The Sand Dog

This touching book is about friendship, hope and finding out about who we really are….a read to make you think. Azi is currently being looked after by his uncle who runs a restaurant as his grandfather has disappeared in mysterious circumstances. The restaurant is on a small Mediterranean island and in the summer months Azi spends his time promoting it at the ferry and the beach.

He uses his time to try to find out what has happened to his grandfather and whilst he is doing this he starts to uncover the mystery which is quite hard for him and his uncle. He sees some signs in the arrival of a nesting turtle and then in a sandy dog who arrives. Finding and making a friend and then finding an owner for the dog mirrors his search for his grandad. During the search Azi discovers answers to  mysteries about his past and that all is not what it always seems.

Sarah Lean writes about Azi’s personal journey in a readable way which would be a really good discussion book for Y5s upwards. I don’t want to give too much away but Azi’s past touches upon one of the humanitarian crisis of Europe and how people on the island respond to it… it’s a must read today to support teaching our children about human rights and empathy.