Bob, Son of Battle: The Last Gray Dog of Kenmuir

Gr 3–6—What's a childhood without dog stories, such as Lassie, Old Yeller, and Shiloh? With this new version of Ollivant's Owd Bob: The Grey Dog of Kenmuir, Davis ensures that Bob, son of Battle, is a name to be added to that list. First published in 1889, Ollivant's work follows two sheepdogs and their masters: prickly Adam McAdam and his brutish dog, Red Wull, who herds by force; and kindly James Moore, whose equally skilled but more gallant Bob keeps order through an intuitive understanding of sheep. These two arch rivals are about to go head to head in a contest that will prove which is the superior sheepdog. Adding to the drama, Adam's son, David, who recently lost his mother, attempts to court James's daughter, while by night, sheep are menaced by what appears to be a rogue sheepdog. Though this reissue keeps the original art by Marguerite Kirmse (best known for illustrating Eric Knight's Lassie, Come-Home), Davis translates the Cumbrian and Scottish dialect of the original into modern English, ensuring that this classic canine tale will once more find a home among readers.