Zulu Dog

By Anton Ferreira

Book Overview

An honest and compassionate look at post-apartheid South Africa Vusi, an eleven-year-old Zulu boy growing up in poverty in rural South Africa, is enchanted by the helpless puppy he finds in the bush. He names it Gillette for its razor-sharp teeth and hides it from his mother, who disapproves of bush dogs as pets. His devotion to Gillette only grows stronger after the puppy is mauled by a leopard and loses a leg. But as boy and dog play carefree games, storm clouds are gathering over Vusi's family - ruthless rival taxi owners are trying to drive his father out of business. While Vusi and Gillette learn to hunt together, they meet the daughter of a neighboring white farmer. Gillette becomes the catalyst for their unlikely friendship, which has a decisive impact on the fate of Vusi's whole family - and the larger community. A starkly realistic story set against the backdrop of the country's tortured racial history, Zulu Dog holds out the hope that a new generation of South Africans can create a better future for their land. ? Zulu Dog is a 2003 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0374392234
• ISBN13: 9780374392239
• Release Date: September 2002
• Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.8" x 9.3"
• Age Range: 10 to 15 years
• Grade Range: Grades 5 to 10

Customer Reviews

Page Turner!

Reading about civil rights in America is tough, especially for kids these days. The events are remote, and the lack of activism in our country makes it hard to imagine what it was like 40 years ago. But this book...Wow! The characters' situations grab you, whether you are relating to the Zulu boy, South African (white) girl, or the dog. There are moments that will make you laugh, and other that we have you holding your breath for 10 pages. And of course, parts that will cause you to weep. The story is very well told, and spares the reader nothing in terms of the vitriol felt by racist So Africans. Highly recommended.

Zulu Dog by Anton Ferreira

I bought this book after hearing an interview of the author on KNPR and thought it would be good to read with my lower level reading high school students. My students loved the book from beginning to end even though they were high school level. This year I read the book with a group of 7th graders, and boys and girls alike loved the book and many want to buy the book for theirselves. As an adult I enjoyed reading the book and would recommend it for any one who enjoys a good book.

Riveting! A compelling story by a master story-teller!

"Zulu Dog" is a must read, not just for children aged 9-12, but for any adult who loves a good story, adeptly told, with memorable characters and compelling plot twists. The author of this wonderfully woven tale is going to be famous!