Scout and the Rescue Dogs

by Dianne Wolfer, Tony Flowers (illustrator)

A celebration of community, adventure, kindness and, above all, dogs!
The summer holidays have finally arrived and Scout can't wait for her adventure in the big rig with Dad. They're on a mission to deliver donations of dog food to animal rescue shelters right across the state.

There'll be lots of music, dad-jokes and a brilliant plan that will make sure everyone's got a friend for the holidays. There might even be a special four-legged friend in it for Scout.

But Scout and her dad get more than they’ve bargained for. It’s bushfire season – and it’s not just the dogs who need rescuing . . .

Genres: Childrens, Middle Grade, Grief, Contemporary, Fiction

224 pages, Hardcover

Published June 3, 2025

About the author

Dianne lives on the south coast of Western Australia. She is author of 27 books with more titles on the way. Dianne's latest books are 'Soaring with the Sugarbird Lady - the Robin Miller story', 'Cattle Muster' (ill. Frane' Lessac), and 'The Colt from Old Regret' (ill. Erica Wagner).
Her earlier award-winning novel 'Scout and the Rescue Dogs' celebrates truckies and rescue dogs, and links to the catastrophic Black Summer bushfires. It won WA Premier's Award and was shortlisted for the Children's Book Council Awards and the WA Young Readers' Awards.
Other recent titles include: 'The Last Light Horse', a CBCA Notable Book now adapted for CineStage by Theatre 180; 'Mia' (Allen and Unwin's award-winning Through my Eyes series); and an Aussie STEM Stars title about Skye Blackburn-Lang, Australia's first farmer of edible insects.
Dianne's doctoral research into anthropomorphism and animal characters in children's literature was selected as a Board of the Graduate Research School Dean's List Winner in 2017, and led to two books, 'The Dog with Seven Names' (winner of the 2019 Speech Pathology Awards, CBCA Notable, shortlisted for the NSW Premiers Literary Awards and published in China) and 'The Shark Caller' (CBCA Notable and optioned for film). In addition to her general website, Dianne posts about animal characters at www.animalswhotalk.

'The Dog with Seven Names' is written anthropomorphically and explores Australian WW2 history from the perspective of a small dog in north-west WA. Another title with unusual animal perspectives, 'The Shark Caller' is set in Papua New Guinea. This underwater fantasy novel links to both the ancient practise of calling sharks as well as modern-day environmental concerns.
Dianne's picture book, 'Nanna's Button Tin' is published in the US by Candlewick. Other stories in the multi-adapted WW1 'Light' series are the award-winning 'Lighthouse Girl' and 'Light Horse Boy'.
Dianne's book, 'Light Horse Boy' won the WA Premier's Award as well as CBCA Honour book. Partner title, 'Lighthouse Girl' was inspiration for Royal de Luxe Theatre's spectacular Perth street performance, The Giants, won the children’s choice, West Australian Young Readers Book Awards and is a recommended reading text for the National History Curriculum. Lighthouse Girl has also being adapted for Black Swan Theatre by playwright Hellie Turner. The story was based is based on the true tale of Fay Howe, daughter of the Breaksea Island lighthouse keeper, who relayed messages for the departing ANZAC troops in 1914. Light Horse Boy follows the journey of a young soldier who waves to Fay before sailing with the 1st AIF. The book follows Jim’s journey to Egypt, Gallipoli and through iconic battles of WW1’s Desert Campaign. Dianne enjoys combining her love of history with writing fiction. Her picture book, 'Photographs in the Mud' (also a recommended History Curriculum text) was inspired by a research trip along the Kokoda Track. It was published in Japanese and is used as a reference for international workshops promoting peaceful ‘discourse analysis’. Dianne is an active member of writing groups, including the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and served for six years as their WA Advisor. Dianne loves travelling and has spent much of her life overseas.

Awards
2023 CBCA Notable Book, The Last Light Horse
Short listed, CBCA Book Awards for Light Horse Boy and also for Granny Grommet and Me, 2014
Winner, West Australian Young Readers’ Award, 2010
Short listed, NSW Premier’s History Awards, 2009
Short listed, West Australian Premier’s Awards, 2009
Short listed, West Australian Young Readers’ Award, 2007
Short listed, West Australian Young Readers’ Award, 2006
Short listed, West Australian Young Readers’ Award, 2002
Short listed, Family Therapists’ Award for Children’s Literature, 2001
Short listed, Wilderness Society’s Environment Award, 1999
Short listed, West Australian Young Readers’ Book Awar

Reviews

[Stephanie Fitzgerald]

I loved this book from start to finish! It had everything I look for in a great book for middle-grade readers.
Scout is a spunky and lovable protagonist. Her grief from her mom’s death was heart-twisting, but she had a father who, although grieving also, provided her with much support. Her love for animals, especially dogs, made me feel like she would be a kindred spirit IRL! As well, she was a victim of bullying at her school, unsure of how to deal, a problem easy to relate to.
The details about the setting of Australia were well described. The author’s notes at the end about different Australian locations was helpful. I have to say, I think it would really be motivating to young readers to do further research about that continent!
Before reading this book, I had no idea that wildfires were a serious problem in parts of Australia like they are in California. The efforts that firefighters and citizens put forth to save their homeland were simply amazing! Mittens, pouches , and wraps being sewn together by people to help burned animals like koalas, joeys, and bats; how marvelous that was to read about!
I could go on, but I might end up adding unintended spoilers! This would a wonderful book to have in classrooms everywhere.

* I received a digital copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are strictly my own.*

[Anna Davidson]

A sweet and heartwarming celebration of community and kindness. And a whole heap of dogs! This is a gentle, uplifting read with some big themes including death of a parent, bullying and the devastating bushfires of 2019/2020. Scout epitomises kindness, courage and humilty.

[Rebecca]

Why did I put off reading this book for so long?

Shortlisted for the younger reader’s category of the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) 2024 prize - winners announced Friday 19 August.

With a cover illustrated by Tony Flowers, published by Walker Books and, a dog lover this should have leapt out to me.

But, it bares mentioning that the winner of this category in 2023 was ‘Runt’ by Craig Silvey.

Both books featuring dogs, written by West Australian authors, for children.

The comparisons end there. ‘Scout and the rescue dogs’ was a great delight to spend a Sunday morning with, and in my opinion, the better book.

Scout (yes, named for ‘To kill a mockingbird’ by Harper Lee), has just finished her first year of boarding school, after the death of her mother. Truck-driving Dad (Bill Gallagher), picks Scout up in his Kenworth big rig , with deliveries of dog food to make to a number of animal shelters before Christmas.

This story is part road trip, part Christmas story, set against the blistering summer heat of Summer 2019.

I was surprised how emotional I was reading about the bushfires five years later. The subject is handled carefully, and younger readers will appreciate the careful language and authentic relaying of facts.

Classroom teachers of students years 4-6 will recognise the consideration given to children dealing with dramas personal and public.

Scout experiences hurtful and unkind behaviours at her new school (bullying), and mentions in the earlier chapters techniques she uses to deal with her feelings.

Then there is the grief she is dealing with after her mother’s death. Small, internal conversations, projects, rock-collecting and conversations with her father.

Responding to news and community problems is also given projects where Scout takes on board the facts and then the small acts of kindness she herself can perform.

From the penpal program her teacher creates for the summer holidays, to the sewing projects and scrapbooking, Scout finds avenues to perform her own small acts of philanthropy towards creating a better world.

Bravo, Dianne Wolfer, I enjoyed every aspect of this book, from the rescue dogs and their fun included texts, to the inclusion of local stories, food and rural towns.

This was a lovely trip between two covers - delightfully illustrated by Tony Flowers.

[Jacq]

The blurb really doesn’t do this one justice. It’s a gentle, heart rending family story set against the backdrop of the catastrophic 2020 bushfire season, plus rescue dogs and the trucker community. Perfect for middle primary.

[Edie]

i liked the story but i felt the dialogue was a bit bland which led to all the characters sounding completely the same

[Laura Farrington]

After I got past what I initially felt was too much Australian slang, I really enjoyed this book. Dealing with so many issues in a fun easy to read manner:
- friendship
- grief
- bushfires (so real! I remember the 19/20 Victoria. Bushfires they were awful!)
- puppy mills
- starving cattle and hay deliveries
Very impressed!

Notable book for CBCA 2024 - Younger Readers

[Jennie]

An engaging and warm chapter book for primary students that deals with family loss, grief and healing through the close and caring bond between truck driver dad and Scout, who tells this story of the first summer after the death of her mother. Scout is also dealing with a new boarding school which she hates, a summer project that might just help her make a friend, being a philanthropist helping animal shelters and the devastating bush fires that swept southern Australia in the 2019/20 summer.

That's a lot to pack in, but Wolfer has done an admirable job by connecting a range of issues to Scout and her Dad and, in making sense of her own world, the reader shares her highs and her lows. Truck drivers also get a decent coverage to show the close knit community for these men and women who do long haulage. Dad is a hoot with his corny jokes but his big heart shines through. Tony Flowers soft charcoal occasional illustrations add a light touch at times.

Shortlisted for the 2024 CBCA Younger Readers category, there is a lot to commend this book. I do wonder if the content relating to devastating impact of the fires on native wildlife and the loss of homes, and lives and the danger to fire fighters might bring old worries to the surface for young readers who may have been in the midst of the devastation. However, Wolfer's caring approach is captured in Scout and the lovely, caring person that she is.

[Ms. Yingling]

Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

Scout attends the Arcadia Boarding School for Young Ladies in Australia since her mother has passed away from cancer and her father is a long distance trucker. She's excited to be on a break from school, since she hasn't made many friends. She and her father will be traveling around, delivering dog food to rescue shelters across the country, and she has a plan to convince her father to let her stay at home, and maybe even adopt a dog. She does have a school Friendship Project to work on that her teacher, Ms. Lawson, has assigned. This includes e mailing several classmates, including the popular Ava and Sienna, but also Anika. Many of the shelters need help, so Scout works on a website for one, and helps a woman at another rehome most of the ten dogs in her care before she has hip replacement surgery. Scout has a talent for matchmaking dogs with potential owners, and uses her father's CB Radio to connect with many of the other long distance truckers, many of whom are glad to have dogs as travel companions. There is a Christmas get together planned with her Aunt Sal, but afterwards extensive bushfires are causing all kinds of problems. Scout does meet one dog, Molly, whom she wants to adopt for several reasons. The dog shares her late mother's name, and is a former puppy mill dog who can't walk. She raises money to help with costs, and her father lets her adopt that dog. Her e mails with Anika have been fun, and she feels a little better about going back to school. Her Aunt Sal helps out with fighting the bush fire and is injured, and shelters and truckers across the country are in danger. Once Scout and her father get home, they are in danger, but the wind shifts and their house is spared. This is an interesting fictional coverage of the real life 2019-2020 Australian bush fires.

I can't say that I have ever read anything about wildfires in Australia, although there have been plenty of middle grade novels covering such events in the US, like Davis' Partly Cloudy, Henry's Playing with Fire, Philbrick's Wildfire, Rhodes' Paradise on Fire, and Garretson's Wildfire Run. I do wish there had been a map, since I am not terribly familiar with the Australian landscape, and get the feeling that this took place over a MUCH larger territory than any book in the US would!

Ms. Lawson's Friendship Project is successful, and this small element of friend drama will draw additional readers to this title. One notable feature of this book was the tremendous quality of the paper! I haven't seen many Australian titles, but the paper in this book was very heavy and smooth. I found myself stroking the pages more than I probably should have.

Scout is a delightful character who wants to do so much good, but struggles with her own personal life. She is given a lot more leeway to work on websites and talk to people about adopting dogs than most children would have, but she manages to find owners for so many dogs. I enjoyed Flowers' illustrations of the dogs as well. I can see why this was an award winning title in Australia, and am glad to see it travel to the US.

[Stephanie Tournas]

School is out for the Christmas break and 11-yr-old Scout and her dad are driving all over Australia delivering donated dogfood to animal shelters. It’s summer in Australia and wildfires are burning everywhere, making conditions hard for animals and people. On Scout’s to-do list are figuring out how to be a philanthropist, convincing her dad to pull her out of her snooty boarding school and remembering her mom, who died the year before. This is an epic father/daughter road trip with dad jokes, camping, reminiscing about Mom and lots of dogs.

Along the way, Scout uses her creativity to set up systems, both analog and online, to find homes for lots of the dogs they meet, until there’s finally – maybe – a dog for her. The setting is a deep dive into Australia during brushfire season and there’s lots of Aussie slang. I felt like I could feel the heat! Occasional black and white illustrations, mostly of the dogs, echo Scout’s love of all things animal. The tone is pretty calm at first, but the fires amp up suspense at the end. Readers will learn about animal shelters, puppy farms and how communities fight brushfires. Most characters clue as white.

[Kay Hertz]

Great story about rescue animals, resilience and more!

Overall: 4 ⭐
Plot/Lesson:° 4📍

ReRead Requests: 0

I enjoyed this little tale about Scout and her furry friends quite a bit.

The kiddos didn't quite connect with it: For A^ it was a little too advanced for her reading level. For C* it was a little too word-dense for her appreciation.

I think both kiddos would enjoy it when they're closer to a 5th grade reading level perhaps. But as A is only around a 3rd grade reading level (which is ahead of her peers!), it' just a bit too advanced for her.

That being said, overall a lovely book for 5th grader reading levels and up!

A big thank you to Dianne Wolfer, Publisher Spotlight, & NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
All opinions are our own.

NOTES:
° = Our Plot/Lesson rating is how well the kiddos picked up on the morals/lessons learned or well received the facts were.
^ = A, reads at 2-3rd grade level, voracious reader
* = C, knows her letters, but memorizes stories well!

[Shane]

4.5 stars. I left this one to last in my reading of the CBCA Younger Reader Shortlist for 2024, as the cover just wasn't that appealing to me. In the end, it was one of my favourite reads from this year's selection.

This is a gentle, warm-hearted look at a young girl and her Dad, set amongst the backdrop of the 2020 bushfire disaster and with a strong message of being other-person centred and that we can all make a difference. There are also themes about the importance of friends.

I really enjoyed the relationship between Scout & her Dad, as well as the struggle Scout had with returning to boarding school. Setting the story in the time of the bushfires gives plenty of opportunity for Scout & her Dad to help others, for action and for remembering our own experiences at the time. The stories about helping the rescue dogs were nice, if at times a bit too convenient and immediately successful.

[Allie]

Wow! Didn't expect to enjoy this. But I loved it. But maybe because it mentioned Burrumbuttock - no one knows such small towns, so for it to get a mention is a win for me. I feel like this would be a great book to read aloud to the class and you could have a map of NSW and VIC to mark the journey of Scout and her dad along the way. Scout has lost her mum and goes to boarding school. But in the holidays goes trucking with her dad and helps rescue dogs along the way. It is set in the summer of 2019/20 when the bushfires were rife in Mallacoota and Gippsland and Corryong etc. A heart felt read for anyone focusing on real events and real places.

[Emily Dennehy]

Really sweet but I found a lot of the problems that had to be solved were solved too easily or conveniently went away! Good for a younger audience because of this, but for me it took away a little from the realism. I liked the setting of country Victoria and NSW and the relationship Scout had with her Dad was so sweet!

[Eden]

I didn't think I would actually like this book my mum picked out at the library. As my mum says, though, I usually judge a book by its cover! And, I also really like dogs( though I like cats better!). Really heartwarming story!

[CeCe]

Heartwarming story with very likeable characters, set during the time of catastrophic bushfires in Australia. This book got me in almost immediately and I really enjoyed it.

[Megan]

A stunning chapter book for middle grade readers that has rescue dogs! A smart 12 year old finding her own path to be herself and a community of truckers with huge hearts. You will smile as you read this and feel
Hope for humanity.

Deserving winner of the 2024 Children’s Book Award at the WA Premier’s Book Awards.