Freeing himself overnight and exploring the town, the skinny, tired dog scrounges and gets either kicks or attempted captures from the hard-bitten men. He has no intention of going back to being a sled dog so he steers clear until he meets a newly-arrived mother and daughter. Mama and Sally have just stepped off the boat and some men try to make off with their belongings. Murphy thinks Sally looks like a kind, friendly young girl, so he doesn't hesitate to defend her. Mama has brought a typewriter so that she can make a respectable living by preparing advertising, contracts and other documents for the miners and traders. Sally can run around town delivering mail, and she is determined to learn how gold can be panned. With Sally and Mama, Murphy finds a family, but in such a rowdy town they are bound to find trouble... including Murphy's former owner, who has put a reward out for him.

The characters are terrific and the chaos of the town with its sudden influx of people and lack of accommodation is well described. Lovely drawings illustrate the book, by Michael Montgomery, showing us the people and big shaggy dog. MURPHY, GOLD RUSH DOG by Alison Hart is a fun read about a courageous girl and big-hearted dog, and I think boys and girls equally should appreciate it and get a good feeling for the history behind the story. Murphy is second in a series called Dog Chronicles.

Book Summary