Lad: A Dog

First published in 1919, Albert Payson Terhune's Lad: A Dog is actually a collection of immensely popular magazine stories. The hero is an extraordinary collie named Lad, "a thoroughbred in spirit as well as in blood." In each tale, Lad exhibits his pure strength of character as he fights off burglars, rescues an invalid child from a poisonous snake, wins ribbons in dog shows, and otherwise leads a dog-hero's life. This is a period piece--a threatened puppy is described, for example, as "a blinking pygmy who gallantly essayed to growl defiance"--and that touch of fustian is all part of Terhune's enduring charm. Because the stories didn't originally appear together, there's considerable repetition: nearly every story with a fight scene has the same authorial mini-lecture on the difference in fighting technique between collies and bulldogs. But Lad is a character who has poked his muzzle into a million hearts, and new generations of dog lovers will also appreciate his loyalty and courage. As Terhune himself wrote, "few... bothered to praise the stories, themselves. But all of them praised Lad, which pleased me far better." (Ages 6 and older) --Richard Farr