Alex, the Dog and the Unopenable Door
No. of pages 352
Published: 2013
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This book is the winner of numerous awards
This book has been graded for interest at 9-11 years.
There are 352 pages in this book. This book was published in 2013 by Faber & Faber .
Ross Montgomery is a primary school teacher and he writes his books when he really should have been marking homework. Author of Alex, the Dog and the Unopenable Door and The Tornado Chasers, Ross has been shortlisted for the Costa Book Award and nominated for the Branford Boase Award. Perijee & Me is his third middle-grade novel. Ross lives in Brixton, London.
Costa Children's Book Award
Branford Boase Award
Animals in literature
Dogs in literature
Whitbread Children's Book Award: 1971-2005
This book has been nominated for the following awards:
Branford Boase Award
The Branford Boase Award is a prestigious literary award in the United Kingdom that celebrates outstanding debut children's novels. Established in 2000, the award honours the memory of Branford Boase, a children's book publisher, and aims to recognize new authors who demonstrate exceptional storytelling skills and originality in their first published work. The award is aimed at children's literature, specifically focusing on works for readers aged 8 to 12 years. A panel of judges reviews submissions to create a shortlist of nominated titles. There is no public voting process.
The Whitbread Award
This book was recognised by the The Whitbread Award, now called 'The Costa Book Awards'. These are a set of annual literary awards recognising English-language books by writers based in Britain and Ireland. They were inaugurated for 1971 publications and known as the Whitbread Book Awards until 2006 when Costa Coffee, then a subsidiary of Whitbread, took over sponsorship.
If you prefer a strange, slightly surreal world, then I'd recommend Alex, The Dog And The Unopenable Door by Ross Montgomery (Faber, GBP6.99), out on August 1. When his father, a famous explorer, disappears, Alex is forced to embark on an adventure to discover what really lies at the heart of the mysterious Forbidden Lands. Quirky, silly and perfect for dog lovers. -- Sarah Kingsford Sunday Express 20130721 Underneath this barking mad romp there's a moving message about love, loss, fear, and identity. A highly original debut novel. -- Sally Morris Daily Mail 20130726 This original, funny debut concerns 12-year-old Alex who is bullied not least because his father, once a celebrated explorer, has gone mad and believes he is a dog. Full of delightful characterisation, sometimes farcical, sometimes poignant, this novel involves a quest, a brass band of deliquent youngsters and a fierce girl with false teeth. Children's fiction has a remarkable new comic voice. -- Nicolette Jones The Sunday Times 20130811 An intriguing title - always a good start! Immediately, the reader thinks this book will be out of the ordinary and you won't be disappointed. Alex Jennings is a boy with a problem - well, three problems actually. He's been sent to boarding school; his father is a failed explorer and Davidus Kyte and all his henchmen are after him, convinced he alone knows the meaning of the word 'squiggles'. With the help of a talking dog and a girl with unfeasibly sharp teeth, he just might have what it takes to cross the Forbidden Lands, escape the evil Davidus Kyte, and find out what lies beyond the Cusp... An unusual and exciting story. -- Sarah Parents in Touch 20130717