Prisoner of war : G.I. dogs Judy / by Laurie Calkhoven.

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Title:

Author:

Calkhoven, Laurie

ISBN:

9781338185232

Edition:

First edition

Physical Description:

122 pages : illustrations

Series:

G.I. Dogs Judy

General Note:

Based on the story of a real dog in World War II, and told from the dog's point of view.

Abstract:

Born in Shanghai, China, in 1936, Judy is an English pointer who finds her place on a English gunboat patrolling the Yangtze River, battling pirates, contending with the Japanese occupiers, and protecting her human shipmates--until they all end up in a Japanese prison camp in Sumatra at the beginning of World War II, where every day is a struggle to survive.

Corporate Subject:

Great Britain. Royal Navy -- History -- 20th century -- Juvenile fiction.

Subject Term:

Pointer (Dog breed) -- Juvenile fiction.

Survival -- Juvenile fiction.

World War, 1939-1945 -- Prisoners and prisons -- Juvenile fiction.

Prisoner-of-war camps -- Indonesia -- Sumatra -- Juvenile fiction.

Dogs -- Juvenile fiction.

Historical fiction -- Juvenile fiction.

Geographic Term:

China -- History -- 1937-1945 -- Juvenile fiction.

Indonesia -- History -- Japanese occupation, 1942-1945 -- Juvenile fiction.

Available:*

Library	Material Type	Item Barcode	Shelf Number	Status
Searching... Avon-Washington Township Public Library	Juvenile Fiction Book Paperback	120791002699163	J CAL	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

Go behind enemy lines through the eyes of famous four-legged heroes in history's biggest conflicts. In the first G.I. Dogs book, you'll meet Judy, a loyal canine soldier who became a World War II POW!Meet Judy: an English Pointer and member of her Majesty's Royal Navy who served bravely alongside her crew during World War II. When her ship was sunk by the enemy, Judy became the only canine prisoner of war of the Japanese. Join Judy on her incredible journey from puppy to soldier to POW as she narrates her story of survival and heroism. This "dog's-eye view" takes readers into the heart of the naval action of WWII and will leave you cheering for Judy and her human companions as they overcome countless obstacles and prove time and again why a dog really is man's best friend.

Reviews (2)

School Library Journal Review

Gr 2-5-Calkhoven has splendidly added a fictional war narrative to a factual cast of characters. Readers learn about the life of Judy, an English Pointer born in pre-WWII China. Through the chapters, Judy gets in all sorts of adventures and makes friends and foes. She is adopted by The Royal Navy initially to be a hunting dog; but after proving to be not-so-skilled at hunting, she shines as a watchdog for the ship and its men. As WWII begins, the tone becomes more serious as Judy and her companions weather the trials and tribulations throughout the war. Judy truly illustrates the "man's best friend" role and brings some lightheartedness to an otherwise serious time in history. VERDICT While Calkhoven adeptly synthesizes this adult-themed content for children, some of the details about war make this more suitable for upper elementary readers.-David Roberts, Salem Public Library, OH © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus Review

If dogs could talk, World War II veteran Judy might have described her adventures the same way Calkhoven does.Judy was an English pointer who was born in Shanghai in 1936. During peacetime, she was adopted by the crew of a British gunboat, the Gnat, and later transferred to the HMS Grasshopper. This latter boat, with civilian refugees onboard, was attacked by the Japanese and sunk in February 1942. The survivors, including Judy, took refuge on an island but were captured by the Japanese. Judy and her POW caretakers spent the rest of the war in prison camps where brutal treatment, little food, and a high mortality rate were the norm. Judy, while staying away from and defying Japanese guards, surreptitiously gathered food for the starving men and also helped morale by performing tricks she was taught by her human friend Frank Williams. After the war, Frank and Judy returned to England, but later they worked in Britain's African colonies, where (she reports) she was euthanized at the age of 14. Judy's fictionalized story is a remarkable tale of loyalty and the bond that can develop between dogs and people, describing but not focusing on the brutality of war. The young readers' edition of Robert Weintraub's No Better Friend (2016), for a slightly older audience, presents Judy's story with much more detail, but this effort is just right for emergent readers.Best for young dog lovers. (Historical fiction. 8-11) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.