Luna Howls at the Moon: A Middle Grade Dog Story About a Therapy Animal's Quest Across Austin for Kids (Ages 8-12)

The award-winning author of A Dog Like Daisy returns with a moving middle grade novel from the point of view of Luna, a Labrador therapy dog who accompanies her group therapy kids when they set off on an adventure across Austin, Texas.

Luna has always wanted to be a therapy dog at Therapy Dogs Worldwide. Now she’s a whisker away from reaching her fifty-visit pin that will make it official. But when her “clients”—the children who visit her—are put into a therapy group, Luna’s routine is upended.

Like the moon, Luna shows different faces at different times. And her clients each have different needs—Beatrice is tangled in knots of anger, Caleb rushes like a waterfall, Amelia carries fear heavy like a shadow, and Hector is quiet as a rock. To comfort the kids, Luna can be what they need her to be, but can she be everything to them all at once?

When Hector doesn’t show up to a session one day, the kids set off on an unexpected quest to find him. Luna joins to keep them safe, and they must work together to almost learn the truth.

* Banks Street Best Children's Books of the Year *

• A Therapy Dog’s Point of View: Meet Luna, a silver Lab who feels every knot of anger and shadow of fear from the kids in her group. When her pack runs away, she must choose between her official training and her heart.
• Unlikely Heroes: A girl tangled in anger, a boy who rushes like a waterfall, and a girl who carries fear like a shadow. To find their friend Hector, they must rely on each other and their four-legged guardian.
• Emotional Growth and Empathy: This moving story gently explores themes of anger, anxiety, trauma, and grief, offering a perfect conversation starter for families about navigating big feelings.
• An Adventure Through Austin: From the famous bat bridge to the trails of Zilker Park, the kids’ quest takes them on an unforgettable journey across the one-of-a-kind city of Austin, Texas.

Kristin O'Donnell Tubb is the author of The Decomposition of Jack; Luna Howls at the Moon; Zeus, Dog of Chaos; the Story Collector series; A Dog Like Daisy; and other middle grade titles. She lives near Nashville, TN, with her bouncy-loud family. Just like her two dogs, she can be bribed with cheese. You can visit her online at kristintubb.com.