Answers to Dog
by Pete Hautman
Middle School    Candlewick    240 pp.
10/24    9781536234886    $18.99
e-book ed.  9781536240061    $18.99

Two lonely souls—one human, one canine—find home in each other in Hautman’s (The Rat Queen, rev. 11/22, and others) latest novel. Eighth grader Evan Dunn is known for being a bit gloomy. “You’re such a sad sack,” a friend asserts. “You think things are going to be bad all the time.” Evan’s world shifts when a mysterious white dog, later identified as Samarkand, starts appearing daily in his driveway. Eventually, Samarkand leads Evan to the rundown and mismanaged kennel from which he escaped; Hautman doesn’t shy away from describing the abuse inflicted on the dogs living on the property. When an accident sends the kennel’s owner to the hospital, Evan finds himself, alongside new friend Hana, responsible for the dogs left behind. Alternating between Evan’s and the dog’s perspectives, the narrative follows the pair as they learn to trust each other and discover new joy and meaning in their lives. Evan and Hana’s compassion, as well as Samarkand’s endless tail-wagging, inspire hope for dog lovers and all readers.

From the ">September/October 2024 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.