Previous Finalists

Moscow, 1938: Sasha has a family, an apartment, and even the occasional bit of bread and peace. She has everything that a dog in the Soviet Union could want. All of that changes in one fateful night when the secret police knock at her apartment door. They arrest her owners, leaving Sasha and her owners' young son, Yuri, to fend for themselves. She makes it her mission to follow her owners' last instructions; “take care of Yuri”. But Moscow is a dangerous city for a dog and her boy. Together, they struggle to start a new life on the city's streets, making friends and facing enemies along the way.

This book was entered in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:
Title: A Boy's Best Comrade
Author: Lauren Ennis

Star Rating: 5 Stars
Number of Readers: 15
Stats
Editing: 9/10
Writing Style: 9/10
Content: 9/10
Cover: 4/5

Of the 15 readers:
13 would read another book by this author.
12 thought the cover was good or excellent.
15 felt it was easy to follow.
14 would recommend this book to another reader to try.
Of all the readers, 4 felt the author's strongest skill was 'plotting a story'.
Of all the readers, 7 felt the author's strongest skill was 'developing the characters'.
Of all the readers, 4 felt the author's strongest skill was 'writing style'.
14 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
13 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.

Readers' Comments
“I liked how it was from the POV of the dog. It was an interesting story, sad too, but with lots of suspense. I was rooting for the dog and the boy.” Boy, aged 12
“Highly original, well-written, and accessible to 9 – 13 year olds. The historical background is also interesting for young readers. Would be fab as a class reader.” Primary school teacher, aged 55
“Loved Sasha. It's horrible how nasty governments can be. I think I'm glad I live in England. I listen to the news, and I don't think Russia would be fun to live in now. They always seem to be at war with everybody. I liked the characters, and how brave they were.” Girl, aged 12 – with a little help from dad
“I really felt for the boy. The book made me wonder what it would be like to be alone with just a dog. I liked how I learned a little history too, but it's never overwhelming.” Girl ,aged 13 – with a little help from her TA#
“Best book ever! Sad, exciting, interesting, suspense filled. I will read other books by this author.” Boy, aged 11 – with a little help from mum

To Sum It Up:
“A suspense-filled, historically based novel for 9 – 12 year olds. A FINALIST and highly recommended!” Wishing Shelf Book Awards