dog runner essay

• The Dog Runner
• First Published February 2019
• ISBN: 9781760523572
• Allen & Unwin, Aus NZ
• Old Barn Books, UK
• Prunsoop Publishing, Korea
• Booky, China

Ella and her brother Emery are alone in a city that's starving to death. If they are going to survive, they must get away, upcountry, to find Emery's mum. But how can two kids travel such big distances across a dry, barren, and dangerous landscape? Well, when you've got five big doggos and a dry-land dogsled, the answer is you go mushing. But when Emery is injured, Ella must find a way to navigate them through rough terrain, and even rougher encounters with desperate people.

“'We're gonna starve if we stay here,' Emery said. 'If we're gonna go, best go now.' And he said it like going was something easy. Like all we have to do is walk away."

This fast-paced race across a dangerous Australian landscape will keep young readers entralled.

Teaching resources at Allen & Unwin

• Winner: New Zealand Book Awards CYA - Junior Fiction (the Wright Family Foundation Esther Glen Award) 2019
• Winner: Aurealis Award for Best Children's Fiction 2019
• Honour Book: KOALA Awards 2023
• Shortlisted: Children's Book Council of Australia, Book of the Year, Younger Readers
• Shortlisted: YABBA, CROC and KOALA Awards, 2023
• Nominated for the 2020 CILIP Carnegie Medal UK

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Bren MacDibble

Hi, my name is Bren and I'm a children's writer. I live in Kalbarri in sunny Western Australia where I swim, kayak, hike, run a holiday villa business and try to write the best books in the world!

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A spotlight on The Dog Runner by Bren MacDibble

The dog runner by bren macdibble is one of the six books shortlisted for this year’s readings children’s book prize ., here’s everything you need to know about this gripping, action-packed tale touching on the climate crisis..

‘ The Dog Runner is an action-packed adventure with a highly original premise. The narrative moves along at a breakneck pace, and highlights the importance of resilience and kindness in the face of extreme danger. It’s all too easy to envision the harsh landscape of the siblings’ world, and the beautiful relationship between Ella and the courageous dogs is particularly well-crafted. This book is an excellent choice for sophisticated middle grade readers who want something meaty. It’s also a hopeful story for children thinking about climate crisis and what they might be able to do about it.‘

– Kim Gruschow, Chair of the judging panel

Who should read this book?

The Dog Runner is suitable for ages 10+. This pick is perfect for kids who like big action and big ideas, as well as kids who are interested in environmental issues, kids who love animals, and kids who want a sophisticated adventure.

Watch out for…

If you haven’t read it already, you should also pick up MacDibble’s first novel for younger readers, How to Bee . It’s about a ten-year-old farm worker who has to move to the big city with her mum, and it won quite a few awards, including the Children’s Book Council Book of the Year Award for Younger Readers.

Meet the author…

Bren MacDibble was raised on farms all over New Zealand, so is an expert about being a kid on the land. After 20 years in Melbourne, Bren recently sold everything, and now lives and works in a bus travelling around Australia. Bren also writes for young adults under the name Cally Black.

The winner of the 2020 Readings Children’s Book Prize will be announced in April. You can read more about this year’s shortlisted titles here .

The Dog Runner

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CBCA award-winning picture book author Edwina Wyatt makes her fiction debut with a whimsical tale of a curious little girl who shares more than just her surname with the moon…

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Ella and her brother Emery are alone in a city that’s starving to death. If they are going to survive, they must get away, upcountry, to find Emery’s mum. But…

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Book Review: The Dog Runner

The Dog Runner – Bren MacDibble – Allen and Unwin Children’s – Published 4 February 2019

Ella and her brother Emery are alone in a city that’s starving to death. If they are going to survive, they must get away, upcountry, to find Emery’s mum. But how can two kids travel such big distances across a dry, barren, and dangerous landscape? Well, when you’ve got five big doggos and a dry-land dogsled, the answer is you go mushing. But when Emery is injured, Ella must find a way to navigate them through rough terrain, and even rougher encounters with desperate people…

My thoughts

What a superb, beautifully written book. Thought-provoking and action filled, The Dog Runner is an Australian, middle grade novel that is dystopian fiction at its finest. This will be sure to please teen readers and make for a fantastic class novel.

I loved every page of this book. I was a little worried about the dogs. As a dog lover, I don’t usually read books about dogs – I can’t handle any injuries or death. I am very happy to say (any maybe it’s a spoiler, but I think it’s important to share) that aside from a small injury none of the dogs are harmed or die. This book has a dog-happy ending. Can’t say the same for some kangaroos, snakes, possums or other small creatures. For those who don’t like hunting or animal deaths, there are quite a few descriptions of killing and preparing animals for food. It’s done with care, but with details.

MacDibble presents a society and world in which grass crops have all failed and animal farming has been destroyed. People in the cities and suburbs are fighting for food, waiting for deliveries from the government that aren’t coming. People are looting and rioting and gangs are roaming.

Ella, her half-brother Emery, father and mother live in a small apartment along with three dogs. They hide the dogs, as many judge them for having extra mouths to feed when food is already scarce. When Ella’s mother doesn’t return from work and her father goes out to find her and also doesn’t return, Ella and her brother escape their apartment, taking their dogs along with two others, and using a bike sled, set out across the country to try and make it to Emery’s mother’s property.

I love the integration of the Indigenous perspective in this novel. I found it so wonderful to learn a little about Indigenous plants and farming techniques. I want to learn more now. It always amazes and saddens me that there is such knowledge out there, such a wonderful history of caring for the land in ways that work, that isn’t practiced by the majority of famers today. This book is both a warning and a offers a seed of hope. It will make a fantastic starting point for a unit of investigation into Indigenous farming techniques and history.

I loved Ella. She is the main character and narrates the story. If you are looking for a strong female voice, you’ll love Ella. She’s not fearless, but she never gives up. She protects her brother, family and dogs with everything she has in her. She knows how to scavenge for food and she endures the long and hard journey they face.

The Dog Runner is a book about survival, doing what it takes to protect the people and animals you love and a hope for building a better future.

More information

Category: Middle grade fiction

Genre: Dystopian.

Themes: Dogs, hunger, food shortage, society breakdown, family, guns, hunting, farming, Indigenous farming,

Reading age guide:  Ages 10 and up.

Advisory: Killing of animals for food, preparing of animals for food. Guns, death. Murder, fighting, riots, injury.

Representation : White main character, White-indigenous main character, white and indigenous secondary characters. Heterosexual relationships.

Published: 4 February 2019 by Allen & Unwin Children’s.

Format: Paperback, ebook. 248 pages.

ISBN: 9781760523572

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Allen and Unwin Australian literature Book review Bren MacDibble Dogs Dystopian Family Farming February 2019 Fiction Food Food shortages Friendship Hunger Indigenous farming Middle-grade fiction Mushing Siblings

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The Dog Runner by Bren MacDibble

Author: Bren MacDibble

Genre: Fiction

Publisher: Allen and Unwin

Published: 4th February 2019

Format: Paperback

Price: $16.99

Synopsis: From the author of the multi-award-winning and bestselling  How To Bee  comes an intense and thrilling new adventure.

‘We’re gonna starve if we stay here,’ Emery said. ‘If we’re gonna go, best go now.’  And he said it like going was something easy. Like all we have to do is walk away. Ella and her brother Emery are alone in a city that’s starving to death. If they are going to survive, they must get away, upcountry, to find Emery’s mum. But how can two kids travel such big distances across a dry, barren, and dangerous landscape? Well, when you’ve got five big doggos and a dry-land dogsled, the answer is you go mushing. But when Emery is injured, Ella must find a way to navigate them through rough terrain, and even rougher encounters with desperate people…

Emery and Ella – a brother and sister – have been left by their father and Ella’s mum, alone in their house in the closed off city. Everything has fallen apart since a red fungus swept across the country, and world, and decimated the food supply. Around Australia, people are desperate, and without Ella’s parents around, Emery and Ella set off in search of Emery’s mother – where they hope to find shelter and food with people they can trust. To do so, they must hitch up five big dogs to a dry-land dogsled, and traverse dangerous country, dodging people who would harm them if they had the chance.

As the novel progresses, Emery and Ella face dangers they had hoped not to face and see just how badly affected the country beyond the city they’ve been living in is – and this furthers their quest to find safety and security. Told through Ella’s perspective, The Dog Runner looks at the consequences of climate change, and how a single even can affect the world’s food supply – and what can be done to change things. For Ella and Emery, the world is big and dangerous – and during their journey, they are faced with dangers and obstacles they didn’t think they’d ever see.

Emery’s mother is Aboriginal, and Ella and Emery hope she will be able to use the knowledge of her ancestors to help them, and still have some of the seeds and crops Emery’s grandfather saved to help replenish the land. In a clever and accessible way, the novel looks at the connection to country and landscape, family, and the diversity of Australia and humanity. The climate is affected drastically, and the landscape has been altered so distinctly that it is unrecognisable, yet at the same time, it could be something that happens in the near future and could drastically affect and alter how we live our lives.

In a world where we take food supply for granted, this takes an interesting look at how the land reacts to a fungus or virus, or even climate change. In doing so, it posits how we might deal with in the world, who might get assistance first, and how older traditions can end up helping revitalise the land – and the revealing of knowledge that some people might not have had previously, as well as the importance of family, whoever they are, whatever colour they are – and the acceptance of family in dire times. In the end, it is family that is important – and the lengths they go to in order to help each other and the world they live in. It is a world we all have to live in, and like Emery and Ella’s family, working together is what will help us survive.

The story gives us an idea of where to look in the future and how we can seek to survive – through communication, shared knowledge and looking to the past to see what others have done, and how the Indigenous people cultivated and took care of the land before 1788. Which is why this was an interesting – because it shows through tragedy, how millennia old techniques can be used to help save the food supply, and the possibilities of bringing new and old together. In a world where climate change is a constant threat, maybe, like Emery and Ella and their family, we need to start looking at alternatives and preparing for a future that might devastate the landscape.

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Published by Ashleigh

An avid reader and writer, reviewer and author. I love to read just about anything. I enjoy writing about books, reading and writing as well and I dabble in many areas of writing from travel to crime fiction and fantasy. My blog is a way to get how I feel about reading, books and writing out there. I currently receive books to review from various publishers in most genres, but typically don't review romance or horror, or erotica books as I these are genres I have difficulty in reviewing and in general they are not what I enjoy reading. View all posts by Ashleigh

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The dog runner by Bren MacDibble

Allen and Unwin, 2018. ISBN 9781760523572. (Age: Middle school) Highly recommended. Themes: Dystopia, Future, Global warming, Climate change, Survival. In a bleak future where the earth has run out of food and people are starving, Emery and his little sister, Ella, hook their five dogs to a home made cart, like a sled on wheels and set off for his mother's place where they expect to be safe. Avoiding roads and other people, hiding when they hear the approach of cars or bikes, they stumble on through the heat, stopping to water the dogs and open another tin of fish, their only food source. At a farm miles from the city a couple gives them fruit and potatoes, but returning the next morning they find them dead and their house burnt to the ground. Their haste to leave sees them shot at by bikers and Emery is hit. Ella gets away taking a gun with her and goes back to find Emery. She hauls her wounded brother onto the cart and with the remaining four dogs gets as far away as possible. Next day Wolf returns but stays away from the group until Ella notices that the bikers have put a tracker on him. Once again they move off in a hurry determined to ride the next two hundred kilometres before they are found. But one night the bikers return and it is when Ella hears her mother's voice that she realises that they are looking for them. But Mum is a captive of these men and in helping them escape their clutches, leaves them again to search for her husband. This is a an exciting, heart in the mouth read as the two young people try to find a place of refuge. Besieged by the ravages of climate change, the novel could be about any refugee: fleeing war, or violence or abuse or weather event - the impulse is the same, to find shelter, a place where you feel safe. The cautionary tale behind the survival story of Ella and Emery, that of the results of our society, bent on using everything on the planet despite the warnings, is made very real with its paddocks of brown earth where crops once stood, walls between suburbs, suspicion and wariness, reliance on guns and groups only out for themselves. This novel would be a great class novel as it lends itself to a range of discussion points with classes: refugees, cities, survival, climate change, seed banks, over cropping, dogs and family. Fran Knight

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How Running with My Dog Makes Me Feel Braver

After an alarming encounter on a trail, getting a dog helped me enjoy running again

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One fall morning on a run, a man jumped out of the bushes toward me on a trail near my home in Flagstaff, Arizona. I’d seen him in the area a few days prior and had run past him on my way up the hill earlier that morning. I even said hello. But I hadn’t expected to see him again, let alone hiding in the trees, on my way back down. Had he been waiting for me? I panicked, picking up my pace as he approached me, and passed him before we could interact. There was no way to know his intentions without stopping, but I couldn’t help thinking, “What if?” It spooked me so much that I didn’t return to that section of trail until the next spring.

For months, I felt flinchy even when I stuck to the roads or joined my husband on his workouts. The joy, strength, and confidence I got from running had drained out of me.

Then we adopted a dog.

At only eight months old in December 2021, Kona’s whole body rippled with energy. We knew she was our perfect match as soon as she licked our faces within seconds of meeting us at her foster family’s home. With a little bit of greyhound mixed with cattle dog, German shepherd, and boxer, her body is lean, her legs and neck are long, and her big, floppy ears express all her emotions.

Our new schedule was bookended by walks in the mornings and evenings, when Kona’s curious nose would lead the way through the neighborhood. She’d find these massive logs and balance them in her mouth for the entirety of our stroll, causing a scene and making us laugh. But when she’d zoom around our 500-square-foot apartment, I realized this puppy probably needed more than a few walks. It hadn’t been my intention to train her as a running companion . It just sort of happened naturally. One winter day in Buffalo Park, we started trotting along the two-mile gravel path together.

Watching Kona move that day—with her tongue hanging out, ears pointed backwards, tail held high, and body coursing like a dolphin—brought purpose back to running for me. She was built for this movement, and I could tell that she was happiest running . It reminded me that I once was, too.

The trail I had been avoiding was a 0.75-mile stretch from our house to the park, where I felt much safer around more people. I had run past the bushes with my husband, but never on my own, and it was annoying to drive to the park or rely on his schedule to get out.

Now that I had Kona though, I decided it was time to reclaim my runs. I suited up in my running vest stuffed with treats, poop bags, water, and pepper spray. With her tethered around my waist, we jogged along the sidewalk for two blocks until we hit the dirt path shaded by ponderosa pines. The bushes were just ahead. Then we passed them. Then we were at the top of the hill almost to the park. We ran the entire loop and back down the hill past the bushes again for a total of four miles—a run I hadn’t completed on my own since the incident. Thanks to Kona, I felt empowered.

That spring, I fell back into my running routine, and Kona started to learn the cues for when I was heading out. She’d follow me around as I dressed in my tights and socks, collected my hat and sunglasses, and looped my arms through my running vest. By the time I was lacing up my shoes, she was right beside me waiting at the door. Her big brown eyes would grow wide and her forehead wrinkled with concern as if to say, “You’re bringing me, right?” Of course, my girl.

We’ve since moved away from Flagstaff to Portland, Oregon, where I’m running more often in flowering neighborhoods than on forested trails (though we love Portland’s Forest Park). I bring her along for a few miles every week. For the first few steps, she’s forceful, yanking me along behind her as if she’s a sled dog and I’m her sled. She can’t contain her excitement.

Eventually she eases up and falls into sync by my side. We’ve gotten better at navigating around other runners, parents with strollers, parked cars, and cyclists. She looks both ways when we cross the streets, and she hunts for squirrels, crows, and cats while I try distracting her with treats.

Running with Kona makes me feel brave again. I’m not jumpy, and I don’t ever feel scared. I know that if something were to happen when we’re together, she would likely do whatever she could to protect us . She’s not a trained guard dog or anything, but having a companion makes me feel safer. More than anything now, she is my motivation for getting out the door. She keeps running fun—especially when she muscles a stick that’s comically bigger than her body. “Weight training,” I joke to the people amused by her determination as we pass.

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"The Dog Runner" Quiz

By Bren MacDibble

dystopia | 248 pages | Published in 2019

Play the quiz

Test your knowledge about the book "The Dog Runner". We have come up with 10 quiz questions for the book. Hit play and start testing your knowledge. Each correctly answered question gives one point.

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Essay questions

These essay questions are meant to be used as a starting point for your essay or research paper.

• Discuss the theme of survival in 'The Dog Runner'. How do the characters adapt and overcome challenges in order to survive?
• Analyze the character of Ella in 'The Dog Runner'. How does her perspective evolve throughout the story? What drives her actions and decisions?
• Examine the role of the dogs in the novel. How do they contribute to the plot and the development of the characters?
• Discuss the importance of family in 'The Dog Runner'. How do the familial bonds between characters shape their actions and motivations?
• Explore the concept of environmental destruction in the book. How does the author convey the consequences of human actions on the natural world?
• Analyze the relationship between the two main characters, Ella and Emery. How does their bond evolve throughout the story? What challenges do they face together?
• Discuss the significance of food and sustenance in 'The Dog Runner'. How do the characters navigate scarcity and the search for resources?
• Examine the role of technology in the novel. How does it both aid and hinder the characters' journey?
• Discuss the theme of hope in 'The Dog Runner'. How do the characters maintain hope in the face of adversity? What gives them strength and resilience?
• Analyze the character of Blue in the book. How does his presence impact the story and the other characters?

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Breaking News

Fan flees social media, gets called out on espn after saying he’d ‘eat dog s–t’ if florida state loses.

Florida State lost and this X user is on the run with no appetite for social media or his promised dinner.

The manhunt began when one X user, @321nole, promised the unthinkable –– eating dog poop –– if Florida State lost to Boston College as a 17-point favorite Monday.

“If Florida State loses to BC this weekend, I will eat “dog s–t out of a red solo cup with a spoon and post a video of me doing it. Book it!” the post from Aug. 27 read, according to Barstool Sports .

Florida State got smashed by Boston College , 28-13, to start the season 0-2, with ex-Clemson quarterback DJ Uiagalelei continuing to disappoint .

In a screenshot of direct messages on X, the account holder bid adieu to the social media platform.

“I’ll catch yall next season, my time on X is done for now! Goodluck to everyone,” @321nole allegedly said in a DM to Barstool’s Jack McGuire.

Florida State is the fifth school to open the season in the AP top 10 and lose its first two games of the season, having lost its opener to Georgia Tech in Ireland.

If you had a bad long weekend, at least it wasn’t “Scott Van Pelt on national TV calling you out for not eating dog poop” bad pic.twitter.com/qVzWIQ44Pt — Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) September 3, 2024

Even ESPN is on the lookout for the user.

“They’re not down as bad as that dude on the internet who said he would eat dog poop out of a solo cup,” ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt said on “SportsCenter” after the game.

“You think you’d just get to delete your account, the internet ain’t just gonna forget that, you don’t get to just keep it moving and get a new name or something. People are going to find you.”

That is surely the case and McGuire commented that “the dog s–t eater is on the run like you wouldn’t believe,” stating he’s deleted his Facebook and Instagram accounts as well.

However, he said he’ll only go so far to see this anonymous person own their words.

“The man is recently engaged. Imagine explaining to your soon to be wife why you had to go Zero Dark Thirty on social media,” McGuire said . “I have his fiancee’s IG. I think I may draw the line at involving civilians, but I’d be lying if I didn’t consider it!!!”

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I’m Autistic and Scared of Your Dog

Some of my favorite summer places feel perilous when people flout leash laws.

The beach in summer is supposed to be fun and relaxing. But for Jason Jacoby Lee, who is autistic, free-roaming dogs make it excruciating. Illustration by Jason Lord .

by Jason Jacoby Lee | August 29, 2024

It’s a beautiful summer day in Venice, California, and everyone seems to be out enjoying the beach—except for me.

I am profoundly autistic. As a result, I may jump up and down at strange moments or laugh uncontrollably. I cannot speak at all except for a few rote phrases, though I can write with the aid of a letter board or electronic device. And I am profoundly afraid of the dogs off their leashes that seem to be everywhere, especially in summertime.

It does not matter how small or large the dog is or whether it is well-behaved or not. Moreover, I’m not the only autistic person who panics around dogs. I am not sure why so many of us respond this way. I suspect it may have something to do with the fact that dogs are unpredictable and can bark loudly, sound being another sensitivity for me and most other autistics. When a dog approaches me, it inspires such anxiety that I cannot calm down for many hours afterward. My heart beats in my chest until I fear it is going to explode. My synapses flood with adrenaline, and I get unmanageably nervous. I cannot relax, no matter how hard I try.

This means that I often have to leave public spaces when dogs are present. It breaks my heart that I cannot participate in many summer outings with my family because of the ubiquitous presence of dogs. The constant presence of dogs outdoors is one more way in which my already circumscribed life as a person with autism has become even more circumscribed.

You might say my dilemma captures a clash between two ways of thinking about the public—not only the physical spaces we share but who is allowed access to them—one from pet lovers and another from the disabled. Both approaches are well-meaning: They seek to expand people’s horizons, and fiercely defend the rights of their subjects. Pets help us to see that our world is not just for human beings—we share community with all sorts of non-human beings as well. The disabled show that there are many different ways to be human, all of them valuable.

In an ideal world, all would be welcome. But at present, the situation is weighted toward pets and away from the disabled. The irony is that, according to prevailing laws, dogs are not allowed in many of the places that I end up having to leave.

Take, for example, the beach, which is my happy place. The rhythm of the waves helps me feel relaxed and grounded. The sound is so soothing that I do not have to wear the noise-canceling headphones that I keep glued to my ears almost everywhere else, including when I sleep. I can spend hours playing in the waves.

Los Angeles County law states that “A person shall not bring or maintain on any beach a dog or cat.”  There are large signs on many Los Angeles beaches reminding people of this statute. Yet lots of people use the beach as a giant exercise area for their dogs. Moreover, they seldom leash their dogs, meaning their pets run at me, bark at me, sniff me, and climb all over me.

Another summer space I treasure is the farmers market. I love to stroll through the stands, checking out the produce. It smells enchanting and offers a vision of small, natural farms tended by real, friendly people—often there selling their own harvest, picked only hours before. One of my favorite summer joys is eating a fresh, ripe strawberry from these markets.

Here, too, California’s Health and Safety Code mandates that dogs be  “kept at least 20 feet (6 meters) away from any mobile food facility, temporary food facility, or certified farmers market.”  Again, prominent signs are posted at the entrance to every market. Despite this, dogs roam everywhere.

Another special place for me is the park near our apartment. It is one of the few open spaces close to where we live, and one of the few places I can ride my bike or go skateboarding when the weather is nice. Dogs have their own fenced run in the park where they are supposed to play off their leashes , yet owners insist on letting them run anywhere and everywhere unleashed. When dogs come up to me and want to play, their owners often smile as if it is cute. Instead, I have to leave—or risk a full-blown panic attack.

I am sure pet owners have no idea of the dilemma that they are placing me in. Since I cannot talk, I cannot even politely engage the violators. Instead, I am the one who ends up looking strange, having a giant meltdown in front of everyone. It feels unfair that the onus is on me to figure out how to cope, rather than on dog owners to show some basic consideration and follow the law. When my parents try to explain what is going on, they are typically met with hostility. To me, it is as though dog owners think that their pets have more rights than I do.

As Nicholas Kristof discussed in a recent piece in the New York Times, a majority of dog owners now consider their animals members of their family and spend an incredible amount of money on special food, clothing, and other products for them. It is beautiful that people love their pets so much. But it should not come at the cost of downplaying the needs of the disabled.

I recognize that there is a place in the discussion for service animals. Our neighbor is blind and uses a seeing-eye dog named Ellie. She is a very smart and well-trained animal, and she is always leashed when outside. Although Ellie still makes me nervous, I can manage—in part because she is so well-behaved, and in part because I recognize that her owner has a legitimate need to use her. As another disabled person, I realize that my neighbor needs her service dog to participate fully in public life.

Even though the ordinances outlawing dogs at the beach, in farmers markets, or in public parks were not passed with disabled people in mind, they have become de facto disability rights measures. They let disabled people like myself gain access to some of the few public spaces available. This is especially true in summer, when we all want to enjoy the outdoors.

I know that dog owners do not mean to exclude us, but through their carelessness, this is exactly what they are doing.

And I understand that I don’t have all the answers. One small step toward a solution might be to have lifeguards, farmers market managers, and park officials monitor peoples’ behavior more closely.

More meaningful change, however, will only come with a shift in perspective: recognizing the presence of autistic people and believing that we deserve a place in society. For much of our history, we have been locked away and institutionalized—out of sight and out of mind. We are only now emerging from the shadows to join the rest of you.

It would be a joy to step into public space without fear, knowing that my fellow beachgoers who have dogs have accommodated me so that I, too, can enjoy the idle dog days of summer.

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Woods Runner

81 pages • 2 hours read

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

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Chapters 1-4

Chapters 5-8

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Chapters 13-16

Chapter 17-Epilogue

Character Analysis

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Important Quotes

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Summary and Study Guide

Woods Runner , by Gary Paulsen, is a young adult, historical fiction novel. It takes place during the American War for Independence (1776) from the point of view of a 13-year-old frontier boy. The novel was published by Random House in 2010 and is a favorite in schools because of its educational passages that provide valuable historical information to the reader. Paulsen’s Author’s Note and Afterword explain his desire to show war for the grotesque and horrible experience that it was, rather than through the rose-colored glasses of patriotism and glory. Though it has not won any awards, it is valued among educators and readers of historical books.

Plot Summary

Woods Runner follows Samuel Lehi Smith , a 13-year-old boy living on the Pennsylvania frontier in 1776. Only a few days after hearing news of the War for Independence, Samuel’s small settlement is attacked by British soldiers. Many of the settlement are killed; Samuel’s parents, Olin and Abigail Smith , are taken prisoner. At the time of the attack, Samuel is in the woods, where he feels most comfortable. When he discovers the attack, Samuel sets out to follow his family and their captors to rescue his parents from imprisonment. Along the way he sees more death and destruction, adopts an orphaned girl named Annie Clark as his sister, and finds help from a covert network of civilian intelligence spies. Finally reaching New York, where the British have been holding their prisoners, Samuel and Abner McDougal , his new friend and rebel spy, find and rescue Samuel’s parents. After a dangerous journey to Philadelphia, the family settles and opens a school for orphaned children. Samuel, who still feels a powerful obligation to return the help he was so freely given, returns to the war to help with hunting, moving supplies, and treating the sick. After a close friend named John “Coop” Cooper dies in battle, Samuel leaves the war and returns to the woods of his childhood, where he finds peace. 

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Joey chestnut beats kobayashi in hot dog eating contest in las vegas, joey chestnut chews to victory over kobayashi ... i got 83 dogs in me.

Joey Chestnut and his longtime nemesis Takeru Kobayashi went head-to-head in a hot dog eating contest for the first time in 15 years ... with Joey winning in a landslide and setting a record in the process.

The rivals matched up Monday on 'Unfinished Beef,' a Netflix special live from Las Vegas, and stuffed their faces full of wieners and buns ... with a huge crowd cheering them on.

Joey cruised to victory ... leading all the way. When the 10-minute timer expired, Joey's total sat at 83 hot dogs ... compared to a final tally of 66 for Kobayahsi.

It's a new world record for Joey ... who took home a hot dog trophy and a wrestling belt, along with bragging rights over Kobayashi.

The showdown was 15 years in the making ... Joey and Kobayashi last went at it way back in 2009 at the traditional Nathan's competition in Coney Island ... when Jaws beat Kobayashi to defend his mustard belt.

Rob Riggle and Nikki Bella hosted the event ... the first time Nikki's been in public since her husband, "Dancing With the Stars" pro Artem Chigvintsev , was arrested Thursday for domestic violence.

Nikki, who got a ton of love from the crowd, wasn't wearing her wedding ring ... and didn't let the incident affect her job.

Joey's winning margin even grew after the buzzer ... with Kobayashi being deducted one hot dog and dropping from 67 to 66 after all his wiener scraps and bun crumbs were weighed out.

The rules for this one called for no dunking hot dogs in water ... and Joey says he had to learn a whole new way to guzzle glizzies.

After pounding 83 wieners and buns, something tells us Joey isn't hitting a Vegas buffet on this trip. 😆

We covered it all on the latest episode of "The TMZ Podcast," available on all podcast platforms.

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Guest Essay

Trump Can Win on Character

By Rich Lowry

Mr. Lowry is the editor in chief of National Review.

With the defenestration of President Biden and the ascent of Kamala Harris, conventional wisdom has gone from asking, “How can Donald Trump lose?” to “How can he win?”

It’s basically a tossup race, but a successful Harris rollout and convention, coupled with a stumbling Trump performance since Mr. Biden’s exit, have created a sense of irresistible Harris momentum.

As usual when he falters, Mr. Trump is getting a lot of advice from his own side.

For as long as Mr. Trump has been in the ascendancy in the G.O.P., he will go off on some pointless tangent, and Republicans will urge him — perhaps as they hustle down a corridor of the U.S. Capitol — to talk about the economy instead of his controversy du jour.

A close cousin of this perpetual advice is the admonition that Mr. Trump should concentrate more on the issues in this campaign. Neither recommendation is wrong, but they are insufficient to make the case against Kamala Harris.

Presidential races are won and lost on character as much as the issues, and often the issues are proxies for character. Not character in the sense of a candidate’s personal life but the attributes that play into the question of whether someone is suited to the presidency — is he or she qualified, trustworthy and strong, and does he or she care about average Americans?

Presidential races, in this sense, are deeply personal; they usually involve disqualifying the opposing candidate, rather than convincing voters that his or her platform is wrongheaded.

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