BABY

Baby has just arrived at the Potters’ home in New Hampshire, cynical about her caseworker Cindy and the entire foster system, and hopeful that her mother or her boyfriend Bobby will come to the rescue. Fred and Mary Potter live a simple life off the land, racing dogs in the pristine snows of New England. Baby has a natural affinity for one dog in particular, pure white Alaskan husky Laika. Through Laika’s affection and the Potters’ unconditional acceptance, Baby finds peace and healing after an unsuccessful attempt to return to the life she once knew. Flashbacks to Baby’s earlier years are incorporated into the narrative well, although forward momentum suffers considerably when dog stories from around the world are introduced. The prose style is spare, evoking the harsh winter landscape. A new setting for a somewhat familiar theme. (Fiction. YA)