★“A small dog, the elderly woman who owns him, and a homeless girl come together to create a tale of serendipity. Entrancing and uplifting.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Evoking innocent and energetic doggy-ish dedication, love, and longing…this title is an excellent book for raising awareness and empathy.” — School Library Journal
“Timely, important, and truly beautiful.” — Katherine Applegate, Newbery Medal–winning author
PRAISE FOR A Pup Called Trouble : ★ “An enthralling adventure with emotional heft and read-aloud potential. Fans of Kate DiCamillo, Phyllis Naylor, and E. B. White will treasure Pyron’s book.” — ALA Booklist (starred review)
“A fast-paced, immersive exploration of urban wildlife from a satisfying animal point of view.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Based on real-life instances of coyotes inhabiting Central Park, Pyron’s tale deftly navigates the animal adventure genre with a lively voice. Readers will be captivated.” — School Library Journal
“A sweet tale about something we all yearn for, whether we’re four-footed or two-footed: friendship and a place to call home.” — bestselling author Suzanne Selfors
PRAISE FOR A Dog’s Way Home : “In the tradition of The Incredible Journey and Lassie Come-Home comes a heartwarming, suspenseful tale. An inspiring portrayal of devotion and survival against all odds.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
PRAISE FOR A Pup Called Trouble : ★ “An enthralling adventure with emotional heft and read-aloud potential. Fans of Kate DiCamillo, Phyllis Naylor, and E. B. White will treasure Pyron’s book.
ALA Booklist (starred review)
A sweet tale about something we all yearn for, whether we’re four-footed or two-footed: friendship and a place to call home.
bestselling author Suzanne Selfors
Timely, important, and truly beautiful.
A sweet tale about something we all yearn for, whether we’re four-footed or two-footed: friendship and a place to call home.
08/01/2019
Gr 4–7— Interwoven chapters alternate between an 11-year-old girl whose family arrives at a shelter in Salt Lake City, and a young dog who belongs to another homeless person. The human protagonist, Piper, narrates her close-knit family's situation and their interactions with helpful people and programs in an engaging, warm, and upbeat voice. While she briefly touches upon her own sadness and embarrassment about being homeless, Piper focuses on her advocacy for Baby, the dog. Because of mental illness and her refusal to give up her dog, Baby's human, Jewell, can't take advantage of many of the services offered to Piper's family. Baby's chapters are written in a semi-lyrical style from a third-person omniscient point of view, evoking innocent and energetic doggy-ish dedication, love, and longing. Although sad and unjust situations abound, Pyron keeps a light touch and focuses on the positive. She keeps a secular perspective while acknowledging the roles of various Christian programs, and fulfills Piper's need for belonging with a Girl Scout–like group. Jewell, Piper, and Piper's family are all white; people of color are depicted among secondary characters. VERDICT This title is an excellent book for raising awareness and empathy.—Rhona Campbell, Georgetown Day School, Washington, DC
Kathleen McInerney narrates most of this story about homelessness, pets, and modern life. Kirby Heyborne impeccably portrays Baby, the loving and lovable dog owned by homeless Jewel Knight. Listeners will accompany the Trudeau family as they move into Hope House, join the endless lines for food and clothing, and try to remain optimistic. Twelve-year-old Piper notices Jewel, who’s turned away from the soup kitchen because of her dog. As Jewel goes into a hospital, McInerney conveys each person realistically, including how they help each other despite their poverty, while Heyborne depicts Baby’s heartbreak as he enters a shelter. The most endearing and admirable creation is Piper, who with her fellow Firefly troop, sells brownies to help Jewel and Baby. The conclusion is both satisfying and believable. S.G.B. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
DECEMBER 2019 - AudioFile
Kathleen McInerney narrates most of this story about homelessness, pets, and modern life. Kirby Heyborne impeccably portrays Baby, the loving and lovable dog owned by homeless Jewel Knight. Listeners will accompany the Trudeau family as they move into Hope House, join the endless lines for food and clothing, and try to remain optimistic. Twelve-year-old Piper notices Jewel, who’s turned away from the soup kitchen because of her dog. As Jewel goes into a hospital, McInerney conveys each person realistically, including how they help each other despite their poverty, while Heyborne depicts Baby’s heartbreak as he enters a shelter. The most endearing and admirable creation is Piper, who with her fellow Firefly troop, sells brownies to help Jewel and Baby. The conclusion is both satisfying and believable. S.G.B. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
DECEMBER 2019 - AudioFile
★ 2019-04-10
Piper, almost 12, her parents, and her younger brother are at the bottom of a long slide toward homelessness. Finally in a family shelter, Piper finds that her newfound safety gives her the opportunity to reach out to someone who needs help even more. Jewel, mentally ill, lives in the park with her dog, Baby. Unwilling to leave her pet, and forbidden to enter the shelter with him, she struggles with the winter weather. Ree, also homeless and with a large dog, helps when she can, but after Jewel gets sick and is hospitalized, Baby's taken to the animal shelter, and Ree can't manage the complex issues alone. It's Piper, using her best investigative skills, who figures out Jewel's backstory. Still, she needs all the help of the shelter Firefly Girls troop that she joins to achieve her accomplishment: to raise enough money to provide Jewel and Baby with a secure, hopeful future and, maybe, with their kindness, to inspire a happier story for Ree. Told in the authentic alternating voices of loving child and loyal dog, this tale could easily slump into a syrupy melodrama, but Pyron lets her well-drawn characters earn their believable happy ending, step by challenging step, by reaching out and working together. Piper, her family, and Jewel present white; Pyron uses hair and naming convention, respectively, to cue Ree as black and Piper's friend Gabriela as Latinx.
Entrancing and uplifting. (Fiction. 9-12)
