Murphy and the Great Surf Rescue

Puppy Academy #4

by Gill Lewis, Sarah Horne (Illustrator)

Puppies to the rescue! Murphy the leonberger puppy is used to being the best, so when new student Rodrigo comes top of the class he struggles with his jealousy. But Murphy faces his biggest challenge when he is sent to the beach to try for his Surf Rescue Badge. Can he be brave when it matters most? From award-winning author Gill Lewis, Puppy Academy is a fun series introducing young readers to a team of plucky, irresistible puppies, learning their jobs as working dogs. The series is illustrated throughout with fun and engaging artwork.

Genres: Childrens

128 pages, Paperback

Published July 7, 2016

About the author

Before she could walk, Gill Lewis was discovered force-feeding bread to a sick hedgehog under the rose bushes. Now her stories reflect her passion for wild animals in wild places. She draws inspiration from many of the people she has had the fortune to meet during her work as a vet, both at home and abroad. Gill Lewis has a masters degree in Writing for Young People from Bath Spa University and won the 2009 course prize for most promising writer. Her first novel was snapped up for publication within hours of being offered to publishers. She lives in Somerset with her young family and a motley crew of pets. She writes from a shed in the garden, in the company of spiders.

Reviews

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

As is the case for the other books in this Puppy Academy series, readers can tell that the author truly loves and knows dogs. In this outing, Murphy, who is a Leonberger who uses his size to his advantage. But he has never swum in the ocean before, and when he takes the test for his Surf Rescue Badge, he is overwhelmed by the ocean waves. His insecurity makes him bristle around Rodrigo, another dog who is accomplished at surf rescues, but as it turns out, Rodrigo is there to help him when he needs a boost. After all, as Murphy comes to learn, there is nothing wrong with making a mistake. What matters is picking oneself up and trying again after a mistake. Once again, a great dog saves the day in more ways than one. The text and illustrations vividly capture the personalities of several dogs in this book, including their teacher and the head of the academy. Dog lovers will find this one irresistible.

[Efox · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the last book in the Paw Academy series and the last one we read. Just like the others, it was super sweet and cute, and Murphy overcame his challenges and was able to become an ocean rescue dog. This story focused a lot on jealousy - there's another dog who also wants to do water rescue, and Murphy is very insecure about this new comer. Ultimately, Murphy realizes that Rodrigo is actually awesome and apologizes for being a jerk. He also trusts his own instincts and we learn a valuable lesson about crying wolf. This one also had a ton of information about what a rescue dog would do.

The 5 year old really liked this one, but after reading all four in the series, decided that his favorite was the very first one we read Pip and the Paw of Friendship. I really enjoyed this series and would totally recommend it, especially if you like dogs.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

As with the other Puppy Academy books, my seven-year-old loved it and I didn't mind reading it. My accent for the Mexican Hairless was ON POINT.