Smart Dog: A Talking Dog Adventure About Friendship and Danger for Children (Ages 10-12)

Amy Prochenko is only in fifth grade, but she already has a sixth grader's problems: She is wildly unpopular, she is the target of prissy Kaitlyn Walker's nastiness, and everyone thinks she and the dweebiest boy in class are an item. Then one day Amy meets Sherlock, a dog on the run from a university lab. Sherlock is not like other dogs: He can talk, he's smarter than most of Amy's classmates--and he needs Amy's help. Suddenly Amy's life is full of danger and excitement, and she finds she is becoming, of all things, popular. Best of all, she finds in Sherlock the sort of friend she's always longed for--the sort of friend she must protect no matter what the cost.

• A Top-Secret Science Experiment: Sherlock isn’t just any dog—he’s a runaway science experiment who can talk, use a computer, and is desperately trying to escape the scientists who want to dissect his brain.
• An Unlikely Friendship: For unpopular fifth-grader Amy Prochenko, finding a friend like Sherlock is a dream come true. But hiding a talking dog is harder than it looks.
• Funny School Story: Navigating fifth grade is tough enough without having a secret pet, especially when the school’s meanest girl, Kaitlyn Walker, has her sights set on you.
• Heartwarming and Humorous: Perfect for young readers who love funny, fast-paced adventures about loyalty, standing up for what’s right, and the incredible bond between a girl and her very, very smart dog.

Vivian Vande Velde has written many books for teen and middle grade readers, including Heir Apparent, User Unfriendly, All Hallow's Eve: 13 Stories, Three Good Deeds, Now You See It ..., and the Edgar Award–winning Never Trust a Dead Man. She lives in Rochester, New York. Visit her website at www.vivianvandevelde.com.