The Last Dogs: The Vanishing

Gr 5–7—When Max, a Labrador Retriever, wakes up alone and starving in the vet's kennel, he knows something bad has happened. He's been left with no people, no food, and no other dogs, or so he thinks. By chance, he happens to meet a scrappy dachshund named Rocky who helps to free Max and defend against the pack of hungry wolves trying to eat all the kibble. So starts the partnership of two canine friends as they set off on a mission to find out what happened to their families in a world that is infinitely more dangerous for pets with no one to take care of them. Along the way, they encounter other dogs, both friends and foes, a house filled with cats, and a sewer crawling with rats. However, it is not until they reach the city that they are able to begin to solve the mystery of the missing humans. While fans of Erin Hunter's "Warriors" and "Seekers" series will gravitate to this interesting story (Little, Brown, 2012), there are many parts of the book where the writing lacks polish, with flat descriptions or repetitive dialogue. Narrator Andrew Bates does his best to liven up the tale, especially with Rocky's dialogue, but a spirited telling can't completely save the lackluster writing.—Michaela Schied, Indian River Middle School, Philadelphia, NY