The Dogs of Winter by Bobbie Pyron

"After the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, the social and economic fabric of Russia was left in tatters. Gone were the government controlled systems such as health care, rent control and pensions that had provided a safety net of families, children, the elderly and those living on the edge of economic stability." Authors Notes page 304

Ivan has a happy life with his mother and grandmother but after his beloved Babushka Ina dies everything changes. His mother gets involved with a violent man and little Mishka, as his mother calls him, is banished, starved and bashed. Mishka's mother disappears and the bad man takes him to the city and abandons him.

Life on the streets is utterly dreadful. The violence, the hunger, the filth. The writing in this book is so vivid I felt every pang of hunger, every bruise and every angry word. I also felt great relief when Mishka experiences a little kindness and when he is given clothes and shoes. Finally Mishka finds a small pack of dogs. He notices the dogs share the food they find in the trash. He earns their trust and by working together Mishka and his band of dogs survive for 2 years through bitter winter cold, rain and constant danger. His relationship with this pack of dogs is truly special.

The Dogs of Winter is based on a true story. At times this is a harrowing story and so I would suggest it is for ages 11+. In this video Bobbie Pyron talks about her book.

You can read more about the background to this story in this article from The Adelaide Advertiser. Eva Hornung has also written about Ivan in her book Dog Boy.

This morning I thought I would just dip into this book which I borrowed from a school library. I lifted my head and realised I had devoured 85 pages. Late today I finished the whole book!

You can read a generous extract at Booktopia. The Dogs of Winter was published in 2012 by Scholastic. It is still in print. The second cover above is from the UK edition published by Andersen Press.

Read some reviews for more plot details:

The Bookbag
Kirkus Star Review
Ms Yingling Reads - I am so happy Karen loved this book too! She says: "I felt cold and could practically feel my scalp itch when Mishka had a lice infested hat! Without ever lapsing in to oversentimentality, Pyron describes the privations of life on the streets and the love that the dogs and Mishka feel for each other."

Further reading for children interested in this topic - this book is out of print but it might be in a school library.