Answers to Dog: (A Moving Tale of Friendship, Rescue, and Self-Discovery for Middle Grade Readers Ages 9-12)

National Book Award winner Pete Hautman explores a friendship like no other—and the universal truth that dogs make life better, especially for underdogs.

Evan doesn’t seem to fit in at school or at home. He goes out of his way to avoid attention. He sits at the back of the bus, keeps his head down in class, and keeps to himself. But when a burr-covered border collie—a survivor with a gut instinct about the Boy—starts following him around and joining him on his runs, Evan’s simple duck-and-dodge existence becomes a lot more complicated . . . a lot more like life. Evolving from wary companions to steadfast friends, Evan and the dog run fast and far together, thwart an abusive dog breeder and the school bully, and find the courage to stand up for themselves and to open up to those who matter most. Narrated in alternating viewpoints, this relatable contemporary novel with classic coming-of-age themes has all the hope, pathos, and emotional complexity that mark Pete Hautman’s books for middle-grade readers—and is a deeply satisfying read for animal lovers.

Pete Hautman is the author of many books for young adults, including the National Book Award winner Godless, the Klaatu Diskos trilogy, and Eden West. His middle-grade novels include The Rat Queen, Otherwood, winner of an Edgar Award, and Slider, which Booklist lauded for its “crystalline prose, delectable detail, rip-roaring humor, and larger-than-life characters.” Pete Hautman divides his time between Wisconsin and Minnesota.