(3) 4-6 Dog Chronicles series. Illustrated by Michael G. Montgomery. Leo, a tough ratting dog aboard Magellan's ship Trinidad, tells the harrowing tale of the quest to sail around the world. Details of the filth, hunger, vermin, mutinies, cruelty, and death that plague the expedition create a vivid picture of Magellan's voyage. Human characters include scribe Antonio Pigafetta, whose scrupulously recorded notes remain today. End notes add context. Reading list. Bib., glos.

Reviewer: Grace Worcester Greene

(3) 4-6 Dog Chronicles series. Illustrated by Michael G. Montgomery. Set in 1909 Illinois, this suspenseful tale is told by Finder, a failed hunting dog. Desperate to keep his dog, fourteen-year-old Thomas, recently sent to work in the mines, teaches Finder to pull a coal cart underground. When fire breaks out, Thomas and Finder become heroes. Scratchlike illustrations appear throughout. True events behind the story are detailed in an appendix. Websites. Bib.

Reviewer: Grace Worcester Greene

(3) 4-6 Dog Chronicles series. Illustrated by Michael G. Montgomery. After escaping a cruel owner, Alaskan sled dog Murphy finds a home with eleven-year-old Sally and her mother. Though he's emotionally scarred from past abuse, Murphy proves his bravery when he accompanies Sally on her lone search for gold. This charming dog's-eye-view adventure set in 1900 will please dog lovers and historical fiction fans alike. Appended historical background supplements the narrative. Reading list. Bib.

Reviewer: April Mazza

(3) 4-6 Dog Chronicles series. Illustrated by Michael G. Montgomery. It's 1917 in Cosham, England, and a family's pet collie, Darling, becomes a Red Cross mercy dog, seeking out wounded soldiers in need. In tense first-person narration, Darling relates her journey from England to France as she goes from reluctant helper to WWI hero. Light sketches further evoke time and place. Appended historical background supplements the narrative. Reading list, websites. Bib.

Reviewer: April Mazza