Starscape/Tor Books (Paperback), ISBN 0765342332

Jump into the back seat of their parent's car with four-year old Chris Nix; his sassy three-year old sister, Little Bit; and his doomed two-year-old brother Digger on their journey from Minnesota to Dickison, Fla. Chris, a very young but believably insightful narrator, brings you up to speed on family history and his parent's plans to open "Dogland," a tourist attraction/dog zoo. Dogland features over a hundred breeds of dogs, none of which (even the most exotic) prove any more interesting than the bevy of interesting folk who care for them.

From the moment these transplanted Yankees set foot onto Southern soil, they attract the attention of the Ku Klux Klan. The Nixes make more friends -- and more enemies -- than honey attracts flies. On the friendship side, there's Artie Drake, the historian/realtor; Maggie DeLyon, an elderly Seminole Indian who believes in the Fountain of Youth; a sweet, old, sometimes drunken African-American named Ethorne Hawkins (along with his hardworking family -- Mayella, James and Seth); Francie, an abused wife; and Gideon Shale a man obsessed with Jesus, to name a few. Enemies include John Hawkins, a rival tourist attraction owner; a wife beater named Cal; a bigot named Handyman and Nick Lumiere, an underhanded lawyer. Pitted against/with each other, these characters suggest a riveting plot, and Shetterly realizes this potential to the fullest.

Set against the backdrop of the Civil Rights Movement and religion and politics of the early 1960s, Dogland offers the reader enlightening insights and an opportunity to see the fence from both sides. By illustrating these subjects with superbly well-drawn characters, Shetterly creates an appealing, captivating tale of hard-held values and family honor. A doggone great read!

Lynne Remick

Lynne Marie Pisano is a freelance writer, poet, book reviewer, SCBWI Metro New York LI Critique Group Coordinator and Co-Chair of the Long Island Children's Writers and Illustrators. She lives in New York with her husband Michael, her son Kevin and a daughter named Kayla, and Dante, a Schipperke.

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