About the Author

Christopher Holt grew up in a house filled to the rafters with dogs. He draws on his memories -- of Salt, Pepper, Cupcake, Ariel, Shadow, Brandy, Sir Edmund Spunk, and Showtime Double Feature -- to create the four-footed heroes of The Last Dogs. He has worked other jobs -- most notably, selling gum balls and gum ball machines -- but began writing professionally at the age of eighteen. Christopher currently lives in Seattle, Washington.

Allen Douglas was educated at Syracuse University and has been freelancing as an artist for almost twenty years for many notable book-publishing and editorial clients. His artwork has been recognized by many prominent juried illustration competitions, including Spectrum: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art and the Society of Illustrators' Annual Exhibition. His studio is located in Rochester, New York.

Reviews

Praise for The Last Dogs: "With suspense, action-adventure, and some droll touches...[The Last Dogs] offers a fast-paced read."--Booklist

"A post-apocalyptic Animal Farm for young readers."--Kirkus Reviews

"Fans of animal adventure stories and mysteries will enjoy this exciting look at the resiliency and ingenuity of dogs."--VOYA

"The dogs keep the story fun and interesting with their engaging personalities."--School Library Journal

Gr 4-8-In this sci-fi/fantasy tale, almost all humans have left for an unknown place. They have abandoned their pets, suspecting that they have a virus that is deadly to people but not animals. In this sequel to The Vanishing (Little, Brown, 2012), three dogs-Max, Gizmo, and Rocky-have become friends and agree to search for their humans rather than remain in the chaos that now exists. As they struggle to find food and safety and avoid dangerous packs of canines and wolves, they slowly start to learn more about the mysterious virus and the laboratory animals that, through experimentation, can now understand human speech. Gizmo is a feisty yet thoughtful Yorkie; Rocky, a Dachshund, provides comic relief as he dreams of kibbles; and Max is a resourceful and brave Lab. The vicious villains, both human and four-legged, are relentless as they pursue the three companions and also threaten other dogs that befriend the trio on their journey. There is a lot happening in this tale and many loose ends are left dangling, perhaps too many for some readers. However, those who are invested in the saga will look forward to the next adventure. The dogs keep the story fun and interesting with their engaging personalities, and this volume can stand on its own.-Carol Schene, formerly at Taunton Public Schools, MA (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.