Ross Welford is a stalwart of middle grade lit (ages 9 and up) and this book is no exception. Charming and sweet - total balm for these times!

I enjoyed this tale of courage, dogs, family, friends and time travel. Although, it's many years since I was the age this book is aimed at. I can remember the types of books I read then and this would have been one.

Georgie and Ramzy are lovely characters, their friendship is strong and means everything to them, as friends do at this age. They both have distinctive, realistic voices and give this story its heart.

Dr Pretorius is a strange woman, seen through the children's eyes, she is the person their parents warned them not to trust but she has a magical quality that draws them in. Although Georgie and Ramzy disobey their parent's rules it is clear from this story they understand the value of them.

The time travelling element of the story is fun and frightening for the intrepid pair and is entertaining reading. Family life as perceived by children is explored and again gives the story its humour and poignancy.

Georgie's love of animals and particularly dogs makes this story relatable to most children. The prospect of losing your doggy best friend and dogs disappearing from the earth is a sobering thought. Not surprisingly the children are courageous, and sometimes foolhardy to stop this horror becoming reality.

There are adult issues alluded to and explored in this story, some of which children and most adults may find disturbing and sad, but these are seen in news programmes daily and this book deals with them sensitively and allows a positive conclusion with the introduction of fantasy and time travel.

I enjoyed this book and I will enjoy reading it to my grandson when he's older. It is fun, realistic and full of exciting imagery that allows you to see the problems of today in a futuristic way.

I received a copy of this book from Harper Collins Children's Books via Net Galley in return for an honest review.

This is my first Ross Welford book and I simply loved it. It kept me company on a slow train out of London and stayed with me through all the delays. I was so happy to have such dedicated time to enjoy all this book has to offer.
Georgie has so much heart and love in her and her friendship with Ramzy is brilliant. Throughout the book you get the impression that neither of them have many other friends and it increases the bond they share. Ramzy has no filter and asks any questions, which helps them out immensely throughout the story.
So much happens in the book and it is all threaded together in such a marvellous way. Without spoiling the book, Georgie, Ramzy and the mysterious Dr. Pretorius have a world changing problem to solve and they do this with technology and bravery. There are dangerous risks, including mutating scorpions, loss of memory and sick dogs to contend with but the fate of the world is depending on our heroes. Can they save all dogs and humans from the deadly virus?
Add in some comical moments with the Dr,, Norman Two-Kids and his shop and the mutating scorpion and it is a wonderful way to spend your day!
Now to go and read Time Travelling with a hamster, The 1000 year old boy, and What not to do if you turn invisible. My TBR pile grows again.

DO NOT READ THIS BOOK IF YOU ARE A DOG LOVER. From the title, my dog loving heart thought "oh good, a nice heart warming book about a dog saving the world." Never have I been so wrong. I mean, sure I read the blurb and therefore must have seen that there would be a deadly dog disease going around, but I guess I hadn't really connected it to the sort of mad cow disease sort of illness that means mass slaughter of animals. There were some really grim scenes in this book. And though the main character does warn you to look away at certain points, it's probably best not to read it if you get really upset about dogs being killed in books.

Other than that though, it was fairly good. It left me with the same feeling that I'm coming to know well from Ross Welford though: Nothing quite lives up to the beauty that was Time Travelling With a Hamster. It's probably a case of a really amazing first book that other books just can't reach the same heights as, rather than anything lacking, but it leaves me deflated all the same. No matter how great the characters are, how quirky the story is, it's just not Time Travelling With a Hamster.

If you push all that aside though, it really was a great book. Easy to read and with some really fun lighthearted moments. It's so interesting to see Welford's depiction of a near future where disease has changed our lives in so many ways, where UV lights and hand-sanitiser are part of the regular routine to keep these things at bay. The quirky professor with an AR machine was also great fun, though I really think eleven-year-old children should know better by now than to go visit a stranger just because they're invited!

Basically, it's good, but potentially upsetting for dog-lovers. Maybe go read Time Travelling With a Hamster instead.

Viral dystopia, virtual reality time travel and dogs. Clever, unsettling and expects some maturity from its readers.

All of Welford's novels for children have expected the reader to be able to cope with some element of darkness. Each has impressed me, and this latest adds to a catalogue of sophisticated stories for KS2/KS3-aged young people.

Multiple issues mesh nicely in this story of a girl and her adopted dog, as a canine-carried virus begins to take hold of the world, just as Georgie and her best friend meet a scientist who needs them to test a virtual reality experiment that can take them into the projected future.

This kind of dystopic vision is common in teenage literature, to place it into a juvenile novel is brave and daring, but Welford has shown excellent judgment with similarly grown-up issues previously.

The world of Mr Mash, the adopted dog who inadvertently becomes key to the global pandemic that could kill both dogs and humans, is our own, and scarily so, as we watch the start of a virus. Our King has a Jack Russell - it is our world but not quite. Georgie narrates the story from her future ("Right, I think you're nearly caught up, in terms of the things you need to know."), giving us hope that all will end well, allowing us to feel a connection with the story and characters.

She's a smart one, Georgie. Realistically unhappy about her dad's girlfriend Jessica, unashamedly adoring of Mr Mash, appreciative of her best friend and his own issues, she's a very normal-sounding girl. Readers will empathise with her mistakes, and what she has to go through, how brave she has to be. Ramzy too, her best friend, is a well-rounded boy who jumps off the page - and as an immigrant with a protective family, is good to see in a book as a positive role model.

Quite an exciting story, one you need to concentrate on as well, with adult characters that aren't just there as wallpaper. I can picture this as a film, it will be refreshing to see this type of genre aimed at a family market.

All Welford's standalones are excellent thoughtful stories for capable readers. 'The Dog' will be enjoyed by readers who like science themes, end-of-the-world scenarios, friendship and adventurous plots. For ages 9-14.

With thanks to Netgalley for the advance e-copy.