Other short stories from Beyond the Stars collection, also available as e-books:
The Hero of Drumree by Derek Landy, illustrated by Alan Clarke
The Brockets Get a Dog by John Boyne, illustrated by Paul Howard
How to Help Your Grandda by Judi Curtin, illustrated by Chris Judge
The Lookout by Eoin Colfer, illustrated by Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick
The Snow Globe by Marita Conlon-McKenna, illustrated by P J Lynch
The King of the Birds by Michael Scott, illustrated by Chris Haughton
The Battle of the Ice Queen by Gordon Snell, illustrated by Michael Emberley
The Last Cat by Celine Kiernan, illustrated by Tatyana Feeney
Across the Cold Ground written and illustrated by Oisín McGann
Ice Fairies by Siobhán Parkinson, illustrated by Olwyn Whelan
Discovering Bravery by Emma Brade, illustrated by Niamh Sharkey
The Star Dogs
Roddy Doyle
Illustrated by Steve Simpson
First published in Great Britain and Ireland by HarperCollins Children’s Books and Fighting Words Ltd. as a story in Beyond the Stars: Twelve Tales of Adventure, Magic and Wonder
HarperCollins Children’s Books is a division of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd,
77-85 Fulham Palace Road, Hammersmith, London W6 8JB
Fighting Words Ltd. Company Registered Charity CHY 18262
Visit us on the web at
and
‘The Star Dogs’ text © Roddy Doyle 2014, illustrations © Steve Simpson 2014
Cover design © HarperCollins Children’s Books, Cover image © Shutterstock
Roddy Doyle and Steve Simpson assert the moral right to be identified as the author and illustrator of this work.
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this ebook onscreen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins ebooks and Fighting Words.
Visit our websites at: www.harpercollins.co.uk and www.fightingwords.ie
Source ISBN: 9780007578467
Ebook Edition © 2014 ISBN: 9780008103323
Version: 2014-09-15
CONTENTS
About the Author and Illustrator
Beyond the Stars is unique.
Why did twenty-three stellar children’s writers and illustrators band together to show their love and support for Fighting Words, a creative writing centre in the heart of Dublin city?
That’s easy. Because, like this book, Fighting Words is unique. As Roddy Doyle, the centre’s co-founder, says, “It’s a big bright room. In an area that needs a big bright room. In a climate that needs a big bright room.”
Fighting Words is a remarkable place that provides free tutoring in creative writing to all ages, but most especially to children and teenagers. It gives young writers a voice and helps them to reach their creative potential. And above all, it’s fun.
In January 2009 I volunteered at Fighting Words’ very first Primary School Workshop. The room was so full of creativity, joy and optimism I thought my heart would burst. With the help of a storyteller, an illustrator and a team of volunteers, each of the children involved wrote their own book. On the back of each book (every young writer was given their own copy to take home – complete with wonderful full-colour illustrations) was a photograph of the child’s smiling face and a blank box for them to add their very own writer’s biography. Leaving the centre, their faces shone with happiness.
Since that first workshop, I have volunteered at Fighting Words whenever I can. I have always left that big bright