An affecting emotional roller coaster chronicling a loyal dog’s last days with her human family.
A retired working dog protects and cares for her family until her dying breath in Hoyle’s middle-grade novel.
Retired North Carolina Fish and Wildlife Law Enforcement dog Ripley is a stalwart, loyal German shepherd who has dedicated herself to taking care of her young human, Charlie, as well as Charlie’s mom, Amelia, ever since Charlie’s father, Max, died five years ago. Sadly, Ripley can sense that she is nearing the end of her own life after she falls getting off of Charlie’s bed. The vet confirms that Ripley has osteosarcoma, devastating Charlie and her mother with the news. The two have been fairly isolated since Max’s death, and Ripley worries that her humans will not have enough support after she’s gone. As the dog and her family check items off a bucket list of the former’s favorite activities, like chasing sandpipers at the beach, they find themselves truly reckoning not only with her death, but Max’s as well. Charlie and Amelia both start to make new friends, including a boy named Nathan who is dealing with the recent loss of his mother. There is no rest for the weary—Ripley must unofficially return to duty to protect her humans from dangerous poachers who threaten the preserve where Amelia works. This tearjerking middle-grade novel is the passionate and tender fourth installment in Hoyle’s canine-centric bibliography, following Millie (2024). Written in the first person from Ripley’s point of view, the narrative roots itself in sensory details, such as the “nervous chemicals [that] tint [Charlie’s] breath” when Ripley falls and the physical strain of the family’s financial woes (“I don’t know what it is about the word money, but it always makes my girls tense and their words stiff”). Peppered throughout are Tarkela’s black-and-white digital illustrations, which are proficient but less emotionally evocative or memorable than the story itself.
An affecting emotional roller coaster chronicling a loyal dog’s last days with her human family.Pub Date: Sept. 2, 2025
ISBN: 9781639934164
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Review Posted Online: Aug. 27, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant.
Robot Roz undertakes an unusual ocean journey to save her adopted island home in this third series entry.
When a poison tide flowing across the ocean threatens their island, Roz works with the resident creatures to ensure that they will have clean water, but the destruction of vegetation and crowding of habitats jeopardize everyone’s survival. Brown’s tale of environmental depredation and turmoil is by turns poignant, graceful, endearing, and inspiring, with his (mostly) gentle robot protagonist at its heart. Though Roz is different from the creatures she lives with or encounters—including her son, Brightbill the goose, and his new mate, Glimmerwing—she makes connections through her versatile communication abilities and her desire to understand and help others. When Roz accidentally discovers that the replacement body given to her by Dr. Molovo is waterproof, she sets out to seek help and discovers the human-engineered source of the toxic tide. Brown’s rich descriptions of undersea landscapes, entertaining conversations between Roz and wild creatures, and concise yet powerful explanations of the effect of the poison tide on the ecology of the island are superb. Simple, spare illustrations offer just enough glimpses of Roz and her surroundings to spark the imagination. The climactic confrontation pits oceangoing mammals, seabirds, fish, and even zooplankton against hardware and technology in a nicely choreographed battle. But it is Roz’s heroism and peacemaking that save the day.
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant. (author’s note) (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9780316669412
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2023
A pleasing premise for book lovers.
A fantasy-loving bookworm makes a wonderful, terrible bargain.
When sixth grader Poppy Woodlock’s historic preservationist parents move the family to the Oregon coast to work on the titular stately home, Poppy’s sure she’ll find magic. Indeed, the exiled water nymph in the manor’s ruined swimming pool grants a wish, but: “Magic isn’t free. It cosssts.” The price? Poppy’s favorite book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. In return she receives Sampson, a winged lion cub who is everything Poppy could have hoped for. But she soon learns that the nymph didn’t take just her own physical book—she erased Narnia from Poppy’s world. And it’s just the first loss: Soon, Poppy’s grandmother’s journal’s gone, then The Odyssey, and more. The loss is heartbreaking, but Sampson’s a wonderful companion, particularly as Poppy’s finding middle school a tough adjustment. Hartman’s premise is beguiling—plenty of readers will identify with Poppy, both as a fellow bibliophile and as a kid struggling to adapt. Poppy’s repeatedly expressed faith that unveiling Sampson will bring some sort of vindication wears thin, but that does not detract from the central drama. It’s a pity that the named real-world books Poppy reads are notably lacking in diversity; a story about the power of literature so limited in imagination lets both itself and readers down. Main characters are cued White; there is racial diversity in the supporting cast. Chapters open with atmospheric spot art. (This review has been updated to reflect the final illustrations.)
A pleasing premise for book lovers. (Fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: May 2, 2023
ISBN: 9780316448222
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023
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