Book picks similar to
Walking the Dog by Linda Benson
middle-grade
suspense-mystery
steph-wtr
stephanie-s
How to (Almost) Ruin Your Summer
Taryn Souders - 2016
The spiders (wayyyy too many legs)2. King Arthur (a rampaging goat intent on my destruction)3. Victoria a.k.a The Diva (an evil cabin mate obsessed with French beauty products and my humiliation)Chloe McCorkle knew a summer camp where you had to learn a career was a bad idea. She tried to tell her parents, but they just had to go on vacation to Alaska and ship her off for two weeks. It's not ideal, but she's going to try to make the best of it. She might even learn some skills that will help her make money for the new bike she's been eyeing. But Chloe quickly discovers there's only one area at which she excels; she manages to get more demerits than anyone else in camp...
Abby Spencer Goes to Bollywood
Varsha Bajaj - 2014
She just never imagined he would be a huge film star--in Bollywood! Now she's traveling to Mumbai to get to know her famous father. Abby is overwhelmed by the culture clash, the pressures of being the daughter of India's most famous celebrity, and the burden of keeping her identity a secret. But as she learns to navigate her new surroundings, she just might discover where she really belongs.
The Rescue
Nicholas Edwards - 2009
Night after night, she’s being sucked under -- until the third night. She realizes it’s not just a dream. It’s really happening to someone -- or something. On the rocky shore outside her house, Emily finds a large dog. He’s barely alive, but she’s determined to save him. She can feel his pain -- and his determination to live.The dog is brought to the vet. And with Emily’s help, he starts to improve. But is the bond between the girl and her dog something more? She can see what he sees, feel what he feels. And Zack seems to be able to read her mind, too. Is it possible that together, Emily and Zack can do more than read each other’s minds? Can they turn their powers to helping other people?Nicholas Edwards is a pen name of Ellen Emerson White
The Pages Between Us
Lindsey Leavitt - 2016
Two best friends separated by conflicting middle-school class schedules vow to keep their closeness alive through the pages of a notebook, and its pages become a lifeline, with the power either to bring them together or tear them apart.
A Messy, Beautiful Life
Sara Jade Alan - 2017
And not always the ha, ha kind. Like that one time where a hot guy tried to kiss me and I fell. Down. Hard. And then found out I had cancer. I’m trying to be strong for my friends and my mom. And I’m trying so hard to be “just friends” with that hot guy, even though he seems to want so much more. But I won’t do that to him. He’s been through this before with his family, and I’m not going to let him watch me die. So, I tell myself: Smile Ellie. Be funny Ellie. Don’t cry Ellie, because once I start, I might not stop.
Star Crossed
Jordan Taylor - 2013
When Tom suggests adopting a puppy, Liz is unconvinced. She isn't looking for a substitute. Then she discovers puppy raisers: the behind-the-scenes volunteers of the service dog world. The commitment is only for a year, not a lifetime, with help along the way from the organization through the joys and challenges of a new puppy. It all seems perfect. Perfect until it's time to say goodbye....
Stories in the Angel Paws series celebrate the unique bond between canines and humans with heartfelt, moving, and insightful tales for anyone who has ever loved a dog.
Crashing Down
Kate McCaffrey - 2014
The last thing she needs now is an intense boyfriend. Breaking up with Carl feels like the only way to keep her dreams on track.But good decisions can have bad consequences. And leaving Carl is going to be a whole lot harder than Lucy could ever have imagined.The latest novel from the best-selling author of Destroying Avalon.
The Goat
Anne Fleming - 2017
Rumor says there’s a goat living on the roof, but how can that be?
My Boyfriends' Dogs: The Tales of Adam and Eve and Shirley
Dandi Daley Mackall - 2010
Louis, Bailey Daley finds refuge in an after-hours diner. Bailey, a girl with three dogs in tow, wearing a soaking-wet prom dress, obviously has a story to tell. See, she wants what every girl wants from her boyfriend: enthusiasm, loyalty, and unconditional love. And Bailey is always falling in love - with boys, and with their dogs. And each of her dogs came from a relationship that didn't quite work out. But don't worry: in this fun, clean romance, true love is never far away - it just waits until you stop looking for it.
Lety Out Loud
Angela Cervantes - 2019
She loves volunteering at the Furry Friends Animal Shelter because the dogs and cats there don't care if she can't always find the right word. When the shelter needs a volunteer to write animal profiles, Lety jumps at the chance. But grumpy classmate Hunter also wants to write profiles -- so now they have to work as a team. Hunter's not much of a team player, though. He devises a secret competition to decide who will be the official shelter scribe. Whoever helps get their animals adopted the fastest wins. The loser scoops dog food.Lety reluctantly agrees, but she's worried that if the shelter finds out about the contest, they'll kick her out of the volunteer program. Then she'll never be able to adopt Spike, her favorite dog at the shelter!
Woof
Spencer Quinn - 2015
Bowser is a very handsome and only slightly slobbery dog, and he can smell lots of things. Like bacon. And rawhide chews! And the sweat on humans when they're lying.Birdie Gaux, the girl Bowser lives with, also knows something is wrong. It's not just that her grammy's stuffed prize marlin has been stolen. It's the weird rumor that the marlin is linked to a missing treasure. It's the truck that seems to be following Birdie and the bad feeling on the back of her neck. When Birdie and Bowser start digging into the mystery, not even Bowser's powerful sniffer can smell just how menacing the threat is. And when the danger comes straight for Birdie, Bowser knows it is up to him to sic 'em.
Spotting for Nellie
Pamela Lowell - 2009
It can be the difference between sticking a perfect landing or falling off the beam. It can be the difference between a really fun party or a totally messed up one. Or sometimes, as Claire finds out, it can even be the difference between life . . . or death. For Claire’s younger sister, Nellie, an elite gymnast who is "destined for gold," things have always come easy. A split second is usually all it takes to capture the attention of a boy at a party, and the judges at a meet, or their critical father — everyone. Then one night, one decision, one split second — changes their world forever. The two sisters get into a car accident that leaves one of them with a traumatic brain injury. Now, the sisters will have to figure out what’s worth fighting for and what are the limits of guilt, forgiveness, and sisterhood. Memories will come crashing back and secrets will come to light — whether they’re ready for them . . . or not.
Cheese: A Combo of Oggie Cooder and Oggie Cooder, Party Animal
Sarah Weeks - 2016
It's not just for a snack -- Oggie is an excellent charver. (Charving is when you chew a piece of cheese to carve it in the shape of something.) The kids at school think Oggie's charving is a little strange. But when a big TV show comes looking for people with unusual talents, Oggie is suddenly Mr. Popular. Can Oggie charve a path to fame and score an invite to the party of the year without melting under the pressure? No matter how you slice it, you're going to laugh when you read about one small kid becoming a really big cheese, in this hilarious combination of Oggie Cooder and Oggie Cooder, Party Animal.
Jersey Tomatoes are the Best
Maria Padian - 2011
Both Henry and Eva are New Jersey natives and excellent athletes: Henry's a master on the tennis court and Eva is a graceful ballerina. When opportunity knocks for both of them the summer before their junior year in high school they throw open the door: Henry sees freedom from her overbearing father and a chance to build her talents on the court. Eva sees the chance to be the best as well as even more pressure to be graceful, lighter, more perfect on the dancefloor. Soon, Eva's obsession with physical perfection leads her down the path to anorexia, and her health issues overwhelm everything else. But through it all these two best friends know that Jersey Tomatoes are the Best, and nothing will come between them no matter the distance.
The Lonely Heart of Maybelle Lane
Kate O'Shaughnessy - 2020
Eleven-year-old Maybelle Lane collects sounds. She records the Louisiana crickets chirping, Momma strumming her guitar, their broken trailer door squeaking. But the crown jewel of her collection is a sound she didn't collect herself: an old recording of her daddy's warm-sunshine laugh, saved on an old phone's voicemail. It's the only thing she has of his, and the only thing she knows about him.Until the day she hears that laugh--his laugh--pouring out of the car radio. Going against Momma's wishes, Maybelle starts listening to her radio DJ daddy's new show, drinking in every word like a plant leaning toward the sun. When he announces he'll be the judge of a singing contest in Nashville, she signs up. What better way to meet than to stand before him and sing with all her heart?But the road to Nashville is bumpy. Her starch-stiff neighbor Mrs. Boggs offers to drive her in her RV. And a bully of a boy from the trailer park hitches a ride too. These are not the people May would have chosen to help her, but it turns out they're searching for things too. And the journey will bond them into the best kind of family--the kind you choose for yourself.