Megan Rix’s most recent
novels, The Bomber Dog, The Victory Dogs, and
The Great Escape are a children’s trilogy set during
World War II. These stand-alone books depict the struggles
dogs endured in war torn England and how they coped. The books
target different age groups; the darker plot of The Great
Escape is better suited for teenagers while The Bomber
Dog and The Victory Dogs are for nine year olds
and beyond.
The Bomber Dog is a heart-warming book about friendship,
achievement, and perseverance. It also teaches a history lesson,
exploring the French resistance, the training needed to become
a paratroooper, and the animosity towards the Germans. For
example, the German shepherd dog was never called that in
England with the name changed to Alsatian.
The book takes off from the very beginning when a German shepherd
puppy, Grey, raised by a child in the French resistance, is
taken to England. Grey becomes a stray and bonds with a Spaniel,
Molly. Together they help each other survive as they form
an inseparable bond, until Molly is injured. It is then that
Grey adopts Nathan, a young man about to go off to war. Together,
with a little bit of luck, they enter the War Dog Training
School where they help each other overcome their fears, eventually
becoming a part of a parachute jump team. Rix is hoping children
will understand, “It does not matter under what circumstances
you were born because you can still become a great achiever
who finds love and friendship. The inspiration for the story
was a true life handler and dog who died during the D-Day
invasion and were buried together.”
The Victory Dogs is reminiscent of the Lassie series
that blend humor, adventure, and tragedy. This book truly
shows how dogs are man’s best friend, with the backdrop
of London during World War II. As the blitzkrieg begins, with
bombs falling, a six-year-old, pregnant Labrador-Collie, Misty,
becomes frightened and runs away. In her attempt to escape
these horrendous sounds she is hit by a car and badly injured;
yet, finds a safe hiding place in an underground station.
It is here that Misty is befriended by a cat called Sheba,
while Daniel, a young veteran who was discharged for emotional
reasons, befriends the puppies. The story is very touching
in the scenes that show how one of the puppies helps Daniel
to heal from his trauma, while at the same time he becomes
the puppy’s protector.
Rix wanted “to show how wonderful dogs are and how they
help us in different situations. I enjoy the writing but also
enjoy connecting with my young readers. I even bought a WWII
overall set worn by the search and rescue teams that I put
on when I go to schools to discuss the books. I have a lot
of fun with the school visits and am glad I get to know the
children who read my books.”
The third book, The Great Escape conjures up memories
of the famous novel, The Incredible Journey as it
follows three pets in search of their children owners, Lucy
and Robert. Buster, a Jack Russell Terrier, Rose, a collie,
and Tiger, a ginger tomcat travel from London to Devon to
reunite with their loved ones who have been sent as evacuees
to live with their grandmother in the safer countryside. This
book has very realistic scenes of war and devotion.
Rix stated that a forgotten fact is that the English Government
“encouraged parents to send children to country areas.
They put a lot of pressure on parents so both could work for
the war effort.”
This book discusses the horror, tragedy, and cruelty of war
through the lives of these animals. As Hitler’s terror
bombing progressed and the air raid sirens sounded the three
frightened animals were going to be put down. They make a
daring escape, cheating death, and setting on the adventure
of their lives to find their owners. A powerful quote in the
book, “he saw the large bonfire that had been piled
high in the field, with pets that had been put down being
burnt on it.” The author also explained at the end of
the book, “Before the bombs fell on London at the start
of the Second World War, in September 1939, more than 400,000
cats and dogs died at their owner's behest in just four days.
This was more than six times the number of civilian deaths
throughout the entire country during the whole of the war.
In total between 1939 and 1940, a staggering 750,000 pets
were put down.”
Rix noted, “I made the book somewhat dark. This happening
is not generally known. People I spoke with could not believe
it happened but the fact is it is true and did happen. I wrote
about it to make sure things like this would never happen
again. Hopefully, with the Internet it would be reported and
the outrage would be great.”
For parents who are busy at their jobs and do not have the
time to find informative books with powerful stories The
Bomber Dog, The Great Escape and The Victory Dogs
are highly recommended. Rix commented that all the books in
this series show how “animals never choose to go to
war but they often show us how to be true heroes.” The
themes of these books teach children to be humanitarians,
that man’s best friend is truly their pet, that dogs
love unconditionally, and the importance of devotion.
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The
Great Escape 
