In the town of Upson Downs in country Australia, Annie Shearer and her adopted stray dog, Runt, are quite the pair. Annie is a unique and intelligent girl with a strong set of values, and Runt is a remarkably fast and agile dog, who’s perfect at herding sheep on Annie’s family’s farm.

When the Shearer’s farm is put in danger by a greedy, remorseless local landowner intent on buying up as many farms in Upson Downs as he can, Annie stumbles on a plan that might save them. She and Runt qualify for a prestigious dog show all the way across the world in London, with a first-place cash prize that would change the Shearer’s lives. The only problem is, Runt only obeys Annie’s commands when no one else is watching, and with the huge crowd that the Krumpets Dog Show usually attracts, Annie isn’t sure if they can pull it off …

Runt is a quaint and wholesome tale about community, companionship and staying true to who you are. The Shearer family members are full of humour and love; through them, Craig Silvey conveys a beautiful message about finding your passion and supporting others to do the same. For ages 8+.

Celeste Deliyiannis is from Readings Emporium