From School Library Journal
Grade 5-7-An adventure-packed time-travel story. To help him get over the death of his beloved bull terrier, 13-year-old Jeff Beacon's parents take him on an Alaskan cruise. At a stop in Juneau, Jeff follows another bull terrier into the past where he is able to help a falsely accused sea captain clear his name. Patsy Ann is not just any dog; she served as Juneau's "Official Greeter" in the 1930s and is honored by a statue in the harbor. She leads Jeff to Captain Harper, a brusque but goodhearted man and fellow dog lover. Over the next two weeks, Jeff learns about shipboard life and gradually finds a way to accept the loss of his pet while working with the captain to solve a mystery and recover money from a shipwreck. The main characters, both bad and good, are a bit one-dimensional, but Jeff matures in a believable way. Filled with details of everyday life, Dogstar helps readers imagine what it would have been like to live in Alaska in the 1930s. Despite the predictable characters, the fast-paced plot and the comforting treatment of loss carry this interesting tale. Information about the real Patsy Ann appears at the end, along with a photo of her statue and a Web address. A good choice for readers who love dogs and plenty of action.
Mollie Bynum, formerly at Chester Valley Elementary School, Anchorage, AK
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Gr. 5^-7. Jeff's parents take him on an Alaskan cruise in the hope that he will stop his obsessive mourning for his bull terrier, Buddy. Nothing interests Jeff until they dock in Juneau and he finds a statue of a bull terrier who lived there in the 1930s and met every ship. Following a dog who looks like Buddy, Jeff goes back in time six decades and lands in the middle of an adventure involving counterfeit money, sunken ships, and lost treasure. With the aid of the dog, he makes friends in old Juneau and helps them find the treasure. Returning to his own time, Jeff finds that he's finished grieving for Buddy. Though the characters emerge as types rather than individuals, the setting is convincing and the action will hold readers' interest. A time-travel adventure story with emotional appeal for dog lovers. Carolyn Phelan
Review
DogStar takes the reader on a trip back into the past of the city of Juneau, Alaska. Thirteen-year-old Jeff Beacon is the main character in this time travel story. Another important character is Patsy Ann, a real bull terrier who is famous enough to have a statue in her image in Juneau.Authors Beverly and Chris Wood are a bit heavy handed with the description in the beginning of their book. The description is less overwhelming once the switch from the 90s to the 30s is made.Jeff does not seem very real. He's grieving so much over the death of his own dog that he's carrying the dog's ashes around in an urn. Jeff also doesn't have much control over what happens to him in the story. Patsy Ann is the one directing Jeff and the Captain, who is also helping the Canadian boy in his troubles.Readers may also be disconcerted in the chapters that follow Patsy Ann. All kinds of information are relayed through these chapters-things she "finds out" in spite of her being deaf.By the end of the book Jeff is able to accept the death of his dog and is rewarded by seeing his dog's spirit accompanying Patsy Ann. -- From Independent Publisher
From the outset let it be said that while the Woods' work is classified as "juvenile fiction" readers of all ages will be drawn into the narrative. More plot twists than a Hardy Boys adventure in cyberspace means '90s kids will stay with the story to the finish. Highly recommended. -- North Shore News, April 17, 1998 About the Author
Beverley Wood is a freelance writer, marketing consultant and web page designer. Chris Wood is Vancouver Bureau Chief for Maclean's magazine (Canada's weekly newsmagazine). They live on a boat with their bull terrier, Cato.
