Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

Megan Shepherd is a must buy author for me - no matter what the story, her books are an auto purchase and I’m never disappointed.

I know this was based on history but this story was just so heartbreaking to me. I can’t stop thinking about how Laika had to die alone in space. I was really happy with the authors writing and how she didn’t dumb it down for the middle grade audience. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the arc in exchange for a honest review.

I enjoyed this book. It's great for the classroom, as it covers historical events as well as lots of topics for discussion.

I loved the way there alternating chapters from the dog, Laika, and the girl, Nina. Megan Shepherd did a great job of telling the story from the dog's POV. Both characters had strong voices and that is part of what kept me turning pages. I also enjoyed reading about the history of the space dogs, especially since it is something I didn't know much about before.

One slight spoiler (because this is something I'd appreciate knowing going into the story), since the story is based on history, the dog dies in the end of the book. However, I will caveat that by saying that the author does an excellent job of not making it a sad ending.

Personally, I was already fairly familiar with the story of Laika from Nick Abadzis's graphic novel. That book was almost exclusively the story of the dog, giving us primarily her perspective with some context from the human realm. Shepherd's story is far more human. Laika's chapters provide a simplified version of Nina's emotional conflict making the ideas easier for a young reader to grasp. But this book is Nina's story, using her age and the natural inclination to question the world and authority, to encourage the reader to consider political machinations and propaganda and the harm they cause to citizens. Some of the later scenes go too far and stretch our suspension of disbelief, but its a fairly solid and compelling read.

A young Russian girl and a stray dog (training for the Soviet Union’s space program) form an unlikely friendship that takes them on an unexpected journey. Nina finds comfort in the small dog as she tries to cope with the disappearance of her best friend under communist rule, and Laika (our Dog Star) finds new hope in humanity as Nina’s kindness mends the wounds of the cold street life he'd endured.

I love historical fiction, so right away I was drawn into the 1950’s Soviet Union world. This book is so much more than a cute story. It shows the readers what life was like for a young girl—for families living under restrictive rule in the Soviet Union. Chapters alternate back and forth between Nina and Laika, so the reader gets to know both girl and dog in equal measure as Laika progresses through starflyer training. This is a great book for all ages, and the fact that it’s based off a true story makes it even more endearing. Very well done and worth the read!

Read this book— and then go hug your dog. 𓃡 ✧

I was thrilled to have the opportunity to read an advanced copy of Dog Star, and, pup-date!: it was fantastic! The Space Race has always been an era of history that I find to be super fascinating (I mean, seriously: how did people launch rockets into space without even iPhones yet, I’ll never know). I really enjoyed getting to learn some more about this crazy era of history where we were launching dogs into the stratosphere and quite literally, shooting for the moon. I’ve obviously heard of Laika’s sad story before, but I’ve never heard it told in a way that illustrates just how respected and appreciated she was. Shepherd depicts Laika as not a science experiment, but as an integral part of Russia’s space program and an inspiration to both researchers and the watching public.

Readers of this book will not only fall in love with its fierly little protagonist Nina and her brave pup, but with outer space, and the incredible relationship history has had with reaching the stars. So…

Pack Tissues, 2.) Buy a Telescope, 3.) Spill Some Soup on the Floor and Let Your Dog Lick It Up

This is a great middle grade book that I think readers of all ages will enjoy. It's interesting that it focuses on the Cold War era Space Race, a time in history that is interesting and that I think children will enjoy learning about. It is heartfelt, and sad at times, but a wonderful book.

DOG STAR was a good middle grade book based around the true events of what happened during the space race. This book is a great way to introduce middle grade readers to that time in history while making it relatable to them. The story wasn't exactly fast paced but it flowed well enough I didn't feel like I was getting bored either. Though I will say I found I liked the dogs point of view best. This is definitely a book I would recommend to anyone who loves dogs, history or even space.
I will say this book can be triggering in some instances as it does keep the true ending so please be aware of that.

Laika, a lonely dog snatched off the streets, and Nina, a lonely Russian girl whose best friend’s family has fled to the United States for political reasons, find solace and friendship when Nina volunteers in her father’s lab where Laika is training to be the Soviet Union’s first dog in space. It’s a lovely story about the bond between a dog and a girl braving challenging times. The chapters voiced by the dog are particularly effective. While the ending, based on actual events, is sad and may be a trigger for some middle-schoolers, this short and sweet historical fantasy is a creative way to introduce young people to the 1950’s space race.

DOG STAR is the kind of book that will stay with you for a long time. It grabs you with Nina's story of her lonely childhood and her father's secrets, then grabs you even more when Laika comes into her life. And the two of them together...who can resist a girl and her dog on heartstopping adventures, leading to tense, brave, and loving moments. There are also heartbreaking moments, but the ending is truly beautiful. 5 stars.

DOG STAR is a lovely tale that manages to be both heart-wrenching and inspirational. We cheer for our two main characters to find each other - Laika, the soon-to-be cosmonaut dog, and Nina, a young girl who begins to be aware of what it really means to live in Soviet Russia during the late 1950s. Their need for each other and what they gain from each other transcends the ever-approaching separation. I cried my eyes out! But my heart was so full, too, that I forgive Shepherd for breaking it in the first place. Five (dog)stars for this stunning novel. <3

I loved Dog Star! Having read a lot about the Space Race, I was intrigued to read this book, with its historical fiction aspect. Based on what was known about Laika, the dog sent into orbit, this story alternates POV between Laika, and a young Russian girl who is the daughter of the scientist in charge of this orbit. She feels torn between her desire to uphold her family’s patriotic image (lest they be punished), and her doubts as to what will actually happen to Laika. A riveting, intriguing story.

I'm going to start off with the positives of this novel. Even though it is middle grade the author chose to keep the true ending of Laika's story. Laika was a real dog shot into space on a death mission. I found "Dog Star" to be a quick and easy read. It won't necessarily grip you but it doesn't drag on and on. And here are the things I didn't like. The writing was not the greatest. There are pages where every sentence is stared with 'she' or 'the'. It's very redundant and quite frankly annoying. The author does not paint the picture she just tells you what's happening. The plot was also very slow. Stuff was technically happening but it was for the most part not that interesting. The characters were also written in an unnatural way. The dialogue felt forced and the relationships felt fake.. I think this would be good for the younger range of middle grade ages. I usually can appreciate middle grade but this just wasn't it for me.

Free book from Netgalley for review ~

I liked this book! I think it’ll be good for middlegrade readers to see what that era of history was like in a very different culture. Although I found Laika’s sections more compelling than Nina’s both were important to tell the story the writer had in mind.

Thoroughly enjoyed this story, especially the parts that were written from the dog's point of view. I would recommend this story to kids who like dogs, history, or both!