The Ghost Dog by Johnson, Pete (1996) Paperback

by Pete Johnson

Where was I? I didn't like this place. I wanted to be away from here. And then I caught a glimpse of something, the tree which was bent double. Here it was, looking more sad and pathetic than ever. And beside it were all the stones. The stones which were supposed to mark the dog's grave. I must be back in the old churchyard, only I couldn't make out anything else. I coughed again. The mist seemed to be getting into my lungs. Then from out of nowhere came this howling noise. The same howling we'd heard that night at the churchyard. Only this time it sounded much louder. I peered around. I was being watched…Children love to tell stories and they love to be scared, but more than anything they love to scare each other. That's why Dan invents the story of the Ghost he wants to scare Aaron, big tough Aaron who isn't scared of anything. Unfortunately, the plan backfires drastically as Dan himself starts to be haunted by the Ghost Dog in his dreams. Each night it gets closer and closer to him, fangs bared and dripping blood and evil in its eyes. But surely the Ghost Dog is just a story? It couldn't be real, could it?Effortlessley tapping into the powerful themes of children's' imaginations, Johnson conjures a brisk and readable story with just the right level of chills and shivers to keep the reader hooked. The idea that the Ghost Dog might not be real and is in fact a representation of something else going on in Dan's life keeps up the mysterious pretence and when all is revealed, the situation turns out to be quite different to that imagined by both Dan and the reader.

This is a fun, pacy read that children will devour and parents and teachers will find themselves getting engrossed in too. The power of imagination is a central theme, and will no doubt encourage a few storytelling sessions among its young readers. It's also nicely pitched, being a perfect read-alone book for children of eight and above who want something a little more intriguing and substantial than the latest Goosebumps book. (Age 8 and over.) --Jonathan Weir

Genres: Young Adult, Horror, Fiction

Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

Reviews

[Georgina Willetts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Half way through reading this book I nearly gave up as I was having nightmares. A dog is haunting children until it can find a way to be put to rest in a proper grave. The worst part was the dog actually scaring someone to death but amazingly the ghost dog befriends Daniel and I was able to finish the book. Would not recommend for anyone who is afraid of ghosts.

[Reshma · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ghost dog is about a young boy Daniel who makes up a story about a ghost dog with his friend to scare his to be brother because he doesn't like him. The made up story turns into a nightmare and the dog they made up up starts coming into their dreams every night giving them nightmares. This book covers the a book with a male main character category on the bingo board.

My favorite quote/s in this book are "They do say, if at midnight on Halloween night you comb your hair a hundred times, then stare hard into the mirror, you’ll see the face of the person you’re going to marry" "that's not scary" "depends who you see". I like these quotes because i think it's funny and it doesn't work.

My favorite character in this book is Daniel, the main character because he is always jealous of his to be brother and because the story he made up ended up scaring him more than anyone else.

Overall i really enjoyed this book as it was funny and fast moving. i was really hooked into the book and sometimes i felt like what was happening in the book was happening around me to and i also got scared sometimes and had goosebumps on my arm after i had finished reading the book. I also read the book a second time after this and i felt like i picked up a few thing that i didn't the first time round which made em understand the text better.

[Ria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daniel wants a spooky party and on that night he and his friends start telling ghost stories.
They create the "Ghost dog."
Originally a story just to scare his mam's new boyfriend's son, Aaron they are shocked when the story sort of becomes real and starts invading their dreams.
They see the ghost dog everywhere and it's scaring them silly, Aaron too.
But is the ghost dog really a ghost or a figment of his imagination as he finds himself befriending this sad, lonely and abused dog.
This was such a good spooky read, my niece and I really enjoyed the tale.

[Sruthi Priya G · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really think that these children books have a great thing within itself, witha simple but elegant story and a few good thoughts to have in life like friendship,caring for other etc.I really regret for not reading this story before itself. Its a short story but uts packed with both horror and sweet sides. It made me remember Harold and the purple crayon for a little.

[Aishah Saeed · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable book with An unexpected, touching ending.

[Berke Sahbazoglu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pete Johnson’s story revolves around Daniel Grant, a ten year old boy. who is having a hard time adjusting to his new life with his mother’s new boyfriend Roy. His father has left both him and his mother but this is not what really bothers Daniel. Roy has a son named Aaron. Roy is planning on living with his mother however there are no empty rooms in Daniel’s home. This can only mean one thing: life with Aaron.

After Roy and his son move in Daniel realizes that Aaron is a stuck up, egoistic and immature kid. Daniel tries to get along with Aaron but his patronizing demeanor infuriates Daniel. Roy is different than his son but he masks his biases as a father by (He blames Daniel for every fight between him and Aaron) acting kindly, maybe too politely to Daniel.

Daniel and his friends, Harry and Laura decide to take revenge on Aaron by telling him a story about a ghost dog that haunted a person for breaking his promise. However the plan backfires. Instead of enjoying themselves they end up terrified by the ghost dog. Their story becomes reality. Or does it?

‘The Ghost Dog’ is doubtlessly cleverly written and it also emphasizes the importance of long-lasting friendships. It is not dull but it is not as captivating as a good Stephen King page turner. The book’s concise, lucid language makes it a good read. Distinct British English words like lorry and torch instead of car and flashlight might be awkward but this should not mar anyone’s reading experience. This book is highly recommended.

[Wilde Sky · Rating 3 out of 5]

A group of children invent a ghost story to frighten someone they dislike, but soon their dreams are filled with ‘the ghost dog’, will they be able to right the wrong they have done before it is too late?

I thought the story and characters were reasonable, the repetitive use of the same images was a bit disappointing.

[Bettie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn't quite hang together perfectly but enjoyable nevertheless. 2.5*

[Petra Be]

A good story for young kids. Not very suitable for older readers. Most fairy tales are scarier than this, in my opinion, but it is still a nice story about friendship.