeding as well as animal cruelty and abandonment - it is a real rollercoaster of emotion and I shed a few tears along the way but the ending is ultimately uplifting.

I would definitely recommend this book to older middle-grade readers who I am sure will fall in love with Pup too.

Such a wonderful heartwarming book, Pup really loves his boy and knows only love and happiness until boy's father dumps him in an alley one night. Pup is scared and rescued by Frenchie who takes hime to join his pack and thus starts Pup's adventures. I was gripped by the story, which is at times heartbreaking but also hopeful and full of love, a fine line it navigates well. I really enjoyed the dog pack all the different characters matching their breeds, how they look after each other and avoid the 'snatchers'. The author also skilfully highlights the challenges of being street dogs as well as homelessness. Really, really enjoyed this book. Highly recommended especially for dog lovers.

With thanks to the publisher and netgalley for an ARC in exchange for a review.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟Solid five stars! I will definitely recommend to my classes. .

This YA novel manages the tricky feat of being both devastating and heart-warming at the same time. It’s a story of abandonment and cruelty, but also friendship, loyalty and hope.

The first chapter is particularly heart wrenching as young pup realises he’s been dumped in Dead Dog Alley by his boy’s incredibly unpleasant step father. However, it doesn’t take long for him to find friendship in the security of the Railway Pack and his life as a street dog begins.

Pup never gives up hope of being reunited with his boy. Dog lovers, especially, will relate to the bond he feels and share in his desperation to find his lost human.

Some elements (the dog’s mythology, the rival packs, the desire for a new and peaceful home) are reminiscent of ‘Watership Down’ by Richard Adams, which just happens to be one of my very favourite books. So, this could be one reason why I enjoyed it so much but this novel goes much further in exploring the bonds that can exist between humans and animals.

All in all, it is a fairly gritty tale ( at least for young readers) of the plight of mistreated and abandoned animals. There are scenes which reveal some of the worst aspects of human nature and it had me in tears more times than I’d like to admit. But there are also wonderfully hopeful and life affirming moments as the bonds of love and friendship are explored.

A brilliant read that will make you pull your dog ( or cat or rabbit or even your human) a little closer.

As an English teacher, I like to have a decent knowledge of YA fiction to help some of my more reluctant readers find the right book for them. As I know lots of them enjoy animal stories, I was excited to be given the chance to read an advanced copy. Thank you to NetGalley, David Fickling Books and Gill Lewis.

When Pup is left on the streets to fend for himself, he becomes a street dog. The only thing that keeps him going is the thought that one day he might be reunited with his boy.

Think “Black Beauty” with dogs and that pretty much sums up this story of cruelty and loyalty between man and dog.

I chose to read this because I’ve read a couple of other books by the same author, but I didn’t think this was up to her usual standard. OK but not riveting.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

It started with a dog mythology that reminded me of the rabbit mythology intro to Watership Down. It was interesting, but I wonder how young of children would be able to follow it.

Then chapter one nearly destroyed me. I knew it was a story about an abandoned pup, but seeing the betrayal through the dog's eyes devastated me. How could anyone be so cruel to an animal?

Pup's interactions with other street dogs held a gamut of emotions. Some were helpful and sympathetic, others saw him as a liability. The poor puppy was just lost in a world where he didn't know the rules and he missed the boy who loved him.

His character develops quickly, just as someone thrown into a difficult situation will learn quickly if they are to survive. The tone is of a book you might read to children, but I question how appropriate the content would be even for sensitive adults. There is a lot of death and we get a look into the world of illegal dog fighting and the worst side of human nature.

However, the story is well told and the various dog characters are very individual and well developed. It was a great read that brought tears to my eyes a couple times and made me want to throttle a few humans.

Wow! Gill Lewis has an incredible talent, writing books which shine a light on nature and animals, and the lessons they can teach us all. Heart-warming & equally heart-wrenching, this book relates the bond between a boy and his dog, & the harrowing truth of the trials they face. Cwtching my Street Pup rescues extra tight tonight, this is a tale which needs to be shared with those contemplating getting a dog, and with guidance, YA to promote responsible dog ownership. Whilst my MG class would be enthralled by the story, I fear they'd be a quivering wreck (much like myself!) reading this.

This book opens with the boy and Pup and you definitely get a sense of the love they have for each other. As Pup is taken away into the life of street dogs we go on a journey with him and understand his perspective and experiences. As Pup loses hope we are hit with surprises, both good and bad, A heart-warming and feel-good book with emotional moments around every corner! Unfortunately, it isn’t a book that stayed with me. Thanks to #Netgalley for the the advanced read.

Pup and his young owner love one another, but right at the beginning of the book Pup is taken away by the boy’s step-father and left abandoned in a side street. Another dog approaches but instead of fighting, he leads him away to shelter with other canine members of his gang. These dogs are streetwise and Pup has to gradually learn this. It is not an easy life and is spent scavenging for food and staying away from a rival gang of dogs and the dog snatchers who imprison dogs. But a meeting with one or the other is inevitable. When it comes, it brings a whole new set of challenges and rules to learn.
The book follows Pup as he matures and learns more about the world and man’s attitude towards animals. It is not a book for delicate young animal lovers, neither is Gill Lewis’ usual theme of saving the environment paramount except for the fact that Pup never stops loving the outside and being able to see the stars – except he’d rather not be sleeping under them on a freezing cold winter’s night! You would have to know your young readership before recommending as primary school age readers may be very upset reading this harsh reality novel.

I've read and enjoyed several books by this author, but this was the first I've read that was written from the animal's point of view. At first I didn't enjoy this as much as her other, but, as the story progressed I found it more and more compelling. I've owned dogs all my life, so some parts were very hard to read, even though I know these awful things go on. It's so sad when dogs are classed as dangerous when it is humans who cause that danger. I think this is an important book, because of the message it gives about how dogs, as all animals, deserve to be treated with respect.

This is an extraordinary story of Pup, a dog who loved and lost, again and again. Pup has an unbreakable bond with his Boy, but the adults don’t want Pup and he is abandoned in ‘Dead Dog Alley’. Frenchie, a street dog, finds and adopts him into the ‘crew’ where Pup learns to survive, avoiding the vicious Sewer dogs and the Snatchers who take street dogs to ‘Dogsdoom’. Pup experiences moments of joy and forges close bonds with the unusual dogs in his pack, each with their own heart-breaking story. Pup’s story takes many twists and turns while his love for and loyalty to his Boy continues.

Pup is an incredibly vivid character created by an author who clearly adores animals. I rooted for Pup throughout his trials and tribulations; I raged at the cruel humans; I laughed at the dogs’ antics; I felt my heart breaking for the Boy and for Pup; and I cried (repeatedly). It is an absolutely engrossing book and will appeal to all dog-lovers from age 10 and up, though I’d give a cautionary note for very sensitive children or those who have lost a dog recently. The illustrations – created by the author – are gorgeous, the pace is lively and the chapter length is perfect for class or evening read alouds (though you will have children begging for more).

I can’t wait for A Street Dog Named Pup to be published on 1 April 2021 as can think of dozens of my students who will love this book – including reluctant and struggling readers. It will fly off the shelves, and I feel privileged to have read a review copy from NetGalley.

Overall: a beautiful, inspiring, thrilling, moving – and that final chapter? Unforgettable.