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Stormy
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This is the story of a deep friendship between a boy and a dog. It is a tale of loyalty and determination. Allan Marley was living alone on a wilderness lake because his father was serving a prison term. That's when Stormy appeared. he was a huge black retriever and a born hunter. Like Allan, he loved the wild country and he had his troubles, too. Sharing the good and the bad they helped each other weather several kinds of storms. They would never quit because they were both true champions.
This is the story of a deep friendship between a boy and a dog. It is a tale of loyalty and determination. Allan Marley was living alone on a wilderness lake because his father was serving a prison term. That's when Stormy appeared. he was a huge black retriever and a born hunter. Like Allan, he loved the wild country and he had his troubles, too. Sharing the good and the bad they helped each other weather several kinds of storms. They would never quit because they were both true champions.
150 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 1959
23 people are currently reading
462 people want to read
About the author
Jim Kjelgaard
106 books163 followersan American author of young adult literature.
Born in New York City, New York, Jim Kjelgaard is the author of more than forty novels, the most famous of which is 1945's "Big Red." It sold 225,000 copies by 1956 and was made into a 1962 Walt Disney film with the same title, Big Red. His books were primarily about dogs and wild animals, often with animal protagonists and told from the animal's point of view.
Jim Kjelgaard committed suicide in 1959, after suffering for several years from chronic pain and depression.
- Wikipedia -
Born in New York City, New York, Jim Kjelgaard is the author of more than forty novels, the most famous of which is 1945's "Big Red." It sold 225,000 copies by 1956 and was made into a 1962 Walt Disney film with the same title, Big Red. His books were primarily about dogs and wild animals, often with animal protagonists and told from the animal's point of view.
Jim Kjelgaard committed suicide in 1959, after suffering for several years from chronic pain and depression.
- Wikipedia -
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
December 17, 2020
I loved the books by Jim Kjelgaard (1910-1959) while growing up in a leafy suburb of Chicago (Oak Park), far away from any wilderness. Jim wrote about characters who could survive in the wilderness--not only survive, but have a most enjoyable life there. And he wrote about animals, especially dogs, and all my favorite stories such as "The Jungle Book," the Tarzan books, and books about dinosaurs were all books about animals. Jim grew up in the Allegheny Mountains of Pennsylvania and so had not only learned about the wildlife in the woods but had a respect and love for them too.
"Stormy," published in 1959, is one of the books by Jim that I hadn't read. Like his most popular book, "Big Red" (which was made into a Disney film, which I have never seen!), this one focuses on a dog. Stormy's a big black Lab mix, who is called an outlaw and is to be shot on sight for turning on his master. Young Allan meets the dog and wants to win the dog's trust, as he believes the dog had been mistreated. So that's the heart of the story, the boy and dog bonding together. Allan has been living alone in a wilderness area (most likely the Alleghenies, although not identified as such), as his father is in jail, having gotten into a fight with the neighbors. The feud is a threat to both Allan and Stormy, this on top of Allan's trying to survive on his own in the wilderness.
I enjoyed the book immensely as it took me back to my childhood, remembering the joy I felt in reading such stories. Just a note here that Jim's heroes are usually hunters and trappers. I had no problem with that as a kid back in the 60s, when we weren't very concerned with environmental issues. Now it does bother me to read about hunting and trapping, although I can understand that Allan needed to hunt not only for himself but for his dog to survive. I also understand that so much of the value of dogs in the past-- and even today-- is due to their hunting abilities, or, as in Stormy's case, their ability to retrieve fallen waterfowl. It's interesting that in my lifetime we've gone beyond having dogs mainly for the work they can do for us but now we have them essentially as companion animals, valued family members.
Another thing I noticed is that women are at most very minor characters in not only this book but in all Jim's stories featuring animals. That was fine with me as a boy! It's too bad that I got used to stories in which girls and women were on the sidelines, never major characters, except to be there to be rescued by the hero. I still remember being surprised by finding and reading a story about Harriet Tubman back in the early 60s. We needed more stories by and about women and, thankfully, I think we're getting those stories now!
"Stormy," published in 1959, is one of the books by Jim that I hadn't read. Like his most popular book, "Big Red" (which was made into a Disney film, which I have never seen!), this one focuses on a dog. Stormy's a big black Lab mix, who is called an outlaw and is to be shot on sight for turning on his master. Young Allan meets the dog and wants to win the dog's trust, as he believes the dog had been mistreated. So that's the heart of the story, the boy and dog bonding together. Allan has been living alone in a wilderness area (most likely the Alleghenies, although not identified as such), as his father is in jail, having gotten into a fight with the neighbors. The feud is a threat to both Allan and Stormy, this on top of Allan's trying to survive on his own in the wilderness.
I enjoyed the book immensely as it took me back to my childhood, remembering the joy I felt in reading such stories. Just a note here that Jim's heroes are usually hunters and trappers. I had no problem with that as a kid back in the 60s, when we weren't very concerned with environmental issues. Now it does bother me to read about hunting and trapping, although I can understand that Allan needed to hunt not only for himself but for his dog to survive. I also understand that so much of the value of dogs in the past-- and even today-- is due to their hunting abilities, or, as in Stormy's case, their ability to retrieve fallen waterfowl. It's interesting that in my lifetime we've gone beyond having dogs mainly for the work they can do for us but now we have them essentially as companion animals, valued family members.
Another thing I noticed is that women are at most very minor characters in not only this book but in all Jim's stories featuring animals. That was fine with me as a boy! It's too bad that I got used to stories in which girls and women were on the sidelines, never major characters, except to be there to be rescued by the hero. I still remember being surprised by finding and reading a story about Harriet Tubman back in the early 60s. We needed more stories by and about women and, thankfully, I think we're getting those stories now!
December 13, 2013
I loved Jim Kjelgaard's books as a kid, and even today when I reread some of my favorites from that time I still greatly enjoy them. I never read Stormy when I was little but picked it up to read because of my fondness for Kjelgaard. I didn't like it as well as books like Desert Dog and Snow Dog. The main reason, I think, was that it was less about the dog than those other stories. I wanted to spend more time in the dog's consciousness. Still, a fun story and a real look into a kind of life that is quickly passing away in our modern world.
January 19, 2018
Allan is alone in the wilderness, with his father in prison, when he comes across a stray dog. The dog turned against his former owner when severely abused. Allan is determined to gain his trust and eventually the dog becomes a worthy companion for life in the wilderness. In the meantime Allan's neighbors are determined to make trouble for him. When danger arrives Allan finds a way to end the feud that his father was involved in which put him in jail.
January 18, 2013
This is a fun and touching story of a boy and a dog, each left alone to deal with their unique problems. Their bond strengthens, and their wounds heal as they work together on things ranging from running a short trap-line, to surviving the remains of the feud that got Allan's father into jail.
My only quibble with this book is that it needs a sequel, and there isn't one. :(
My only quibble with this book is that it needs a sequel, and there isn't one. :(
February 25, 2014
Kjelgaard is as good as Jack London and Gary Paulsen. Survival modes that are being taught today that used to be just common sense.
Good descriptions of the land and way of life amoungest animals.
Good descriptions of the land and way of life amoungest animals.
May 20, 2012
One of my brother's faves growing up. Even named his dog Stormy. Now reading Kjelgaard's books to my boys. :-)
October 31, 2020
Stormy
By Jim Kjelgaard
I read Stormy by Jim kjelgaard this quarter. The text complicity is 103 for lexile because I didn’t know it had to be at a certain reading lexile. This book was about a boy named Allan Marley who’s father is in jail for getting in a fight, there's also a “wild” dog on the loose that turns out to be not so wild when Allan finds him in a crazy hunting incident on the ice, during a storm! Hence the name Stormy. Allan also finds himself in a bit of trouble in this book but nothing too serious to end up in jail like his dad. That's a quick summary of the book.
I think the theme or central idea of this book is that sometimes it is better to wait for the whole truthful story before you do something or act on it, because sometimes it's not always what people sought out for it to be. How this is the theme of the book is because everyone thought that Stormy was some rabid outlaw dog that would kill anything in its tracks but in reality he's just like any other dog. “Seen any big killer dog out your way?” said Jeff on page 26, which made him think if the dog is actually dangerous. So like I said wait for the entire truth before you act. Some of the characters are helpful to Allan and some of them were against him. The setting is in the winter and at a lake and Allans home.
I liked this book because it was very interesting and realistic with certain situations and it was never boring because there was always lots of action or something was always going on. Some things I disliked about the book was that some of the situations repeated themselves, it seemed like it was kinda the same problem over and over again. Also each thing I think was dragged on a little longer than necessary. But other than that it was a pretty good book I think. The ending was alright but it was kinda just a normal conversation and then it ended which i thought was a little strange but that's how a lot of books end so it wasn't terrible. My favorite part was when Allan realized that Stormy was going to stick around because it made Allan happy and hopeful. The other style of writing was very basic, kind of like most books. The Only thing different I noticed was how the book had some words that aren't commonly used anymore, like on page 140 it says “doggedly”.
This is my book review on Stormy.
By Jim Kjelgaard
I read Stormy by Jim kjelgaard this quarter. The text complicity is 103 for lexile because I didn’t know it had to be at a certain reading lexile. This book was about a boy named Allan Marley who’s father is in jail for getting in a fight, there's also a “wild” dog on the loose that turns out to be not so wild when Allan finds him in a crazy hunting incident on the ice, during a storm! Hence the name Stormy. Allan also finds himself in a bit of trouble in this book but nothing too serious to end up in jail like his dad. That's a quick summary of the book.
I think the theme or central idea of this book is that sometimes it is better to wait for the whole truthful story before you do something or act on it, because sometimes it's not always what people sought out for it to be. How this is the theme of the book is because everyone thought that Stormy was some rabid outlaw dog that would kill anything in its tracks but in reality he's just like any other dog. “Seen any big killer dog out your way?” said Jeff on page 26, which made him think if the dog is actually dangerous. So like I said wait for the entire truth before you act. Some of the characters are helpful to Allan and some of them were against him. The setting is in the winter and at a lake and Allans home.
I liked this book because it was very interesting and realistic with certain situations and it was never boring because there was always lots of action or something was always going on. Some things I disliked about the book was that some of the situations repeated themselves, it seemed like it was kinda the same problem over and over again. Also each thing I think was dragged on a little longer than necessary. But other than that it was a pretty good book I think. The ending was alright but it was kinda just a normal conversation and then it ended which i thought was a little strange but that's how a lot of books end so it wasn't terrible. My favorite part was when Allan realized that Stormy was going to stick around because it made Allan happy and hopeful. The other style of writing was very basic, kind of like most books. The Only thing different I noticed was how the book had some words that aren't commonly used anymore, like on page 140 it says “doggedly”.
This is my book review on Stormy.
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January 13, 2017 Imagine having to live in a place that has harsh winters every year. This is what Allan Marley has to do in the book “Stormy”. With his father in prison Allan has to live by himself.The setting and conflict of the story add certain qualities such as conflict and suspense to the story.These qualities keep the book interesting.
The setting of the story is Beaver Flowage which adds conflict to the story through harsh climate difficulties. Evidence of this is when the author says “ Winter in the Beaver Flowage was always harsh, with deep snow, bitter winds, and zero temperatures the rule rather than the exception” (Kjelgaard 7). This shows that the weather can be difficult to bear in this setting.Another piece of evidence is when the author says “ At intervals he lifted his head to look for the island, and when he could not see it he began to worry” (Kjelgaard 140). This shows that the setting can make it difficult to see. In conclusion the setting of the story can make most activities difficult.
Although there are many conflicts in the story one of the biggest is trying to keep out of trouble with the Torrances which adds suspense to the story. Evidence of this is when the author says “ Bob Torrance elbowed his way to Allan. “Din’ you spear that pike?” “No.” “Tha’s a lie!” the sailor accused. “You’re jus’ like your ol’ man. Wanna fight? “ (Kjelgaard 95). This adds suspense to the story by not knowing how Allan will react. Another piece of evidence is when the author says “ His sudden surge of anger made him realize that he had plenty of Marley temper himself, and that his father had been right to make him promise to avoid trouble” (Kjelgaard 99). This adds suspense by seeing if he will keep his promise to stay out of trouble with the Torrances because that is how his father got into prison. In conclusion it is hard for Allan to stay out of trouble because the Torrances are asking for it.
The traits of writing that Kjelgaard uses adds many problems and a question of “ What will happen next?” This book is intriguing because these traits don't happen just once but many times. In conclusion I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a book to read.
The setting of the story is Beaver Flowage which adds conflict to the story through harsh climate difficulties. Evidence of this is when the author says “ Winter in the Beaver Flowage was always harsh, with deep snow, bitter winds, and zero temperatures the rule rather than the exception” (Kjelgaard 7). This shows that the weather can be difficult to bear in this setting.Another piece of evidence is when the author says “ At intervals he lifted his head to look for the island, and when he could not see it he began to worry” (Kjelgaard 140). This shows that the setting can make it difficult to see. In conclusion the setting of the story can make most activities difficult.
Although there are many conflicts in the story one of the biggest is trying to keep out of trouble with the Torrances which adds suspense to the story. Evidence of this is when the author says “ Bob Torrance elbowed his way to Allan. “Din’ you spear that pike?” “No.” “Tha’s a lie!” the sailor accused. “You’re jus’ like your ol’ man. Wanna fight? “ (Kjelgaard 95). This adds suspense to the story by not knowing how Allan will react. Another piece of evidence is when the author says “ His sudden surge of anger made him realize that he had plenty of Marley temper himself, and that his father had been right to make him promise to avoid trouble” (Kjelgaard 99). This adds suspense by seeing if he will keep his promise to stay out of trouble with the Torrances because that is how his father got into prison. In conclusion it is hard for Allan to stay out of trouble because the Torrances are asking for it.
The traits of writing that Kjelgaard uses adds many problems and a question of “ What will happen next?” This book is intriguing because these traits don't happen just once but many times. In conclusion I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a book to read.
March 2, 2017
The book i will be telling you about Is “Stormy”. The book stormy is written by: Jim Kjelgaard. Check out his books, i will highly expect you to like them.This book is at a 6.9 grade level and a Lexical level of 1030L. This book is mainly about a Boy named Allan Marley. His dad got put in jail and he has been having a rough time. He has always wanted a dog.
More in detail parts about this book is that one morning Allan goes outside on a windy winter day and he tries to walk on fresh ice that covers a pond to get to an injured duck. As he starts he see’s a dog. The dog is bleeding bad, the dog tries to get the duck but falls in. Allan saves the dog and brings him inside fixes his bullet wound and trains him to be a hunting dog. There are more secrets and mysteries in this book that will happen that are really interesting but i am not going to spoil them. You have to find out for yourself.
Overall i thought this was a very interesting book with many parts that make you want to keep reading. This book is one of my favorite books i have read because it has a lot of things that i might do or that i like to do in it so i can really relate to myself. I think you guys should read this book because It has a lot of Funny, scary, and mean things in it that make the mood of the story and characters change very fast. Which is very fun to read about. This book is not to challenging but not to easy. It this book it is mostly snowing with wind and ice. It doesn’t get Warmer until the end. I hope you read this book because it is a good book that will keep you busy.
More in detail parts about this book is that one morning Allan goes outside on a windy winter day and he tries to walk on fresh ice that covers a pond to get to an injured duck. As he starts he see’s a dog. The dog is bleeding bad, the dog tries to get the duck but falls in. Allan saves the dog and brings him inside fixes his bullet wound and trains him to be a hunting dog. There are more secrets and mysteries in this book that will happen that are really interesting but i am not going to spoil them. You have to find out for yourself.
Overall i thought this was a very interesting book with many parts that make you want to keep reading. This book is one of my favorite books i have read because it has a lot of things that i might do or that i like to do in it so i can really relate to myself. I think you guys should read this book because It has a lot of Funny, scary, and mean things in it that make the mood of the story and characters change very fast. Which is very fun to read about. This book is not to challenging but not to easy. It this book it is mostly snowing with wind and ice. It doesn’t get Warmer until the end. I hope you read this book because it is a good book that will keep you busy.
December 11, 2016
Reread 11/2016.
I grew up reading Jim Kjelgaard's books and I credit them for giving me some insight into wildlife management from the other side, early on. It doesn't hurt that it's a dog story, and a survival story as well.
The book's main character is a trapper and duck hunter. While this was interesting, they're not topics I particularly feel interest in, so I can't say I got into that element of the story (and there was a lot of it), but I still enjoyed it.
If you enjoyed books like My Side of the Mountain and Hatchett, Jim Kjelgaard's books will likely be right up your alley. They don't condescend to young readers and they're full of naturalist information based on Kjelgaard's experiences growing up hunting/trapping/fishing, etc.
I grew up reading Jim Kjelgaard's books and I credit them for giving me some insight into wildlife management from the other side, early on. It doesn't hurt that it's a dog story, and a survival story as well.
The book's main character is a trapper and duck hunter. While this was interesting, they're not topics I particularly feel interest in, so I can't say I got into that element of the story (and there was a lot of it), but I still enjoyed it.
If you enjoyed books like My Side of the Mountain and Hatchett, Jim Kjelgaard's books will likely be right up your alley. They don't condescend to young readers and they're full of naturalist information based on Kjelgaard's experiences growing up hunting/trapping/fishing, etc.
January 3, 2019
I thought this book was pretty good to read because it was very adventurous. I wish it was more exciting. My character was definitely stormy. He was my favorite character because he was unpredictable. My favorite part was at the start when he found stormy. I liked it because it was exciting. I like how the book was written. I like how it was written with a lot of detail. The descriptions and plot made me want to read more. It also made me feel how the characters felt.
October 20, 2019
I love Jim Kjelgaard's stories, usually about dogs who are heroes, even if being a hero means being a friend. I love his writing style. Unfortunately he has passed, so I have to just savor what he wrote and if you love animals, you should too.
March 8, 2019
Great story to teach kids how they can overcome resentment & anger without acting out or fighting back.
September 9, 2020
I enjoyed this book. It's a lovely dog story.
I did some how get a nightmare about it. It's not the sort of book I would associate with nightmares.
I did some how get a nightmare about it. It's not the sort of book I would associate with nightmares.
October 8, 2022
An enjoyable book. If you are really into hunting ducks, fishing, camping, boating and aspects of nature, you would like it more. If you are triggered by hunting, then find another book. The aspects on hunting are balanced by a strong conservation ethic. The book is mostly taken up with those details of nature and hunting, with the story part involving a threat and then a murder not really taking up many pages. Kjelgaard does a really good job with the hunting, fishing, etc., parts though. You can tell from the pleasure he takes on describing the different aspects of ducks alone. For those of us who are city folk, it is nice to read about nature from someone who loves it.
The dog is an outlaw, so for a second I thought, did I start his Outlaw book? But no, I think I have the book 'Outlaw Red' but haven't read it yet (and can't seem to find it). I do want to read all of his dog books. Anyway, the dog part is good in the book but wish there was even more. Not too over the top saying the dog is the best ever like a Terhune book, but I especially liked good story of Stormy retrieving a wounded canvasback 'diving duck' to prove what a great retriever the dog is.
As an example of the prose in the book involving nature, I wanted to share this paragraph from the book:
Drifting out of the black sky, it was a far-carrying and haunting cry. The first hairy man who heard that sound had tilted his head to search out its source, and it has touched a sensitive chord in human beings ever since. It was the voice of freedom unlimited, the incarnation of nature itself, the sound and song of fond dreams: the cry of the northbound wild geese.
The dog is an outlaw, so for a second I thought, did I start his Outlaw book? But no, I think I have the book 'Outlaw Red' but haven't read it yet (and can't seem to find it). I do want to read all of his dog books. Anyway, the dog part is good in the book but wish there was even more. Not too over the top saying the dog is the best ever like a Terhune book, but I especially liked good story of Stormy retrieving a wounded canvasback 'diving duck' to prove what a great retriever the dog is.
As an example of the prose in the book involving nature, I wanted to share this paragraph from the book:
Drifting out of the black sky, it was a far-carrying and haunting cry. The first hairy man who heard that sound had tilted his head to search out its source, and it has touched a sensitive chord in human beings ever since. It was the voice of freedom unlimited, the incarnation of nature itself, the sound and song of fond dreams: the cry of the northbound wild geese.
June 16, 2024
Very exciting story! Mysterious and a little scary. - 9 year old
April 14, 2022
A very good book with a great "outdoors " plotline.
July 29, 2020
I read this book about 50 years ago and i enjoyed it as much now as i did then. A young man living on his own in a cabin on a lake befriends an outlaw Labrador Retriever. The two of them work together to overcome hardship and danger in the wilds of (upstate NY maybe)? The setting in the book is fictional but appears to be far northern US or Canada. Maybe along the eastern flyway of the migratory ducks and geese.
It is written as a book for teenage boys, not very sophisticated but very enjoyable. If you liked the Disney Production Those Calloways (1965), you will like this book. Suitable for children above maybe 5 or 6 years old if they can tolerate the ideas of hunting and trapping animals.
It is written as a book for teenage boys, not very sophisticated but very enjoyable. If you liked the Disney Production Those Calloways (1965), you will like this book. Suitable for children above maybe 5 or 6 years old if they can tolerate the ideas of hunting and trapping animals.
December 7, 2015
Stormy ends up being a mostly unremarkable Kjelgaard tale. It's got elements of all his other books and doesn't tell much of anything new. That doesn't make this book bad or not enoyable...it just didn't spark my interest as much.
It took me longer than it should have to finish this book simply because there wasn't a lot of apparent conflict.
It was interesting to learn about Allans survival skills, I guess. Stormy might have been too perfect of a dog though. The outlaw aspect of Stormy never really came into play. And so the beginning tension was dissolved before the story really began.
I think I needed more danger in this book to make it stand out.
It took me longer than it should have to finish this book simply because there wasn't a lot of apparent conflict.
It was interesting to learn about Allans survival skills, I guess. Stormy might have been too perfect of a dog though. The outlaw aspect of Stormy never really came into play. And so the beginning tension was dissolved before the story really began.
I think I needed more danger in this book to make it stand out.
January 10, 2014
Jim Kjelgaard was one of my favorite authors growing up, and I still love to pull him off my shelf. I always remember two scenes vividly from this book - the dog retrieving the duck from the freezing lake and the campfire scene in the storm with the dog studying the boy to see what he would do. There's something about Kjelgaard's language and raw wilderness scenes that I love. I'm trying to find his book that has one particular scene I distinctly remember... I'm pretty sure it was one of his books but I haven't found it yet. His books were originally published in the 40-50's and reprinted in the 80's. That tells me something about his stories.
September 20, 2015
This was one of my favorite authors for awhile, many years ago, and when I read Stormy recently with my boys I thoroughly enjoyed it again. Though not written from a Christian perspective, the message of being a peacemaker and forgiving others comes through quite clearly. It also caught the attention of my boys who have trouble reading, so that they were constantly begging me to let them read more—they even spent time one evening reading so we could finish the book! We’ve now gone on to the other book by this author that we have, and they are enjoying it, as well.
Read my full review here.
May 5, 2018
"Allan Marley and his father have lived together in the untamed wilderness of the Beaver Flowage all their lives. But when Mr. Marley is jailed because of a bitter family feud, Allan suddenly finds himself on his own."
"Then he meets Stormy, an outlaw dog who has been accused of turning on his owner. Allan knows that the big black retriever has been mistreated, and he works hard to win the noble dog's trust and affection."
"As allies, Allan and Stormy has overcome every danger they encounter in the unpredictable wilderness."
Now after more then a year the family feud has come back to haunt Allen. Will he be able to protect himself, Stormy and their home and livelihood?
A good story.
"Then he meets Stormy, an outlaw dog who has been accused of turning on his owner. Allan knows that the big black retriever has been mistreated, and he works hard to win the noble dog's trust and affection."
"As allies, Allan and Stormy has overcome every danger they encounter in the unpredictable wilderness."
Now after more then a year the family feud has come back to haunt Allen. Will he be able to protect himself, Stormy and their home and livelihood?
A good story.
September 3, 2016
There were a whole series of Kjelgaard paperback novels at my library -- probably purchased to appeal to boy readers -- but I read through them along with the "Lad: A Dog" series and the Black Stallion books. I remember the copy I had had a red border around the edge. And I also remember being astonished at the fact that a boy could live in a cabin all by himself with a dog while his father was in jail.
October 30, 2016
Allan is a boy, and his father is in jail. He doesn't have a mother, so he is all alone. After a while, he finds a dog that is wounded. He heals it and calls it Stormy. It turns out that Stormy is an outlaw dog, so Allan has to protect him.
This book is fantastic! It is the best book ever! You have got to read this book. This book was so interesting to me, that I felt that I could never stop reading it!
This book is fantastic! It is the best book ever! You have got to read this book. This book was so interesting to me, that I felt that I could never stop reading it!
July 13, 2010
A copy of this book has been on my shelf forever-one of my husband's books he read as a kid and loves. One day I was all out of library books, and my little toddler was ripping the cover off this one. I decided while I was taping it back together to read it. I enjoyed it very much. A good classic survival, boy and his trusty dog, story.
March 27, 2018
What I really like most about this story is how confident Allen was in his trade and his knowledge of the wilderness around him. Stormy his dog wasn't really the main character in the book but even with his small parts he was shown to be a surviving dog. With superior intelligence, loyalty, and strength he was able to become the dog of Allen's dreams.
April 28, 2021
I think this is more of a 3.5 versus a 4 star because it isn't as good as Big Red. However, the action and fast moving plot were a nice change of pace from our previous read-alouds. Jim Kjelgaard really captures my imagination with his descriptions of the settings. I am outside with Allan on the lake, in the woods and in the snow storms.
July 26, 2011
This may be my favorite. But then again, I love the three "Red" stories too. And the Snow Dog stories. I simply cannot choose. All are great to read, and I'd recommend them to any 9 to 12 year olds. Or younger (depending on their reading level).
March 3, 2016
An awesome tale of a young boy and his dog, surviving the elements of nature with courage,determination,and bravery. This author is able to bring characters, nature, and animals to vivid life. I loved Stormy, he was a great dog!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews