Ready for a high-stakes adventure involving a stealthy army of dogs, a vengeful wolf and an authoritative grizzly bear? Jump right into The Junkyard, a multi-award-winning middle-grade fantasy by Bryan Reilly. Enter to win a signed paperback copy, along with a $50 Amazon gift card and a $50 Barnes & Noble gift card!
My Review:
Revolving around a diverse cast of talking animals, The Junkyard presents an action-packed, heart-wrenching and thought-provoking story about survival, bravery, leadership, friendship, family and freedom.
The junkyard is not just a place for damaged cars, discarded appliances and waste tires. It's home to two groups of stray dogs, one led by a kind German Shepherd named Dodge and the other by a ruthless Rottweiler called Saab. To stay fed and alive in the yard is no easy task.
Mr. Fergusen, the bloodthirsty owner of the junkyard collects abandoned dogs and forces them to fight for his pleasure and profit. Sick of this deadly fighting game, pit bull Ninja fakes her defeat and gets deserted outside the fence as easy prey for wandering wolves. Dodge and his friends save her life and enlist her help to deter Saab from sabotaging the safety of all the survivors in hiding. The one-eared wolf Canis kidnaps Dodge's son Fiat for revenge while Saab takes the opportunity to expand his territory. What does it take to bring Fiat home and restore peace in the junkyard?
Woven through multiple threads linked to different characters, the narrative is perfectly paced to hold the reader's interest until the very last page. It'd be a challenge to put the book down halfway without worrying about the fates of those courageous yet vulnerable canines. The book's picturesque descriptions give the feel of a film while the characters are easy to relate to and emphasize with, given their human-like emotions and connections.
The struggle for survival in the junkyard and the fighting ring feels so real and heartrending. The solid friendship marked with trust, loyalty and sacrifice seems all the more precious under the circumstances. Seeing that love and kindness can outpower greed and cruelty gives us hope and confidence. The story may also spark meaningful conversations about leadership skills, the fight for freedom, and family values. The colorful, realistic drawings that accompany the text help readers recognize the characters and understand their actions in important scenes.
Expertly crafted and expressively illustrated, The Junkyard is one exhilarating read that dog lovers and adventure lovers don't want to miss.
About the Book:
Ages: 8-12 | 192 Pages
Publisher: Bryan Reilly (2026) | ISBN-13: 979-8903103942
Ninja is a pit bull who would rather die than hurt another dog. When she purposefully loses in the fighting ring of a cruel junkyard owner, Mr. Fergusen, she is punished and left for dead at the edge of a nearby forest. A tribe of stray junkyard dogs finds her and gives her a new name, Maytag. They nurse her back to health and welcome her into their secret home inside the northern junkyard’s mountains of wrecked cars, appliances, tires, and trains. For the first time, Maytag feels love and is incredibly relieved to be free of Mr. Fergusen’s fighting ring.
But her relief is short-lived.
Saab, the aggressive Rottweiler of the southern junkyard, plans to conquer the north with the help of a vengeful forest wolf. If the junkyard becomes a warzone, Mr. Fergusen will surely take the strays to the put-down place. When Saab’s plan is set in motion, Maytag must decide if her new friends are worth fighting for.
Purchase links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
About the Author:
Bryan Reilly is a marketing copywriter, content creator, and author of The Junkyard, an award-winning middle-grade fantasy that explores kindness as courage, compassion, and found family. His love for movies and books such as Watership Down by Richard Adams and The Body by Stephen King inspired The Junkyard, which began as an emotional pen-to-paper reaction to Star Wars: Episode I.
Bryan started ‘writing for his livelihood’ in 2005, after using corporate severance money to rent a New York City loft for the Unpublished Underground, an art gallery for aspiring writers. Opening and running an ‘underground loft’ was truly a unique experience. He learned how to edit collaboratively, bind and promote materials, and bid a hasty farewell to corporate severance money!
Bryan lives in Connecticut with his wife, son, and story-inspiring pit bull mix.
Learn more at thejunkyardbook.com.
Connect: Instagram | Facebook | TikTok
About the Illustrator:
Rich Denver is a professional illustrator, graphic designer, dog owner, and Navy veteran. He served in the U.S. Submarine fleet under the ice of the North Pole and has a unique appreciation for the tight spaces and camaraderie enjoyed by the dogs of The Junkyard.
One lucky Grand Prize winner will receive a signed paperback copy of The Junkyard, a $50 Amazon gift card and a $50 Barnes & Noble gift card!
Three additional winners will each receive a signed paperback copy of The Junkyard!
Giveaway ends 11/1. Open to US 18+ only. Please click on the image below to access the entry form. Good luck!
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Bryan Reilly. All views and opinions expressed are my own. icefairy's Treasure Chest is not responsible for winner selection or prize fulfillment.
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