Something Like Home by Andrea Beatriz Arango

Something Like Home by Andrea Beatriz Arango is a touching story about a 12 year old girl who has been separated from her parents by child services. It is also a Rhode Island Children's Book Nominee. As Laura tries to get used to living with her Aunt, we read along in simple verse structure about how lonely and sad she feels. 

Fortunately she makes a few friends that help her. She finds a puppy and brings him home with her. Will her aunt let her keep him? It's obvious that he needs love and Laura might be the perfect person to care for him. Sometimes caring for an animal helps us deal with our own overwhelming feelings.

By Mrs. Castro

Ellie's Story: A Dog's Purpose Novel by W. Bruce Cameron

Ellie's Story: A Dog's Purpose Novel by W. Bruce Cameron is a 2017 RICBA nominee. You may have heard of the bestseller A Dog's Purpose? Well, this is the same story, same author, but adapted for young readers. It is about a dog named Ellie, who becomes a search and rescue dog. The story is told from the point of view of the dog. I personally am not crazy about adaptations, and was a little disappointed by the writing in this book. What I can say positively is that the book does a great job informing the reader about the training that a search and rescue dog goes through to become good at their work. If you are crazy about dogs and curious about search and rescue dog training, you will love it.

Mrs. Castro