Dear Hound by Jill Murphy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Despite the shiny, shiny cover, this is a great little read. The ‘hound’ of the title is Alfie the deerhound, a hairy, flop-eared coward of a puppy, who is bossed around by the cat of the house, Florence. When Alfie’s owner, Charlie, and his mother send Alfie to the dog-sitter’s house when they go to a wedding, Alfie is so petrified that he runs away and gets lost. Just when Alfie thinks that he is going to starve, he meets some wonderful friends, Sunset and Fixit Fox. Over a number of months Alfie learns how to scavenge, and grows and grows, while Charlie never gives up hope that Alfie will be found.
Perfect for readers aged between 9 and 12, ‘Dear Hound’ is a wonderful story of resourcefulness, growing up and loyalty.
Fun Fair 