Saturday, December 18, 2010

Student Saturday: The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford

Publisher:  Yearling, 1997
Pages:  160
Genre:  Middle Grade, Adventure

Student Reviewer: Nirali, this is her review as she has written it.

"The Incredible Journey" is a story about the long journey of three friends.  Badger (an old bull terrier), Tao (a Siamese cat), and Luath (a young Labrador Retriever) journey across the Canadian wilderness towards home.  The trio left from John Longridges' house on an early September afternoon.  John was watching the pets for his friend Jim Hunter, who had gone to England with his family because he was invited to give lectures in an English University.  The Hunters were coming home soon, and Longridge knew he was going to miss them.

On the day the pets decided to travel towards home, they go at a very fast pace, but once Badger is attacked by a bear cub, the trio slows down for him to recover.  This is only the first of their problems.  One day they come across a river, which they have to cross to get home.  Loath gets over to the other side and persuades Badger to come too, but when Tao is coming, disaster strikes.  A dam that beavers had built long ago breaks, and all the water rushes down.  Tao is swept along.  While Tao is gone, Luath starts to hunt for food.  Once he had almost caught a porcupine but the animal got away and shot quills into Luath's cheek, just missing the eye.  So the two journey on (the quills sinking in deeper) and come upon an old couple's house.  The husband removed the quills, and they both would feed, groom and nurture the two back to health.  One night the cat (Tao) returns and the trio leave the next day back towards their journey.  When the Hunters return to John 's house they find the pets missing and try to track them.  Will the family be reunited again?  Was it worth it for the animals to take the long journey home?

No comments:

Post a Comment