The Underdogs of Upson Downs

by Craig Silvey

Annie Shearer lives in the country town of Upson Downs with her best friend, an adopted stray dog called Runt. The two share a very special bond.

After years evading capture, Runt is remarkably fast and agile, perfect for herding runaway sheep. But when a greedy local landowner puts her family's home at risk, Annie directs Runt's extraordinary talents toward a different pursuit--winning the Agility Course Grand Championship at the lucrative Krumpets Dog Show in London.

However, there is a curious hitch - Runt will only obey Annie's commands if nobody else is watching.

With all eyes on them, Annie and Runt must beat the odds--and the fastest dogs in the world--to save her farm.

Genres: Middle Grade, Animals, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Australia, Dogs, Family

320 pages, Paperback

First published March 12, 2024

About the author

Craig Silvey is an author and screenwriter from Fremantle, Western Australia.

His critically acclaimed debut novel, Rhubarb, was published in 2004. His bestselling second novel, Jasper Jones, was released in 2009 and is considered a modern Australian classic. Published in over a dozen territories, Jasper Jones has won plaudits in three continents, including an International Dublin Literary Award shortlisting, a Michael J. Printz Award Honor, and a Miles Franklin Literary Award shortlisting. Jasper Jones was the Australian Book Industry Awards Book of the Year for 2010.

His third novel, Honeybee, published in 2020, was an award-winning bestseller. Honeybee was the 2020 Dymocks Book Of The Year, won the Indie Book Award for Best Fiction, and was shortlisted for both the Literary Fiction Book of the Year at the 2021 ABIA Awards and the Adult Fiction Book of the Year at the ABA Booksellers’ Choice Awards. In 2022 and 2023, Honeybee was voted Number 1 in the Better Reading Top 100.

Released in 2022, Runt was his first novel for Younger Readers. Dubbed an 'instant classic', Runt won a raft of awards, including the Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Award, the Australian Book Industry Awards Book of the Year for Younger Children, the Indie Book Awards Book of the Year, Children's Book of the Year at the BookPeople Book of the Year Awards and the 2022 Dymocks Book of the Year for Younger Readers.

Its sequel, 'Runt and the Diabolical Dognapping', will be released September 30th, 2025.

Reviews

[Elizabeth☮ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book about Annie and her dog Runt. Annie is different and is proud of her family and how each person is unique. Runt is a talented dog, but he doesn't listen to anyone but Annie.

Upson Downs is a farming community, but it is suffering from a drought. As a consequence, Annie is fearful of the "overdraft on the overdraft" she hears her parents discussing. There is a Agility Course Grand Championship at the Krumpets Dog Show in London. If Annie can find a way to get Runt to run the course in front of a crowd, she just might be able to save her family's farm.

This is book is full of heart. I loved Annie's family and found myself in tears through many scenes.

One of my friends always says I can't resist a book cover with a dog! It's true. I'm so glad I read this one.

[Andrea Beatriz Arango]

One of my favorite books of the year so far. It's free on Spotify & the audio experience might be the best way to do this one if you really want to immerse yourself in the Australian-ness. Plots aren't alike at all, but if it means anything to you, this one gave me big Britt-Marie Was Here vibes but for kids. I laughed. I cried. I loved it all.

[Stephanie Affinito · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was the peanut butter to my jelly. The green eggs to my ham. The peas to my carrots.
What am I trying to say? This is the most beautiful, heart-warming middle grade novel that will fit perfectly with every reader. Every human who has felt different or lonely. Every mother, father, grandmother, grandfather and brother. Every dog lover. Every reader with a dream not yet fulfilled. Every reader on a life mission. Everyone looking to belong. This book is for you. Annie Shearer has an unbreakable bond with her stray dog, Runt, a bond that might just save her family from losing their farm if they win the grand championship of the Krumpet’s dog show. But there are a lot of obstacles ahead, including finding the money to make the trip and oh yes overcoming Runt’s fear of performing in front of people. But Annie’s belief in her dog, her desire to fix things and the creativity she inherited from her grandfather might not only save the day, but bring everybody exactly what they need, too. Please read this book. I promise you’ll find your heart inside of it.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

RECOMMEND WITH CAUTION AS A READ ALOUD

What an absolutely lovely story! It’s so beautiful, fun and feel good. I love Annie and Runt and the whole family. I absolutely LOVED the Shearer family. They are crazy and zany but they loved each other so much and it is so refreshing.

I have two critiques of this story. One is that Brian Shearer tells Annie it’s ok to lie if you have good intentions. He calls it a “kind lie.” It plays a significant role in the story so I found it important to mention it. I think it’s worth chatting about your kiddos about the dangers of lying. On the VERY LAST PAGE, it is hinted that the grandmother, Dolly might find love with another woman named Bernadette.

[Mary Frances · Rating 2 out of 5]

We listened to this book on a family road trip and loved every page until the last two minutes of the audiobook when the rainbow agenda finally made its way into the story. It’s really unfortunate the author threw this in at the very last minute as this story was so endearing, humorous and engaging for all ages. Really wish the author hadn’t unnecessarily added this element in.

[Dramapuppy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book ends with Annie realizing she shouldn’t force Runt to be something he’s not and she doesn’t need to fix everything on her own. Immediately afterward, she receives a surprise opportunity to force Runt to be something he’s not and single-handedly fix everything. The end.

[Elsie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this cute book, but strange last page.

[Hannah Huffman · Rating 5 out of 5]

for the love of god blue sky productions or Netflix TURN THIS INTO A MOVIE.

[Amy Fessler · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice, sweet, young adult story.

[DaNae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can a drought-ridden community be fixed by a girl with a tool belt and her best friend, Runt, the world’s most talented dog, outside his pathological shyness. This book is a mix of Kate DiCamillo’s, Ferris, and Louis Sacher’s, Holes, with a little Roald Dahl villainous-villains thrown in.

[Aaryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightfully quirky MG novel about a girl, her dog, and a town that is falling apart.

[Mark Buxton · Rating 4 out of 5]

What worked:
Annie and her dog Runt make a delightfully unique pair of characters. Annie prefers to be by herself so others think she’s strange. She sees herself as a fixer and she’s happiest when trying to find remedies for anything not working correctly. Annie’s immediately concerned by the drought that’s slowly killing Upson Downs and by the possibility of her family losing its farm. She feels a strong connection to her deceased grandfather Wally since he was an eccentric inventor. The rainmaker she builds by following Wally’s plans doesn’t work as she expected so her attention becomes focused on saving the farm. Annie also wonders what her father is doing in his greenhouse and why he feels a need to lock its door.
A neighbor is one of the plot’s antagonists as he’s dammed up a river, keeping precious water from the other farms in the area. The man collects everything imaginable but not because he actually wants them. His motivation is owning anything other people might want just so he has them, and everybody else doesn’t. Another antagonist is a fame-hungry dog owner who’s finished second in sixteen national agility competitions. He’s an egotist always looking to make headlines and he sees Runt and Annie as challenges to winning the tournament this year. He’ll do anything, no matter how devious, to keep Runt from stealing his fame and glory.
Runt used to be a runaway mutt, tormenting shop owners and the town’s deputy. Annie found him outside her school one day and they’ve been inseparable ever since. Runt is always by Annie’s side but he doesn’t like to interact when other humans are around. He’ll follow Annie’s hand gestures on command unless he sees people watching. His laser-focus on Annie exemplifies their tight bond but it’s also the source of his inability to perform in public. Runt’s cuteness and intelligence will endear him to readers and they’ll cheer on this amazing underdog.
What didn’t work as well:
The story is told in third-person, present tense which doesn’t allow readers to fully connect with the characters. It would be nice to get inside Annie’s mind during this emotional tale to appreciate the important decisions and feelings she experiences.
The final verdict:
The book shares a heart-warming, underdog story that will appeal to readers of all ages. The author can’t go wrong by featuring a cute dog and the two antagonists are easy to root against. I recommend you give this book a shot!

[Miss Lili · Rating 3 out of 5]

So.
This was a fun book that I recommend as a light summer read! Plus if you are a fan of dogs - specifically dog sports.

Here's what I liked:
-The main character and her family. I LOVED them. They were all so real, so relatable, and not really flat.
-The dog sports theme! This was the reason I picked this book up, as dog agility is something I'm kind of into and this is the first (and so far only) fiction book I've found featuring it!
-The whole summer-in-Australia-county-fair kinda vibe. Like I said, great summer read.
-The writing style - easy to read, fun, just the right amount of descriptive.
-The family relationships. I just loved the dynamics, they were so well written too. Ahhh, I just love her family! Lol.
-Fergus Fink's assistant. A little flat, but he was a very sweet guy and it was interesting watching his personality come out throughout the book. And he really loved the dog, so bonus points.

Here's what I didn't like:
-The bad guys. They were so flat and one dimensional, especially the main one, Fergus Fink. Fergus Fink is just evil. There's no reason for it, he just is. He wants to beat the little girl in the competition to uphold his family legacy and nothing will stand in his way. He hates dogs. He obviously loves cats because they're ruthless and only care about themselves! (I, personally, am a cat lover and owner, so this seemed like a very ridiculous, overused stereotype to stick in a book).
-The whole storyline - okay, the whole book, was not very believable. Obviously, that's to be kinda expected since this IS a middle grade, but sometimes things were just very over the top.
-The lesbian representation that was shoved in at the very end (literally like the last page) really screamed checking the boxes. It was so random and very out of character for the characters involved, it just didn't make sense at all.

[Panda Incognito · Rating 2 out of 5]

The premise seemed fun, but I found this book incredibly boring. It's very talky, with way more telling than showing, and lots of interesting things happen off-screen, with the narrator giving a dry summary about big moments after the fact. In addition to this, the villains are so over-the-top that they are unbelievable, and too much of the character development for the main cast happens through secondary reports from the narrator, without you seeing the characters really process stuff on the page.

I love a good omniscient narrator, so I don't have anything against the POV choice, but I thought the execution was very poor. There were times when the plot really got going and this felt like a story, but then we'd slip into more distant summary. Also, even though the big competition was one of the more interesting parts to read about, it was difficult to suspend disbelief about the villain's sabotage, since it was so over-the-top and would point directly to him.

Also, the author randomly throws in a gay romance at the last possible moment, creating an instantaneous connection between Grandma and another woman. This comes completely out of left field, and there's no time for anything to develop. It's so sudden, and ends as soon as it begins. So, if you're looking for LGBT content in middle-grade books, this is beyond a cop-out while still trying to look inclusive, and if you're not looking for LGBT content in middle-grade books, then the book ends with sudden content whiplash out of nowhere.

[Trisha Parsons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why I chose this book: I love books with dogs in them, and I like that it's a middle-grade book set in Australia because I haven't read a book in that setting before.

Brief summary: When Annie overhears her parents worrying about an "overdraft on an overdraft" she takes it upon herself to find a way to fix the financial problem of their family farm. The perfect solution seems to be entering her dog, Runt, into a dog show with a big cash prize - there's just one problem - Runt won't do tricks or follow Annie's commands when other people are watching. How will Annie get Runt ready for the big show and what will she learn along the way?

What I like about this book: The parents in this book are referred to by name, even though the book is largely from Annie's perspective. It took my awhile to get used to it. I kept thinking maybe Annie and her brother were foster children or something, but once I settled into it, I decided I really liked it because it makes the parents their own characters instead of stock kid's books parents, and Annie's parents are really cool. I like the way the author depicts this loving family, and I like the whimsical, classic-kid's-book feel of this story. The characters are quirky and relatable. There is hardship, conflict, and two villains with very bad intentions to create tension and keep the pace of the story moving, but the story feels hopeful.

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

If you haven’t noticed, I enjoy a sweet children’s or middle grade story (guaranteed happy ending!), especially if there is a dog or other animal. Children’s books can teach us about humanity, love, acceptance, connection, and so much more.

In this story, Annie Shearer and her dog Runt are the outcasts in the little Australian farming town of Upson Downs. The Shearer family are down on their luck financially and Annie sees an opportunity for her and Runt to solve all their problems - win a big dog agility contest and it’s prize money.

The Shearer family are so good-hearted, even when the people in their town treat them poorly. I was rooting for them big-time and even got real tears in the end.

This author has several other books I’ve been trying to get my hands on but they are published in Australia. This story was published as “Runt” in Australia.

I started this book in print but at 50% I switched to the audio from Libro.fm and the narration is delightful.

[Monica Pierce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, the book is precious. I only picked it up because my 10-year-old daughter said she really enjoyed it and she wanted to have a book discussion.

The only reason I'm giving this four stars is because there was an unnecessary add of homosexuality at the end of the book. They very heavily imply that grandmother Dolly has homosexual feelings for another character. While I acknowledge this is going to be in books, I really dislike it when they throw it in at the very end of a book. This plot twist didn't add anything to the book. If nothing else, it distracted. I also think it should be standard in the disclaimers so that parents can make their own call of when to have the discussion on same-sex attraction.

Still, we will use the book as a tool to include during our dinner time discussions.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this with my 9-year-old daughter because it is a Beehive nominee for our state. It is a fun story with a sweet family at the center. We enjoyed listening to it together. My daughter said she liked it "a lot", and I do feel it has definite kid appeal.

For me, I thought I was a little bit chaotic at times. It might have been trying to do just a little bit too much, and I feel like it could have been edited down just a bit. Also, some of the characters felt stereotypical, although I think that worked with the tone of the book. I probably would not have rated it quite four stars if I was just listening to it on my own, but I had fun experiencing it with my daughter which upped the rating.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very charming novel about a girl and her dog, perfect for animal lovers. Set on an underperforming sheep farm in Australia, Annie Shearer struggles to fix things for her family. But on a whim, Annie and her dog Runt enter an agility contest where they are the surprise winners. The win sets in motion an unlikely path for the family as Annie and Runt travel to London to compete in an international agility contest, the only problem is that Runt only trusts Annie and freezes in front of a crowd. Witty and charming for young and old readers this is a classic sort of children's story and a popular import from Australia.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Annie lives in Upson Downs in Australia. She is always trying to fix things, like the rain-making machine her grandfather has been working on before his death, and has a special bond with her dog Runt. Runt is the best sheep-herder around but will only perform for Annie when no one is watching. When she finds a way to enter a dog agility contest, Annie and her dog Runt take the prize. With caricaturish villains – a neighbor hogging all the water during an historic drought so he can buy up all the property and a dog show competitor who cares only about winning – readers will root for Annie and her quirky yet lovable family.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is a lot to like in this book. The family is wonderful. Quirky and unique and loving and supportive. Some of it was just a mess for me, though I don't think they will be problematic for the intended audience. I didn't buy that the mom wouldn't know how terrible the pies were, or that the "kind lies" were believable. The villain felt like he stepped out of a Scooby-Doo cartoon instead of the Agility world. And the love story in the last couple of pages felt thrown in for no purpose other than ticking a box. It was fun to read from the perspective of someone from Australia, though some of the jargon is going to be a bit confusing for our middle grade students.

[Bonni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Again, the audiobook is especially good. I like the Australian accents and the voices the reader uses for the different characters. One thing I especially appreciated about this book is its circular nature. We meet Annie at the beginning, she goes on a journey, and we see who she has become at the end of her journey. One thing I didn't particularly enjoy was that everything worked out well for Annie's family. Of course, I didn't predict how everything would be resolved, and happy endings are great, but now that all of the bows are tied, I won't be thinking too much about these characters after reading. This is my first Craig Silvey book, and I'm a fan. I expect to read Jasper Jones next.

[Karen Reeder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, if this isn't one of the most adorable things I've read in a long time! I give it 4.5 stars because it was a bit slow at first. The Underdogs of Upson Downs is such a heartwarming tale of friendship, family, love, perservence, kindness, service, and living your best life as you! I loved going on this journey with Annie and Runt and feeling all the feels as the family learned and grew from the stories several experiences. We are all at our best when we are our own true selves. I love Annie and I love the complete lack of judgements as the town learns to love as well.

[Wendy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book up until the last two pages. Out of the blue, Annie's grandma and an elderly female friend meet each other and there are romantic fireworks. This book is meant for an age group whose parents may not be ready to expose their children to this. The book is adorable. If you are reading it to a child and are uncomfortable with the ending you could "write" your own as you read. I'm not sure I would recommend this book for a child to read on their own. If the ending was different I would have given 3 or 4 stars for the targeted age group.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a charming tale of a young girl and her rescued dog who set out to save their small Australian town from the local tyrant. Runt, her dog, performs amazing agility tricks, but only when Annie is watching, no one else. They find a way to compete and win at agility competitions, where they aim to win enough money to save the town. The delightful puns and likable characters make this a great book for fans of Roald Dahl, and those who enjoy uplifting dog stories.

[Polina Gortman · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a brilliant beautiful story! I read it together with my kid and we both loved it. I was barely holding back tears of joy in the end. It’s about love, family, caring for each other, winning and losing. The characters - members of Shearer family - are compelling, quirky, and loveable. The book is not preachy, but the message is so very wholesome it feels like a warm cozy blanket. I can’t recommend this book enough! Such a joyful fun summer read! 10 stars!

[Rebekah Sturgill · Rating 2 out of 5]

The short choppy sentences and over the top word games were not my speed, but I'm sure kids would like it more. The bad guys are really bad and meet bad ends but there's also a sense that the purpose of life is to just be nice and go with the flow. On the last page the grandma gets a girlfriend which came out of left field.
Overall I wouldn't recommend it.

[Sonia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this aloud to my 10 and 12 year old who sometimes think they are too old to read with me. They could not get enough and wanted me to read it during dinner and breakfast as well as our usual before bed. Heartwarming and funny and the ending was different than any of us predicted but somehow better. Highly recommend.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

The cover is gorgeous and appealing; however, the main character is 12 and the character on the cover looks like she’s 6 or 7, which is going to turn off some middle school readers. Also, I think the students would like the book more if the book had been only on Annie’s perspective, not the parents. I might pass on this one.

[Jessica O'Brien · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the main characters in this lovely middle grade book. A heartwarming story about acceptance (of yourself, your family, your circumstances) and family. The 2 “bad characters” aren’t given much nuance, but there moments where you can glimpse how they became despicable. Grab this one if you need a dose of sunshine but nothing overly saccharine.