Saving Skye

Puppy Patrol #7

by Jenny Dale

Skye, old Mr. Bradshaw¹s collie, needs a new home. Neil and Emily are sure she would fit in perfectly at King Street Kennels. But then a farmer accuses Skye of killing his sheep, and Neil and Emily have only a few days to prove her innocence!

Genres: Animals, Childrens, Fiction, Middle Grade, Chapter Books

Library Binding

First published March 1, 1998

About the author

Prolific author of animals stories for younger children, in particular dog and cat stories. As well as a Puppy Tales and Kitten Tales series she has written the Pony Tales series of pony books.

There is some speculation that the author does not actually exist but is a psuedonym for another author or authors. One author mentioned as writing under the name of Jenny Dale is Liss Norton, who incidentally is also said to be one of the ghostwriters for the Lucy Daniels Animal Ark series.

Reviews

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was just another in a long line of animal books I read when I was 7 or 8, but revisiting it as an adult, I’m impressed by how well structured it is. Well paced, the plot a series of one tiny conflict after another that either advances the main storyline or braids in neatly. Very few dull or slow moments and a really lively, fulfilling story because of all that happens - not just Skye’s big conflict but the secondary one of her ownership, Button, the other boarders. I think sometimes these early readers can come across as a bit simplistic because they’ll just focus on one or two separate conflicts, but the fact that this is so bare bones lets you see how layered and well done this one is.

That said, characterization could be stronger - the fact that I never glommed onto any of the characters as a kid was one large contributing factor to the fact that this is the only one of the series I own, while I have piles of those similar Animal Ark books. I'd just read the book and I've already forgotten almost everyone's names. I feel like Welford was a much better fleshed out country town than Compton, too, but then, I might be comparing my memory of the later AA books, the ones for slightly older readers.

It’s from the 90s, so it’s also a touch old fashioned in terms of gender portrayal - the girls do most of the bursting into tears, Neil and his dad have one of those “don’t tell your sister, it’ll upset her moments”, the dudes get most of the big action roles.

[Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

Skye is a collie. She is suspected of killing sheep. Can Neil and Emily find the real killer of the sheep before it's to late?

I like this book a lot. you should read it.

[Ciera Legue · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book quite good, i liked it a lot but do wish that some parts were shorter or longer in others and the people who would dare dye bundles fur pink should be in massive trouble.

[Katy Lovejoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've yet to find a book about animals that I don't find adorable