Blaze

NOT AN ACCELERATED READERS BOOK!

Blaze (c.1981) by Robert Somerlott (1928-2001) is apparently out-of-print, so if you run across a used copy, you might want to pick it up. It must be a little known novel for young readers, 7th -9th graders, as there are only 52 ratings on Goodreads. I blindly picked up my copy "free" at a second-hand bookstore during a buy one, get one free sale. It’s definitely worth handing down to one of my grandsons.

Somerlott is an amazing and very visual writer! Where most books might read a little slow until you get to know the characters, this story was interesting from the get-go.

Ten year old David, who just lost his parents in an automobile accident, is not sure where he now fits into this world and is very show more lonely. He is being raised by his aunt and uncle who don’t quite seem up to the job and is sending him away to a camp for the summer so they can get some alone time.

Then there’s Cappy, David’s grandfather (father of his aunt), a retired U.S. Marine who used to raise and train German Shepherds for the military, search and rescue and for the blind. His love of animals is so great in this story that it just flows right straight through to you. He gave David a young pup after his parents died but his aunt and uncle didn’t want to be bothered with a dog, plus their apartment wouldn’t allow pets. So, they gave the dog away to an owner who ended up being abusive and kept him on chains.

I love how the story tells you, from the dog’s point-of-view, how he developed into this mean and vicious dog. When Cappy found out the conditions Blaze was living in, he went to pick him up. Blaze was one of the pups he had given away a year earlier to David before he lost 12 others in a barn fire. Cappy was still having a hard time dealing with this.

Cappy, David and the dog, Blaze, work through each other's lives developing trust and a bond and eventually learning to love again. The story is full of real-life adventures and lessons in loyalty and love, and to-date, is one of the best animal stories I have read. show less

Good book. Very interesting.

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