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Soldier Dogs #1
Air Raid Search and Rescue
Includes a collectible poster and a pull-out map!
When Matt’s older brother enlisted in the army, he left Matt his German Shepherd, Chief, a retired fire dog and the best pet EVER. So Matt isn’t happy when Chief starts paying attention to his foster sister Rachel instead of him.
But when Nazi planes begin bombing the city, Matt finds himself in an impossible situation. Can he be a hero to his sister when it matters most? And when they get caught outside during the air raid, will Chief be there to save the day?
When Matt’s older brother enlisted in the army, he left Matt his German Shepherd, Chief, a retired fire dog and the best pet EVER. So Matt isn’t happy when Chief starts paying attention to his foster sister Rachel instead of him.
But when Nazi planes begin bombing the city, Matt finds himself in an impossible situation. Can he be a hero to his sister when it matters most? And when they get caught outside during the air raid, will Chief be there to save the day?
224 pages, Paperback
Published June 5, 2018
54 people are currently reading
120 people want to read
About the author
Marcus Sutter
10 books9 followersMarcus Sutter is a former military brat who collects model planes and ships from the WWII era. He lives on a ranch in the Midwest with his family and their three-legged mutt, Mike.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
July 6, 2019
Matt Dawson, 12, is angry and unhappy. It isn't bad enough that the family has been relocated from Minneapolis, Minnesota to Canterbury, England so Matt's father could work for the war effort in England. Now that the United States has entered the war, older brother Eric immediately returned home and enlisted in the Marines. Matt is angry at Eric for leaving, and at his parents for letting him. Adding to his irritation, foster sister Rachel keeps tagging after him. The only thing that makes it all bearable is Chief, Eric's well-trained German Shepherd, left in Matt's care.
Of course, both Matt and Rachel knew what to do in case of an air raid, but so far Canterbury had been lucky. But Canterbury's luck changed on the night of June 1, 1942. When the air raid sirens began, Matt, Rachel and Chief are sent to the shelter deep in Canterbury Cathedral. On their way, they hear the roar of the Luftwaffe approaching and they aren't far away. But when Matt's mom finally arrives at the shelter with his dad, they are bearing bad news - Eric is MIA.
Upset and even angrier, Matt runs out of the shelter just as incendiaries and bombs begin to fall on Canterbury. Followed by Chief, boy and dog both get disoriented when a bomb explodes near them. Matt heads upstairs, eventually finding himself on the cathedral's roof where the fire watchers are feverishly working to remove incendiary bombs and prevent a fire. And just as he starts back downstairs, Matt discovers Rachel has followed him, and with bad news - she saw Chief run into the streets of Canterbury - no doubt confused and looking for Matt.
Heading out to look for Chief, Matt and Rachel find themselves in the middle of a catastrophic blitz. And in the midst of that, they witness a parachute landing in a canal not far from them. Rushing to help, they discover a German soldier tangled in his parachute who convinces them he will turn himself in if they help save him from drowning. But can this German soldier be trusted?
Meanwhile, Chief is having dangerous adventures of his own. After he runs into a burning building to save a man's life, he finds himself in the hands of an American solider named Landry. Not knowing how well trained Chief is, Landry immediately thinks that Chief is a real natural search and rescue dog, and begins taking him as he searches for survivors among the fire, dust and rubble caused by the bombing.
In all the chaos, will Chief, Matt, and Rachel ever be reunited with each other and with their family?
Air Raid Search and Rescue is an exciting, action-packed adventure alternately narrated in the third person from the point of view of Matt and Chief. I don't usually like novels that anthropomorphize animals by giving them language but it really worked here for showing the reader two different perspectives of the action and of course, for paving the way for Chief's future endeavors in the war.
Rachel's backstory is also interesting. She was a child of the Kindertransport that brought Jewish children from countries occupied by Nazis to England in 1939/40. She was immediately drawn to Matt, and he treated her like any 12-year-old would an annoying little sister - until the bombs start to fall. It is nice to watch their relationship evolve.
Sutter includes a lot of back matter in this novel, answering questions readers might have about dogs in war, the Kindertransport, and the bombing of Canterbury. There is also a WWII timeline. And as a real bonus, there is a pull-out poster of Chief and on the back is information about the the bombings that became known as the Baedeker Air Raids.
As you can see, Canterbury was the last of the Baedeker Air Raids, named after the famous guidebooks produced in Germany. It was Hitler's plan to obliterate all of the most famous cultural sites in England according to the book in retaliation for England's bombing of German cities. In the case of Canterbury, the bombing raid was pay back for the RAF's bombing of Cologne, Germany.
I actually read this book thanks to Ms. Yingling Reads review of it. I had already read a book about another Baedeker air raid, The Exeter Blitz by David Rees, which was also very good, and thought it would be interesting to read another - and it was. Those interested in WWII novels might want to pair these together.
Air Raid Search and Rescue is the first book in the Soldier Dogs series, and I am really looking forward to reading them all. They will certainly appeal to young readers interested in WWII history and the roles that dogs played.
This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was purchased for my personal library
Of course, both Matt and Rachel knew what to do in case of an air raid, but so far Canterbury had been lucky. But Canterbury's luck changed on the night of June 1, 1942. When the air raid sirens began, Matt, Rachel and Chief are sent to the shelter deep in Canterbury Cathedral. On their way, they hear the roar of the Luftwaffe approaching and they aren't far away. But when Matt's mom finally arrives at the shelter with his dad, they are bearing bad news - Eric is MIA.
Upset and even angrier, Matt runs out of the shelter just as incendiaries and bombs begin to fall on Canterbury. Followed by Chief, boy and dog both get disoriented when a bomb explodes near them. Matt heads upstairs, eventually finding himself on the cathedral's roof where the fire watchers are feverishly working to remove incendiary bombs and prevent a fire. And just as he starts back downstairs, Matt discovers Rachel has followed him, and with bad news - she saw Chief run into the streets of Canterbury - no doubt confused and looking for Matt.
Heading out to look for Chief, Matt and Rachel find themselves in the middle of a catastrophic blitz. And in the midst of that, they witness a parachute landing in a canal not far from them. Rushing to help, they discover a German soldier tangled in his parachute who convinces them he will turn himself in if they help save him from drowning. But can this German soldier be trusted?
Meanwhile, Chief is having dangerous adventures of his own. After he runs into a burning building to save a man's life, he finds himself in the hands of an American solider named Landry. Not knowing how well trained Chief is, Landry immediately thinks that Chief is a real natural search and rescue dog, and begins taking him as he searches for survivors among the fire, dust and rubble caused by the bombing.
In all the chaos, will Chief, Matt, and Rachel ever be reunited with each other and with their family?
Air Raid Search and Rescue is an exciting, action-packed adventure alternately narrated in the third person from the point of view of Matt and Chief. I don't usually like novels that anthropomorphize animals by giving them language but it really worked here for showing the reader two different perspectives of the action and of course, for paving the way for Chief's future endeavors in the war.
Rachel's backstory is also interesting. She was a child of the Kindertransport that brought Jewish children from countries occupied by Nazis to England in 1939/40. She was immediately drawn to Matt, and he treated her like any 12-year-old would an annoying little sister - until the bombs start to fall. It is nice to watch their relationship evolve.
Sutter includes a lot of back matter in this novel, answering questions readers might have about dogs in war, the Kindertransport, and the bombing of Canterbury. There is also a WWII timeline. And as a real bonus, there is a pull-out poster of Chief and on the back is information about the the bombings that became known as the Baedeker Air Raids.
As you can see, Canterbury was the last of the Baedeker Air Raids, named after the famous guidebooks produced in Germany. It was Hitler's plan to obliterate all of the most famous cultural sites in England according to the book in retaliation for England's bombing of German cities. In the case of Canterbury, the bombing raid was pay back for the RAF's bombing of Cologne, Germany.
I actually read this book thanks to Ms. Yingling Reads review of it. I had already read a book about another Baedeker air raid, The Exeter Blitz by David Rees, which was also very good, and thought it would be interesting to read another - and it was. Those interested in WWII novels might want to pair these together.
Air Raid Search and Rescue is the first book in the Soldier Dogs series, and I am really looking forward to reading them all. They will certainly appeal to young readers interested in WWII history and the roles that dogs played.
This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was purchased for my personal library
February 16, 2022
A very good book if you like adventure and motivational stories.
July 31, 2025
Pretty good book, read it for school tho so idkkkk.
June 17, 2020
12 year old Matt Dawson is annoyed at his parents and his foster sister, Rachel. Rachel tags along after Matt everywhere he goes, and it's pretty annoying. Before WWII, Matt's family lived in Minnesota. Now, they live in Canterbury, England so Matt's father could help with the war effort. Now that the war has started, Matt's older brother, Eric, has enlisted in the US Marines. But despite all of his griefs, he has one true friend, a retired firefighting German Shepherd named Chief.
Matt and his family know what to do in case of an air raid, even though there hasn't been one yet. On June 1, 1942, in the middle of the night, they hear the air raid sirens. Matt's dad is still at work and his mom needs to help their neighbor get to the shelter under the cathedral. Matt, Rachel and Chief get to the shelter safely, but they start to worry when they're parents don't show up. After a while, his parents come in, but his dad has some bad news, Eric is MIA (Missing in Action).
Hearing this news, he runs out of the shelter into the street just as bombs and incendiaries are dropping. When Chief comes out looking for him, a bomb explodes nearby, and both Matt and Chief are separated and confused. When Matt gets up, he heads upstairs, ending up on the cathedral roof. There, he finds firewatchers throwing bombs off the building to prevent a fire. When he turns around, he finds, unsurprisingly, that Rachel followed him. When she catches her breath, Rachel tells Matt that she saw Chief roaming about in the city.
When Matt and Rachel head back downstairs to look for Chief, they see a parachute falling from the sky. When they reach where the parachute landed, Matt tries to help the soldier out of the river. The soldier tells them that he is Scottish, but he starts talking in German. Rachel realizes it and tells Matt to let go. The German soldier tells the kids that he will turn himself in if they save his life. So, Matt and Rachel help him up, not knowing that he was lying. The German takes Matt by the arm and is about to stab him with a knife, when Rachel pummels the soldier in the head with a branch. For the next couple of hours, they are running from this soldier.
Meanwhile, Chief is having his own troubles. He is still lost, but when he runs into a burning building to save an injured man, he comes out finding himself in the care of an American soldier named Landry. Landry takes one look at how Chief reacts to danger, and he thinks that Chief is a natural search and rescue dog. So, Landry and Chief walk throughout Canterbury, searching for survivors through the flames, dust, and rubble left behind by the bombs.
Can Matt, Rachel, their parents and Chief be reunited as one, big, happy family?
Matt and his family know what to do in case of an air raid, even though there hasn't been one yet. On June 1, 1942, in the middle of the night, they hear the air raid sirens. Matt's dad is still at work and his mom needs to help their neighbor get to the shelter under the cathedral. Matt, Rachel and Chief get to the shelter safely, but they start to worry when they're parents don't show up. After a while, his parents come in, but his dad has some bad news, Eric is MIA (Missing in Action).
Hearing this news, he runs out of the shelter into the street just as bombs and incendiaries are dropping. When Chief comes out looking for him, a bomb explodes nearby, and both Matt and Chief are separated and confused. When Matt gets up, he heads upstairs, ending up on the cathedral roof. There, he finds firewatchers throwing bombs off the building to prevent a fire. When he turns around, he finds, unsurprisingly, that Rachel followed him. When she catches her breath, Rachel tells Matt that she saw Chief roaming about in the city.
When Matt and Rachel head back downstairs to look for Chief, they see a parachute falling from the sky. When they reach where the parachute landed, Matt tries to help the soldier out of the river. The soldier tells them that he is Scottish, but he starts talking in German. Rachel realizes it and tells Matt to let go. The German soldier tells the kids that he will turn himself in if they save his life. So, Matt and Rachel help him up, not knowing that he was lying. The German takes Matt by the arm and is about to stab him with a knife, when Rachel pummels the soldier in the head with a branch. For the next couple of hours, they are running from this soldier.
Meanwhile, Chief is having his own troubles. He is still lost, but when he runs into a burning building to save an injured man, he comes out finding himself in the care of an American soldier named Landry. Landry takes one look at how Chief reacts to danger, and he thinks that Chief is a natural search and rescue dog. So, Landry and Chief walk throughout Canterbury, searching for survivors through the flames, dust, and rubble left behind by the bombs.
Can Matt, Rachel, their parents and Chief be reunited as one, big, happy family?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 25, 2018
The bombs have begun to fall and Matt and Rachel have been separated from Matt’s parents. It seems everywhere they run, the fires are burning and the rubble exploding. The air raid sirens are shrieking and the drone of more German bombers fill their ears. Where will they be safe?
Meanwhile, Chief; a German Shepherd who belongs to Matt’s big brother has also been separated from them. His smell guides him through the rubble where there are people looking for others in the devastation. One after another he helps to find humans in the rubble. But where are the young human pups? They need him to find their way home!
While Chief is busy rescuing people, Matt and Rachel are involved in a rescue. But is it worth it?
This is the first book in a new series about the brave dogs who helped save hundreds of people in human wars. Told in both Matt and Chief’s viewpoint, the action never stops! Will Matt forgive his parents for what they did? Will he finally accept Rachel, the refugee living with them? Will they survive the endless bombing of Canterbury England (June 1st 1942).
The end pages of the book show real dogs who were awarded bravery medals for their work in wartime, Q & A pages, an interesting, easy-to-read timeline of World War II and stats about the Canterbury Blitz where this story is set.
Meanwhile, Chief; a German Shepherd who belongs to Matt’s big brother has also been separated from them. His smell guides him through the rubble where there are people looking for others in the devastation. One after another he helps to find humans in the rubble. But where are the young human pups? They need him to find their way home!
While Chief is busy rescuing people, Matt and Rachel are involved in a rescue. But is it worth it?
This is the first book in a new series about the brave dogs who helped save hundreds of people in human wars. Told in both Matt and Chief’s viewpoint, the action never stops! Will Matt forgive his parents for what they did? Will he finally accept Rachel, the refugee living with them? Will they survive the endless bombing of Canterbury England (June 1st 1942).
The end pages of the book show real dogs who were awarded bravery medals for their work in wartime, Q & A pages, an interesting, easy-to-read timeline of World War II and stats about the Canterbury Blitz where this story is set.
July 18, 2018
Action packed and surprisingly poignant at the end.
Also, for kids fiction purposes, I appreciated how Rachel's language barrier and age lended itself to the explanation to some of the terms of war so children wouldn't be totally lost while reading this.
A quick, suspenseful and fast paced read.
Also, for kids fiction purposes, I appreciated how Rachel's language barrier and age lended itself to the explanation to some of the terms of war so children wouldn't be totally lost while reading this.
A quick, suspenseful and fast paced read.
January 9, 2025
This story was fabulous! I loved every second of it. I couldn't put it down for the most part, too. The only thing I hate about this book is the fact that it took me 3 days to finish it. Loved it so much and I loved the characters and the story, everything! READ THIS BOOK NOW!
January 12, 2019
Good book. learned a lot of WWII information I didn't know before. Love the focus on the family/dog. This way of telling a war story makes it very compelling and intriguing since it is a less seen perspective in popular media.
October 3, 2019
I loved the book I went to read the next book. Matt and Racheal The book was kinda sad with the bombing. When Matt and Racheal brother Eric went missing in the ARMY they were really sad. They lost their dog cheif during the bombing the got stuck in a movie thearte and chief found them. At the end of the book the found Eric he was not MIA anymore is whole family was so happy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 5, 2023
exceptional
Just started this series. The author really brought you into the characters. Thoroughly enjoyed the story. This was well written and kept your attention.
Just started this series. The author really brought you into the characters. Thoroughly enjoyed the story. This was well written and kept your attention.
August 2, 2020
Great book, everyone who likes historical books will enjoy
February 11, 2023
I never really think about dogs in war
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews