Leader of the Pack (Scrapper #1) by Cam Higgins and Ariel Landy - ADVISABLE

Leader of the Pack (Scrapper #1) by Cam Higgins and Ariel Landy, 119 pages. CHAPTER BOOK. Little Simon, 2026. $8

Content: G

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SOME

Scrapper is a puppy that loves to play fetch with his owner, Hank. When Hank goes to school, Scrapper explores the woods near his home. One day Scrapper sees a monster in the forest. He decides to create a monster hunting pack. Will any of the animals want to join? Scrapper-Leader of the Pack is a spinoff from the series Good Dog. Scrapper is Bo's best puppy friend. Leader of the pack features easy to read language with illustrations on almost every page. It would be a good read for emerging readers, especially if they like the series Good Dog. Scrapper is a puppy; his owner Hank is presumably white.

Tracie, Elementary School Librarian 

Elvis & Romeo Go to Dog School by Jacky Davis and David Soman - ADVISABLE

Elvis & Romeo Go to Dog School (Ready to Read, level one) by Jacky Davis and David Soman. EARLY READER. Simon Spotlight, 2025. $19. 9781665947978

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: MANY

Elvis and Romeo are back, and it's their first day of dog school! The playful Romeo already knows how to "stay," but is nervous about learning how to catch a ball. Now, it's up to Elvis to help his young friend learn something new.

This is a great addition to the original Elvis and Romeo picture book. The text is a mix of speech bubbles and traditional narration. I wish there was a bit more of the dogs' fun personalities, but that would be hard to do with a low-level early reader.

Rachel, elementary school librarian 

The Trouble with Leo by Michele Assarasakorn and Nathan Fairbairn - ADVISABLE

The Trouble with Leo (PAWS #5) by Michele Assarasakorn and Nathan Fairbairn, 172 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL Putnam (Penguin), 2026. $13

Language: G (0 swears) Mature Content: G Violence: G

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: MANY

Gabby and the PAWS girls are doing well with their dog walking business. However, when Gabby refuses to let her former friend, Leo join the group, he decides to start his own dog walking business: SCAMPS. Gabby is incensed, and does everything she can to sabotage Leo and his friends' business. Both groups get drawn into a turf war that threatens both of their businesses.

The main characters range in age from 10-12 maybe. The illustrations are bright and colorful and easy to follow. Gabby is a flawed character who thinks she is always right, but readers can learn about listening and communicating from her. While there aren't a lot of surprises, the story will hook young readers, especially dog-lovers. No culture or race is specified, but the illustrations reflect various ethnic backgrounds.

Michelle in the Middle 

Elvis & Romeo Go to Dog School by Jacky Davis and David Soman - ADVISABLE

Elvis & Romeo Go to Dog School (Ready to Read, level one) by Jacky Davis and David Soman. EARLY READER. Simon Spotlight, 2025. $19. 9781665947978

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: MANY

Elvis and Romeo are back, and it's their first day of dog school! The playful Romeo already knows how to "stay," but is nervous about learning how to catch a ball. Now, it's up to Elvis to help his young friend learn something new. This is a great addition to the original Elvis and Romeo picture book. The text is a mix of speech bubbles and traditional narration. I wish there was a bit more of the dogs' fun personalities, but that would be hard to do with a low-level early reader.

Rachel, elementary school librarian 

Good Boy by Andy Hirsch - ADVISABLE

Good Boy by Andy Hirsch, 206 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL First Second (Macmillan), 2025. $15

Content: G

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Middle schooler Charlie is anxious. He was so worried about going to camp he threw up before he even got on the bus. So when his parent surprise him with a rescue dog, Charlie is determined to be more responsible and less worried about everything. Ralph is going to be his forever friend. When he follows Charlie to school, the main office secretary suggests he get involved with agility training. But Charlie listens to the voices in his head, he thinks he'll never be good enough.

A fun graphic novel for dog fans and the kids who need a confidence boost. The illustrations were marvelous!

Charlie is white.

Lisa Librarian 

Puggleton Park by Deanna Kizis, illustrated by Hannah Peck - OPTIONAL

Puggleton Park by Deanna Kizis, illustrated by Hannah Peck. CHAPTER BOOK. Penguin, 2024. $7 (pb). 9780593661246

Content: G

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

Penelope the pug just had to chase the squirrel but after the squirrel escapes, she realizes she has lost her Lady.  After a few days of living in the Park and looking for her, he is taken in by a lovely new Lady who is determined to help Penelope find her mistress, even though the new LAdy’s best friend thinks Penelope should be sent out of the city to a farm.

If your young readers are dog crazy, they might enjoy this.  It is sent in the London of high society parties filled with Lords and Ladies - out of touch for today’s readers.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

The Night Ride by J. Anderson Coats - ADVISABLE

 The Night Ride by J. Anderson Coats, 216 pages. Atheneum (Simon), 2021. $8 (paperback)

Content: G

BUYING ADVISORY: EL – ESSENTIAL; MS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: EL - HIGH; MS - AVERAGE

Sonnia is working hard at her family's pony ride business, taking turns with her sister. Sonnia saves all her money for the day she has enough money to buy beautiful Ricochet. She adores and loves the horse and spends every available moment with it. Life is hard for people in the village, often they do not have enough food to eat. By some good luck she is offered a job in the royal stables. She will live in the bunkhouse and get three meals a day and earn money. She works hard and spends every spare minute with Ricochet. The others working in the stables participate in The Night Ride - people in the village bet on the horses and the kids riding the winning horse gets the winning purse. A lot of money. At first Sonnia does not want to participate, She knows it is illegal, and she knows that the horses could get hurt riding through the forest in the dark. She worries somebody other than her will take beautiful Ricochet out for the night ride.

The setting for this story is a society during the Middle Ages. The characters are well written and believable. Sonnia has to make some very mature decisions, knowing that her life is on the line. I highly recommend this book, and I read it in one sitting! The characters are default white.

Ellen-Anita, Librarian 

Harvey Comes Home by Colleen Nelson and Tara Anderson - ADVISABLE

 Harvey Comes Home by Colleen Nelson, illustrated by Tara Anderson, 219 pages. Pajama Press, 2020. $18. 

Content: G

 BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE

 AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

 Harvey is a little West Highland Terrier, a Westie. He has a white coat and shiny, black eyes. He is healthy, happy and curious. He loves Maggie, his owner. Maggie and her family go on a vacation and arrange for someone to watch Harvey. When the door was left open and Harvey takes off and becomes hopelessly lost. Harvey is found by Austin, a young boy who volunteers at a retirement home. He brings Harvey there and one resident, Mr. Pickering, opens up to Austin and Harvey. Austin knows he should track down Harvey's real owner. He knows the real owner must miss Harvey a lot. 

 This was a wonderful and heartwarming story. I loved the story of Austin and Harvey and Mr. Pickering. I loved how Mr. Pickering looked forward to the afternoons when Austin and Harvery would come. I highly recommend this heartwarming book. I loved it.

 Ellen-Anita, LMS 

The One and Only Bob by Katherine Applegate - ESSENTIAL

The One and Only Bob (The One and Only Ivan #2) by Katherine Applegate, 352 pages. Harper Collins, 2020. $19 

Content: G. 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH 

When Bob was just a puppy, he was abandoned along the side of a road. He found shelter and companionship in a mall with a lowland gorilla named Ivan and a baby elephant Ruby - who were the central exhibit in the arcade there. When Ivan and Ruby are finally moved to a zoo, Bob, who is perfectly capable of taking care of himself, finds a real home with Julia, whose father works at the zoo. This allows Bob to still visit his friends on a regular basis. But on one visit, rain turns into a hurricane, damaging the zoo, endangering the animals and separating Bob from Ivan, Ruby and even Julia. 

 I am so glad to see this sequel! Picking up a few months after The One and Only Ivan ends, Bob fills in the gaps, reminds us what we need to remember and then takes us on an exciting adventure. I listened to the audiobook expertly narrated by Danny DeVito and am also buying the audiobook for my library. Thrilling, touching and very funny I know my students who love Ivan will be waiting in line for my copies.

Lisa Librarian

The Dog Who Lost His Bark by Eoin Colfer - ADVISABLE

The Dog Who Lost His Bark by Eoin Colfer, illustrated by P. J. Lynch, 134 pages. Candlewick Press, 2018. $17                  

Content: G      

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS  - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE       

A little dog has just about given up hope that there is a boy or a girl out there to love him best of all. He has suffered much abuse and has given up hope, and he has lost his ability to bark. Patrick and his grandpa rescues the little dog and Patrick names him Oz. It takes many days for Oz to even come out of his cage, he is so scared. Patrick is patient with him, and very kind. He discovers that Oz has a special gift, and uses that to coax him out of the cage.  

I loved this little story about Patrick and Oz. I loved how it shows that love can overcome hardships and difficulties. The friendship and bond that developed between Patrick and Oz was so well described. I felt like I was right there with them, rooting for both of them. The illustrations in the book are beautiful and full of emotion. They add a lot to the story, they show the emotion and feelings of Oz, Patrick, mom and grandpa so well. It was a great, good-feel book.            

Ellen-Anita, Librarian           

The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle by Leslie Connor - ESSENTIAL

The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle by Leslie Connor 326 pages Kathrine Tegen Books (Harper Collins), 2018 $17.00 Language: G (0 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (Peril, bullying)

BUYING ADVISORY: EL -ADVISABLE,  MS - ESSENTIAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH 

Mason Buttle is the biggest kid in his grade, but some of the other boys bully him relentlessly - especially Matty Drinker who lives on the other side of Mason's family's orchard. Now, a new boy has moved into town, and although he's the smallest in their grade, Mason and Calvin become fast friends, avoiding the bullies together. Almost 2 years ago, Mason's best friend Benny was killed, and the town policeman suspects Mason knows more than he's telling. 

Mason Buttle is a remarkable boy caught in a terrible situation. The characters are well developed, and the plot is suspenseful and tragic. I was hooked in the first chapter and could hardly put it down. The bullying is quite vicious, and the story is very, very sad, but if Leslie Connor continues to write these wonderful books, I'll continue to praise them.

Lisa Librarian

Wonderland by Barbara O’Connor - ADVISABLE

Wonderland by Barbara O’Connor, 280 pages. Farrar Straus, Giroux (Macmillan), 2018. $16.99. 

Language: G, Mature Content: G, Violence: G

BUYING ADVISORY:  EL, MS – ADVISABLE.

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Mavis is moving again. This time her mom has taken a job as housekeeper for a wealthy family in Alabama. Rose isn’t high and mighty like her mother, so she and Mavis hit it off well. Rose admires Mavis’ perky personality and together they pal around the neighborhood. When they hear there’s an old greyhound on the loose in the woods, they decide to capture him for the neighborhood gatekeeper who hasn’t been happy since his dog died. The plan backfires, and the dog they name Henry, is sent back to the Wonderland racetrack.

The chapter narration alternates between Mavis, Rose and Henry. Yes, Henry, the dog, narrates part of the book. This adds an element of fantasy which didn’t work for me. There is a bit of tug of war over whether this book wants to be more about friendship or dogs. Mavis’ character is executed beautifully, but the remaining cast needed more development. It doesn’t have the punch of either Wish or How to Steal a Dog, but it still has enough appeal to make the dog loving crowd happy.

Reviewer: Valerie McEnroe, Media Specialist

Our Dog Benji by Pete Carter - OPTIONAL

Our Dog Benji by Pete Carter, illustrated by James Henderson. PICTURE BOOK. EK Books (Exisle Publishing), 2017 $18.00.  

BUYING ADVISORY: EL—OPTIONAL

Benji the dog eats everything.  He anxiously awaits every meal and often travels around town looking for someone to share their food with him.  Benji loves everything from bugs to bones and green apples in the summer.  Benji's owner, a little boy, eats lots of things too, but not bugs or crumbs off the floor and especially not celery. 

This story is meant to encourage picky eaters to try new foods.  Although it talks about all the different kinds of foods the dog is willing to eat, it spends very little time on what the little boy eats. For a book meant to encourage a child to try new things it misses the mark a bit. 

Gina, Media Specialist

Code Word Courage by Kirby Larsen - ADVISABLE

Code Word Courage by Kirby Larson, 233 pages. Scholastic Press, 2018. $17.00.

Language: G (0 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (war violence, injuries)

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH



11-year old Billie lives with her Aunt in California.  It's early on in WWII, and her brother Leo has recently joined the Marines. He comes home from camp on a weekend pass with a friend, Denny.  Denny, a Navajo (Diné), finds an injured dog, Bear, along the way and leaves him with Billie.

I loved the two perspectives: the battle field and the home front. It was good to see the relation the families at home had to the war and to each other.  I also liked the realistic portrayal of the discrimination against Mexicans, and the conflict Denny faced choosing Diné or Marines.  You can't go wrong with a dog book, combine it with WWII and it will get plenty of readers.

Lisa Librarian  

Argos: Now in paperback!

Reprint of the student reviewer's original post:

Hardy, R.K. Argos: The story of Odysseus as told by his Dog, 382 pages. HarperCollins, 2016. $7.99.

Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG.

ARGOS is a noble and courageous dog and is very loyal to his master Odysseus. The master has been gone for a long time and his family is worried.  So Argos takes it upon himself to find his master. He gets help from a few of his animal friends to tell him where his master is.  He asks a Gull, 2 Turtles, and a Vulture. But even with all the stories he has heard from the animals he is still not sure where his master is.

The author uses the dog in such a unique way to tell the story, and after reading it you would surely feel the same sympathy that the dog feels for his master.  But not only that he makes sure to show both sides of all the characters, including the Mom, Son, and Dog. And so over all I think that the author know what he is doing and knows what people like. So I would highly recommend this book to anyone in 5-7 grade.

EL, MS – ADVISABLE.  Student Reviewer.  AM, 7^th grade

Orphaned by Eliot Schrefer - OPTIONAL

Orphaned by Eliot Schrefer, 336 pages.  Scholastic Press, OCTOBER 2018.  $19.

Langauge: G; Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (some deaths)

EL, MS – OPTIONAL. 

Snub lives the normal life of a silverback gorilla with Mother, Brother, Wrinkled, Teased, and their leader, Silverback.  First a new baby is born to mother, and Snub calls him Breath.  But then violent shaking and wildfires destroy their home. Snub and Breath are alone after Mother is attacked by a strange new group of beings – Snub calls them not-gorillas because while they have arms and legs and kind of move like Snub, they have no fur and their actions are incomprehensible. Snub even adopts one young not-gorilla who is abandoned by the group and calls it Orphan.

Schrefer reaches far back into history to look at the first interactions between man and gorilla. Because of the difficulty of writing through the eyes of a gorilla, the narrative is less compelling – less able to draw the reader into the story.  The interactions between Snub and the not-gorillas are short.  I applaud Schrefer’s bold choice  - to see through Snub’s eyes, but it is less likely that students will talk this one up with each other.

EL, MS – OPTIONAL. Cindy, Library Teacher

The Last Panther by Mitchell Todd - ADVISABLE

Todd, Mitchell The Last Panther, 241 pages. Delacorte Press, 2017. $20 Language: G (0 swears); Mature Content: G; Violence: G.

Eleven-year-old Kiri has always loved the wild. In her jungle home, she becomes really good friends with a fugee named Palo. Everything changes when they find a "once were" creature. Kiri and her da get kicked out of the village and are to never return. All she wants is to be accepted as a fugee and not a "waller girl."

I liked the description of the "once were" creatures. It was really fun trying to figure out what they were. I like how she runs into many problems and how she is able to solve them. Another thing I liked was her descriptions of her surroundings. I didn't like what the fugees did to the devi of the sea, or that Kiri and her da got kicked out. Overall, it was a good book.

EL, MS - ADVISABLE 7th Grade student reviewer RG

Wedgie & Gizmo by Suzanne Selfors - ADVISABLE

Selfors, Suzanne Wedgie and Gizmo, 166 pages. HarperCollins, 2017. $13. Language: (0 swears, 0 “f”) Mature Content: G Violence: G.

Wedgie is a dog and Gizmo is a guinea pig and they are part of a recently blended family.  Wedgie believes it is his job to guard and protect the family, but the new boy, Elliot doesn't seem to like him. Gizmo belongs to Elliot, but his cage was damaged in the move, so he is currently living in a modified Barbie house (until a new cage can be acquired). Gizmo sees himself as an evil genius, but a late night house exploration results in a trip to the vet when Gizmo eats too much.  Now, there's trouble between the siblings - blending a family is hard.

Told in alternating chapters from the pets point of view, this delightful story - which includes snippets of dialogue so the reader gets the family's perspective as well - is hilarious! I love the voice of the pets, Gizmo calls Elliott his human servant.   An easy read, accessible by those transitioning to longer chapter books, but clever enough for the older elementary student to also appreciate. 

EL - ADVISABLE Lisa Librarian

Ladybug Girl and the Rescue Dogs by David Woman - ADVISABLE

Soman, David and Jacky Davis Ladybug Girl and the Rescue Dogs. PICTURE BOOK. Dial Books for Young Readers (Penguin), 2018. $18. 9780399186400.

Ladybug Girl is at the farmer's market with her mom and Bingo. She is surprised to find a big group of dogs under a banner inviting people to adopt one of the animals. Though she cannot adopt a dog (Bingo is enough!), Ladybug Girl and her Bug Squad find ways to help and even advertise better so one of the dogs will be adopted into a new home.

This is a wonderful story showing kids taking initiative and being involved. I like that the story didn't go the cliche route of having Lulu adopt one of the dogs--rather it showed a more real story of letting the kids find a way to help even if they can't adopt. The story is simple, easy to relate to for kids, and the illustrations are (as usual) right on point. You cannot go wrong with a Ladybug Girl book when you want a strong female lead and an overall great story.

Pre-K, EL(K-3) - ADVISABLE. Reviewer: TC

Rescue and Jessica by Jessica Kensky - ESSENTIAL

Kensky, Jessica and Patrick Downes Rescue and Jessica: A Life-Changing Friendship, illustrated by Scott Magoon.  PICTURE BOOK. Candlewick, 2018.  $17.  9780763696047.

Jessica was badly injured and not only lost one of her legs, but both of them.  Rescue thought he was going to be a seeing-eye dog, but instead he became a service dog.  Together, Rescue and Jessica made a loving place for both of them to enjoy the world to its fullest.

Though the book shows a young Jessica with her family helping after her accident, this is based on the true story is Jessica and her husband Patrick who were both injured in the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombing and of their dog Rescue, who has helped them so much.  The couple wrote an excellent look at the relationship between a service dog and its companion.  What a great book to read aloud to a class.

EL (K-3), EL – ESSENTIAL.  Cindy, Library Teacher