Dog Circus Block Party

by Lori Lobenstine, Il Sung Na (Illustrator)

Overview

Fans of Jeanne Birdsall’s The Penderwicks and Karina Yan Glaser’s The Vanderbeekers will be delighted by the Barking Puppy series.

When Mr. O’Connor, an anti-dog financier, moves in across the street from Sophie and Juno, the writers of the Barking Puppy newspaper, they are not slow to butt heads. To make matters worse, when their plans to host a dog circus for their annual block party go awry and their school faces closure, the girls suspect Mr. O’Connor may have something to do with it. Will Sophie and Juno be able to keep their school open and bridge the gap between humans and dogs through their creativity and doggy publications?

 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781646146338
Publisher:	Levine Querido
Publication date:	08/04/2026
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 7.75(h) x 0.98(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Lori Lobenstine and her goddaughter, Sophie Canon, have been collaborating on the original Barking Puppy newspaper since Sophie was ten years old. Her first children’s book was the opening volume of this series, The Barking Puppy. Lori lives in Jamaica Plain, MA. She is proud of having been editor in chief of her fourth-grade newspaper back in the day. For more on Lori and Sophie's real life Barking Puppy adventures, check out thebarkingpuppy.com. 

Il Sung Na has illustrated several acclaimed books, including The Barking Puppy, Welcome Home, Bear, and My Tree. Currently based in Kansas City, he teaches illustration courses at the Kansas City Art Institute. In his downtime, Il Sung hits the flea markets to expand his collection of old and interesting items, which he then takes home to show off to his wife and small dog.

Editorial Reviews

2025-02-15
With friends, dogs, and a little bit of initiative, there’s no challenge too big to overcome.

Eleven-year-old Sophie, her mom, and their beloved pups are moving from rural Vermont to Boston for her mom’s work and to be closer to Sophie’s godmother, Lori. Despite her nerves about entering a new school, Sophie’s looking forward to meeting neighborhood humans and dogs and, as the child of a white mom and Black dad, no longer being the only brown girl at school. Soon after they arrive, Sophie meets a teenage neighbor named Juno, who presents white, and her pug, Bonney. Bonney has a “compromised respiratory system,” and she might need a pricey surgery that Juno’s family can’t afford. The girls use canine alter egos to create theBarking Puppy, a funny newspaper “by and for dogs.” Sophie’s mom suggests that they parlay their creativity into a fundraiser for Bonney by selling the papers. Apart from some rudeness from a grouchy neighbor, the adults in the story are helpful and supportive, making this an emotionally reassuring read. Kid-friendly illustrations nicely break up the text, making this a good choice for readers who are building their chapter-book stamina. This feel-good dog story (inspired by the experiences of the author’s goddaughter) includes some conversations around identity that will invite opportunities for discussion, as when Sophie and Lori, who’s white and gay, talk about their shared experiences of feeling isolated and alone.

A gentle family- and community-centered read that dog lovers will lap right up. (photos)(Fiction. 7-11)

Kirkus Reviews