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Yellow Dog
Jeremy lives in a small community where winters are long and stray dogs roam the streets. When peer pressure leads Jeremy into a bad prank, he is immediately struck with guilt—and that’s when his life changes forever. Trying to make amends, Jeremy befriends Yellow Dog—and in the process meets a curious old man who introduces him to the adventures of sled dogging. Soon Jeremy is forming his own old-time dog team that includes Yellow Dog and discovers more about himself—and the old man—than he ever thought possible.
296 pages, Paperback
First published March 15, 2017
16 people are currently reading
158 people want to read
About the author
Miriam Körner
10 books20 followersMiriam Körner is a best-selling and award-winning author for young adults and children, who lives in Northern Saskatchewan in a small cabin tucked away in the bush with her husband and their sixteen sled dogs.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
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October 23, 2017I'm not in the habit of rating books by friends, but I highly recommend this fast-paced YA novel about a young boy in Northern Saskatchewan. Yellow Dog covers a lot of unique ground (by dogsled!) and offers a story that leaps off the page with the energy of an excited pup. Miriam Korner's writing of the natural world, the north, and the interior life of a 13-year-old boy all come together to create an unforgettable tale that has the feeling of a new Canadian classic.
November 27, 2016
Jeremy is dared to pull the tail of a yellow dog who lives on the edge of town owned by a strange old man and he does it. But his guilt over the incident brings him to become friends with the dog and his owner. Jeremy learns that the man used to run a dog team to check his trap lines and he decides to do the same. Middle grade readers will enjoy many aspects of this novel: the modern setting, the ease of befriending dogs over people and the survival aspect of being in a small town in winter. The tension builds over the mysterious events surrounding Jeremy's father's death and is resolved in a touching way. Highly recommended for all.
December 9, 2016
Yellow Dog took me places I've never been--by dogsled!
When 13-year-old Jeremy meets a mysterious old man living at the end of a lane, the man shares the rhythm of Cree life in the old days. Dogsleds and sled dogs. Traplines and fishnets. Winter, family, survival.
Their parallel stories unreel slowly, laced with guilty secrets. Just as Jeremy learned to wait for the old man to tell his tale, I hung on through the slow build to a satisfying climax.
It was well worth the wait. The author immersed me in every experience, from the exhilaration of mushing to the scents, sights and sounds of a small community in Northern Saskatchewan.
When 13-year-old Jeremy meets a mysterious old man living at the end of a lane, the man shares the rhythm of Cree life in the old days. Dogsleds and sled dogs. Traplines and fishnets. Winter, family, survival.
Their parallel stories unreel slowly, laced with guilty secrets. Just as Jeremy learned to wait for the old man to tell his tale, I hung on through the slow build to a satisfying climax.
It was well worth the wait. The author immersed me in every experience, from the exhilaration of mushing to the scents, sights and sounds of a small community in Northern Saskatchewan.
January 16, 2022
The first few chapters made me so incredibly angry and sad but what followed was a heart warming and, at times, gut wrenching, story of a boy discovering himself. It was a rollercoaster of a read but I loved every page.
February 21, 2017
A charming surprise of a book, and one that I would recommend to both middle grade readers and older readers who might have some reading difficulties. The dogsledding story is engaging and interesting and clearly well researched. Definitely recommend.
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August 8, 2017i loved this book
August 2, 2017
Jeremy plays a mean prank on a neighbourhood dog, but the guilt urges him back to make amends. He learns about dog sleds and decides to put together his own small dog sled team. He learns a lot about himself and growing up, in the process.
Yellow Dog is obviously set in a northern reserve, but it is a refreshingly positive reflection of this community.
Yellow Dog is obviously set in a northern reserve, but it is a refreshingly positive reflection of this community.
February 5, 2018
Wow! Loved this. Feel good book with lots of twists and turns and a glimpse into a traditional way of life in the north that has almost disappeared. Well done!
July 19, 2017
I read this book with my 10 year old son and I plan to read it with my 12 year old daughter as well. This book follows a young boy who is trying to learn more about himself and growing up to be a good person. He has a friend who can be a bit of a bully/mean-kid, but the boy does well trying to help the mean kid along the way. I felt so many different emotions when I was reading this book...at one point, I was so angry (I read ahead) that my kids were intrigued about what was happening.
February 21, 2017
I really enjoyed the book. It brought back a lot of memories of my time living in the north. I would give it 4.5
April 5, 2018
“Hey Jeremy! Dare yah to pull that dog’s tail” I picked this quote from my book because I thought it was a good way to grab your attention and it's an interesting quote, where you have to read the book to find out if he does the dare or not. The title of my book is “Yellow Dog,” by Miriam Korner. The genre of this book is: realistic fiction and adventure.
Some characters in this book are Jeremy, the old man (Jack), Justin (Jeremy's friend), and the dogs (Acimoses, Lightning, Cheerio, and Happy.)
Jeremy is a boy who has lost his father and so lives with his mom. He is inspired to create a sled dog team, and he has to find 4 dogs and train them to do so. One day, Jeremy was petting a dog (Acimoses) that he did a bad prank on, that filled him with guilt. While he was petting the dog, he met an old man (that is the dogs owner). Later on, the old man tells Jeremy what he needs to do to create a sled dog team. He needs to get 4 dogs and know how to make a fire for surviving in the bush. I’m not going to spoil it all, but a the end of the book Jeremy figures out a breathtaking fact about the old man and Jeremy, together! Will Jeremy be able to learn how to have his own sled dog team with obstacles in the way like dog shooting day, his mom holding him back and fights with his best friend Justin?
In conclusion, this book is heartwarming because you get to learn the relationship between a human and his dogs. It’s funny, exciting, interesting and sad all at the same time. Yellow Dog is a book that you will always want to keep reading. It tells you to follow your dreams and to never give up, it’s optimistic and in the same way you can relate to it. If you like dogs and some adventure, I’m sure you will enjoy this book.
Some characters in this book are Jeremy, the old man (Jack), Justin (Jeremy's friend), and the dogs (Acimoses, Lightning, Cheerio, and Happy.)
Jeremy is a boy who has lost his father and so lives with his mom. He is inspired to create a sled dog team, and he has to find 4 dogs and train them to do so. One day, Jeremy was petting a dog (Acimoses) that he did a bad prank on, that filled him with guilt. While he was petting the dog, he met an old man (that is the dogs owner). Later on, the old man tells Jeremy what he needs to do to create a sled dog team. He needs to get 4 dogs and know how to make a fire for surviving in the bush. I’m not going to spoil it all, but a the end of the book Jeremy figures out a breathtaking fact about the old man and Jeremy, together! Will Jeremy be able to learn how to have his own sled dog team with obstacles in the way like dog shooting day, his mom holding him back and fights with his best friend Justin?
In conclusion, this book is heartwarming because you get to learn the relationship between a human and his dogs. It’s funny, exciting, interesting and sad all at the same time. Yellow Dog is a book that you will always want to keep reading. It tells you to follow your dreams and to never give up, it’s optimistic and in the same way you can relate to it. If you like dogs and some adventure, I’m sure you will enjoy this book.
April 17, 2019
this was one all time favorite books. I all ways choose this book over a nether. its the right combination of happy and sad. when it was sad it was sad i meen crying sad. its amazing to see this young boys struggles to be a dog slider. he is determined person nothing is going to stand in his way. if you like action this is the book for you in his everyday struggle to be a kid its vary easy to relate to because all kids go through the same fullings
May 29, 2018
I really loved this book and was surprised it didn't win the Silver Birch award. The book started a bit slow for me but once I neared the end I couldn't put it down it was so intense and I wanted to find out what would happen. It's a heartfelt story about love and loss that reminded me how scary and great your childhood could be.
December 2, 2017
*very small spoiler alert*
This not an Old Yeller/Where the Red Fern Grows story.
Just a great story about a boy's coming of age. Lots of great adventure, love, and joy. As well this is a beautiful snapshot of a time gone by.
This not an Old Yeller/Where the Red Fern Grows story.
Just a great story about a boy's coming of age. Lots of great adventure, love, and joy. As well this is a beautiful snapshot of a time gone by.
December 28, 2017
This is a lovely book and an excellent choice for a Silver Birch nomination. This is set in a First Nations community but it doesn't try to hit you over the head with it. It is simply the story of a boy trying to find himself, cope with life with a single parent and seek lost routes.
December 20, 2018
YELLOW DOG BOOK REVIEW
By Pierce Fellinger
December 10, 2018
In the middle school novel, Yellow Dog written by Miriam Korner, the story is about Jeremy a thirteen year old boy who lives in the small town of Poplar Point, Saskatchewan. It is a northern rural community that is in the middle of the bush. The town has a problem with stray dogs roaming all over the place and they are hungry, cold and not in good shape. Sometimes people abuse them and sometimes they bite people. Jeremy finds himself drawn to a dog who lives with a mysterious old man in a log cabin on the edge of their town. Jeremy doesn’t know the man but he gets a strong feeling that the man somehow knows him. Jeremy lives with his Mom has a secret she is keeping from him. In the middle of all of this, he is losing his best friend Justin, who he has known his whole life. They are growing apart. Jeremy is interested in learning about training dogs and dog sledding. He is torn between his new found friendship with Yellow Dog and his interest in dog sledding and losing his long time friend.
This is a really good book that is very easy to read because the story really pulls you in to Jeremy’s world. It wasn’t easy like simple though, it was a challenging read. I didn’t want to put it down and by the end of the book, I felt like I really knew Jeremy well and you care about him and his pack of dogs. Through the whole story, there is a main theme of family and the importance of family and that includes your pets and dogs. Jeremy is really close to his dogs and cares so much about them. Dog sledding is a very old sport that not many people can try unless you live in a climate that is cold for many months of the year. Which is perfect for this story because it takes place in Northern Sask. which is cold and snowy for most of the year. The author does a good job of making the story easy to follow and it makes sense all of the time. I really didn’t like the dog shooting day that happens in real life in some parts of the world. It is a way that communities use to deal with overpopulation of stray dogs, but other than that part of the story, the rest is really good, heart warming and if you don’t like dogs, you will like them after you read this book. The book was not predictable at all and there are lessons on how to survive in the wilderness.Jack, the old man, teaches Jeremy cultural things from the past and the old ways of how to survive in an extreme environment. Jack the old man also tells Jeremy stories about how he used to go dog sledding with his family every christmas and race with their dog teams. He also explains to Jeremy how to train sled dogs and catch fish the lake and how to survive in the wild. I also think if you like books on how to train dogs then this would also be a good book for you. The book taught me about Cree culture and language, which I found interesting. It’s also about friendship, family and relationships and growing up. Jeremy is interested in learning about dog sledding but doesn’t know a thing about it. In the story he learns about his family history with dog sledding and how his dad used to train dogs. It also talks about grief and death and the whole story revolves around the secret of how his dad died. Jeremy’s mom didn’t want him to get into dog sledding and dog training because she was trying to protect him and keep him safe after his dad died from a dog sledding accident a long time ago. I would recommend this book to kids in grade 6-8 and who are interested in survival training. I would would also recommend it to people who like dogs and dog sledding. I would give it 5 stars out of 5.It was an enjoyable read.
By Pierce Fellinger
December 10, 2018
In the middle school novel, Yellow Dog written by Miriam Korner, the story is about Jeremy a thirteen year old boy who lives in the small town of Poplar Point, Saskatchewan. It is a northern rural community that is in the middle of the bush. The town has a problem with stray dogs roaming all over the place and they are hungry, cold and not in good shape. Sometimes people abuse them and sometimes they bite people. Jeremy finds himself drawn to a dog who lives with a mysterious old man in a log cabin on the edge of their town. Jeremy doesn’t know the man but he gets a strong feeling that the man somehow knows him. Jeremy lives with his Mom has a secret she is keeping from him. In the middle of all of this, he is losing his best friend Justin, who he has known his whole life. They are growing apart. Jeremy is interested in learning about training dogs and dog sledding. He is torn between his new found friendship with Yellow Dog and his interest in dog sledding and losing his long time friend.
This is a really good book that is very easy to read because the story really pulls you in to Jeremy’s world. It wasn’t easy like simple though, it was a challenging read. I didn’t want to put it down and by the end of the book, I felt like I really knew Jeremy well and you care about him and his pack of dogs. Through the whole story, there is a main theme of family and the importance of family and that includes your pets and dogs. Jeremy is really close to his dogs and cares so much about them. Dog sledding is a very old sport that not many people can try unless you live in a climate that is cold for many months of the year. Which is perfect for this story because it takes place in Northern Sask. which is cold and snowy for most of the year. The author does a good job of making the story easy to follow and it makes sense all of the time. I really didn’t like the dog shooting day that happens in real life in some parts of the world. It is a way that communities use to deal with overpopulation of stray dogs, but other than that part of the story, the rest is really good, heart warming and if you don’t like dogs, you will like them after you read this book. The book was not predictable at all and there are lessons on how to survive in the wilderness.Jack, the old man, teaches Jeremy cultural things from the past and the old ways of how to survive in an extreme environment. Jack the old man also tells Jeremy stories about how he used to go dog sledding with his family every christmas and race with their dog teams. He also explains to Jeremy how to train sled dogs and catch fish the lake and how to survive in the wild. I also think if you like books on how to train dogs then this would also be a good book for you. The book taught me about Cree culture and language, which I found interesting. It’s also about friendship, family and relationships and growing up. Jeremy is interested in learning about dog sledding but doesn’t know a thing about it. In the story he learns about his family history with dog sledding and how his dad used to train dogs. It also talks about grief and death and the whole story revolves around the secret of how his dad died. Jeremy’s mom didn’t want him to get into dog sledding and dog training because she was trying to protect him and keep him safe after his dad died from a dog sledding accident a long time ago. I would recommend this book to kids in grade 6-8 and who are interested in survival training. I would would also recommend it to people who like dogs and dog sledding. I would give it 5 stars out of 5.It was an enjoyable read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 3, 2018
Book Talk By: Holly
“Hey Jeremy! Dare yah to pull that dog’s tail” I picked this quote from my book because I thought it was a good way to grab your attention and it's an interesting quote, where you have to read the book to find out if he does the dare or not. The title of my book is “Yellow Dog,” by Miriam Korner. The genre of this book is: realistic fiction and adventure.
Some characters in this book are Jeremy, the old man (Jack), Justin (Jeremy's friend), and the dogs (Acimoses, Lightning, Cheerio, and Happy.)
Jeremy is a boy who has lost his father and so lives with his mom. He is inspired to create a sled dog team, and he has to find 4 dogs and train them to do so. One day, Jeremy was petting a dog (Acimoses) that he did a bad prank on, that filled him with guilt. While he was petting the dog, he met an old man (that is the dogs owner). Later on, the old man tells Jeremy what he needs to do to create a sled dog team. He needs to get 4 dogs and know how to make a fire for surviving in the bush. I’m not going to spoil it all, but a the end of the book Jeremy figures out a breathtaking fact about the old man and Jeremy, together! Will Jeremy be able to learn how to have his own sled dog team with obstacles in the way like: dog shooting day, his mom holding him back and fights with his best friend Justin?
In conclusion, this book is heartwarming because you get to learn the relationship between a human and his dogs. It’s funny, exciting, interesting and sad all at the same time. Yellow Dog is a book that you will always want to keep reading. It tells you to follow your dreams and to never give up, it’s optimistic and in the same way you can relate to it. If you like dogs and some adventure, I’m sure you will enjoy this book.
“Hey Jeremy! Dare yah to pull that dog’s tail” I picked this quote from my book because I thought it was a good way to grab your attention and it's an interesting quote, where you have to read the book to find out if he does the dare or not. The title of my book is “Yellow Dog,” by Miriam Korner. The genre of this book is: realistic fiction and adventure.
Some characters in this book are Jeremy, the old man (Jack), Justin (Jeremy's friend), and the dogs (Acimoses, Lightning, Cheerio, and Happy.)
Jeremy is a boy who has lost his father and so lives with his mom. He is inspired to create a sled dog team, and he has to find 4 dogs and train them to do so. One day, Jeremy was petting a dog (Acimoses) that he did a bad prank on, that filled him with guilt. While he was petting the dog, he met an old man (that is the dogs owner). Later on, the old man tells Jeremy what he needs to do to create a sled dog team. He needs to get 4 dogs and know how to make a fire for surviving in the bush. I’m not going to spoil it all, but a the end of the book Jeremy figures out a breathtaking fact about the old man and Jeremy, together! Will Jeremy be able to learn how to have his own sled dog team with obstacles in the way like: dog shooting day, his mom holding him back and fights with his best friend Justin?
In conclusion, this book is heartwarming because you get to learn the relationship between a human and his dogs. It’s funny, exciting, interesting and sad all at the same time. Yellow Dog is a book that you will always want to keep reading. It tells you to follow your dreams and to never give up, it’s optimistic and in the same way you can relate to it. If you like dogs and some adventure, I’m sure you will enjoy this book.
December 2, 2016
What a great book by Saskatchewan author Miriam Korner! Yellow Dog follows Jeremy, a young teen who lives in a northern Saskatchewan community, as he learns how to run a dog sled and unravels a mystery about the elder who teaches him. The book is full of life; from the dogs, to the characters, to the setting, everything feels real and relevant. Yellow Dog is a middle-grade/young adult reading level, with layered storytelling for all readers. You learn about dog sledding along with Jeremy; your heart aches for his friend who comes from a troubled household; you might identify with Jeremy's single mother, or with the old man who lives alone at the edge of the woods. You come away with a sense that history is still firmly rooted in the present, and that we can value traditional ways.
March 16, 2024
What a story!
I was completely drawn in by the character's lives, learning about dog sledding, and the different way of life. There were a lot of things dropped into the story about the struggles northern communities face, but they were always relevant to the character's themselves.
Sometimes a scene would end in a summary, in a tell, rather than show sort of way, and that was disappointing, because I was enjoying the conversations and everything that was happening, and it felt cut prematurely short. I would not have minded at all if this book was twice as long. But even so, all the right pieces were there for this to feel real and engaging.
It was fun, poignant, and memorable. I would highly recommend this, and I look forward to introducing it to my kids.
I was completely drawn in by the character's lives, learning about dog sledding, and the different way of life. There were a lot of things dropped into the story about the struggles northern communities face, but they were always relevant to the character's themselves.
Sometimes a scene would end in a summary, in a tell, rather than show sort of way, and that was disappointing, because I was enjoying the conversations and everything that was happening, and it felt cut prematurely short. I would not have minded at all if this book was twice as long. But even so, all the right pieces were there for this to feel real and engaging.
It was fun, poignant, and memorable. I would highly recommend this, and I look forward to introducing it to my kids.
February 19, 2020
Northern Saskatchewan community, early teen Jeremy befriends "Acimosis" - Yellow Dog. The old man with whom the dog lives introduces the boy to running sled dogs. Jeremy is fascinated and forms his own team. He and friend take the team out, get storm lost. He uses what he's learned from the old man to survive the night. In the rescue, he finds that old man is his grandfather, estranged from Mom during Dad's storm death years ago. Interesting -- young YA story -- pretty well done.
November 23, 2020
I don't even know if the dates I labelled at correct, all I know is that I read this book a while ago. It was pretty interesting to read since it was about dogsledding, I liked the book, but it just wasn't the kind of genre that I enjoy as much.
I don't remember too much about this book, since it was indeed a while ago, but I don't regret reading it, since stories like these open my awareness to things around me.
I don't remember too much about this book, since it was indeed a while ago, but I don't regret reading it, since stories like these open my awareness to things around me.
January 27, 2019
3.5. Yellow Dog was very well written. I thought the writing was both clear and concise, with a suitable amount of detail. It would have been easier for the reader, however, if the three main characters were not named Jeremy, Justin and Jacob. Dog shooting day and a few other events seemed a little contrived. Overall, the plot kept moving and the story held my interest.
September 17, 2020
I loved this book! My wife reccommended it and I thought "Oh well. I like dogs." I could not put it down. This is a story about animals that desrves to be in the highest echelon - along with "White Fang", "The Incredible Journey", "Black Beauty" and "Old Yeller". Having lived in northern Canada for many years there is an authenticity to the landscape and a really enchanting tale.
April 27, 2018
Didn't realize when I picked this one up at the library that it was a YA book... decided to read it anyway. Nice little story for an elementary-junior high child, but rather predictable. I wasn't able to connect with any characters either but perhaps some YAs would.
August 6, 2023
Great book - met the author and got her signature, and it was interesting to hear about her real dog team and what inspired the book. I loved the storyline, and can’t wait to get more books by Miriam Körner!
February 4, 2018
It was really nice.
May 4, 2018
I loved the seprise ending
June 1, 2018
it's awesome and heartwarming.
February 6, 2022
I was drawn to the author’s writing after hearing her speak at a Writer’s Conference in Saskatoon.
She lives in a part of Canada I didn’t know existed. Northern Saskatchewan is filled with beauty, wilderness, adventure, community, and more.
Yellow Dog by Miriam Korner , published by Red Deer Press. A story beautifully told, riveting, and filled with a part of Canadiana well worth discovering.
She lives in a part of Canada I didn’t know existed. Northern Saskatchewan is filled with beauty, wilderness, adventure, community, and more.
Yellow Dog by Miriam Korner , published by Red Deer Press. A story beautifully told, riveting, and filled with a part of Canadiana well worth discovering.
October 7, 2023
This story grabbed me in the first few pages, pulled me in, and wouldn't let me go until the end!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews