Night of the Howling Dogs

This is a great adventure/survival story for folks who like realistic, fast-paced fiction. Well, I don't know if I should say it's fast-paced because there is a lot of time before the "big event" (I don't want to give anything away), but I think the suspense and tension are gripping enough to keep you going until you find out what is going on.

The story is based on a real event that happened to a boy scout troop in Hawaii in the nineteen seventies. I really liked the elements of Hawaiian folklore that are woven into the story and the way that the kids in the scout troop got to meet some men who told them a lot of cool and creepy stories about the history of the wilderness they were camping in. Pele the little white dog is not a show more character I am likely to forget very quickly... show less

I had this book classified as an adventure until I finished it. It is based on actual events of a 1975 earthquake and tsunami that hit Hawaii. In this story Dylan is on his way camping with his scout troop. This seems like an awesome idea until he realizes the scout master has brought along Louie, some one Dylan knows, or assumes he knows as a trouble maker. But things aren’t always what they seem to be. Louie knows Dylan recognized him from a previous run in. He also does what he can to torment and tease Dylan. When the earthquake hits, followed by the tsunami Dylan gets to see another side of Louie.
I kept thinking about how many times we make snap judgements about people based on what we see on the outside. Once we get to know that show more person we often realize that we had things all wrong. This was a great book with a great lesson that didn’t come across as preachy. Once again Mr. Salisbury has given us much to think about. show less

What starts as a simple boy scouts trip into the wilderness of Hawaii ends in a desperate fight for survival as the island erupts in turmoil. Though the adventure is compelling, it is the characters that really drive the story. We are presented with a large cast, but each addition is well fleshed out. With each chapter we grow closer with the characters as they face their own personalities, strengths, and foibles and pull together to survive.

Reviewed by Dianna Geers for TeensReadToo.com

Casey is the Senior Patrol leader of his Boy Scout troop, and they are about to hike and stay in a remote area in their native land of Hawaii. This place had been almost completely wiped out from a long-ago volcanic eruption, but there is a small oasis of quiet beauty in the area that remained. That's where the boys will be camping.

Casey is not excited when a tough boy named Louie shows up. He's not a Scout, but his Scoutmaster invited him along to see if he would be interested in joining. He makes Casey uncomfortable, but there's nothing he can do about it. And Casey only thinks that having Louie on his case constantly is the biggest thing he has to worry about on that trip.

Until it hits. show more "It" is an actual event that happened in this same area in 1975. An earthquake, which causes part of the land to collapse into the ocean, and that also causes a tsunami that covers the sunken land with water beyond belief. Palm trees, under which some of his troop had been sleeping, stand in the middle of the ocean. He doesn't know where anyone is, if they are okay, or if he will survive himself.

Graham Salisbury's cousin was a Scout who happened to be on just such a trip with his troop when the historical tsunami hit. He took the author to the land many years later. The detailed descriptions of the events and setting could only be told by an excellent storyteller and someone who truly experienced this unbelievable event. This is a great adventure of survival and a coming-of-age story. show less

Slow start but the adventure kicks in half way through and keeps the energy til the end. Based on a true story of a scout troup that gets caught in a dangerous earthquake/tsunami while camping in Hawaii.

Based on a true story, this book tells the events surrounding a deadly camping trip and a group of Boy Scouts who prove more than their knowledge of tying knots. Through background information on the boys, the author adds multiple layers into the story. The content and level would probably appeal to middle school readers.

Based on an actual occurrence, Salisbury writes of a troop of scouts camping in an isolated spot in Hawaii for a weekend. They were asleep when a massive earthquake hit, followed by a tsunami that swept over their campground.