Sidekick Short: Answers to Dog (2024) by Pete Hautman

cover image of Answers to Dog by Pete Hautman, published by Candlewick Press, 2024.

The Basics

Page Length: 240

Audiobook Length: ~5 hours

Grade Level: 4+

Goodreads Score: 4.13 out of 5

Buy it HERE

Setting: Contemporary small town

Genre: Middle Grade Contemporary Fiction, Coming of Age

Topics: Bullies, Animal Abuse, Running, Friendship, Belonging

Plot: Evan is a runner. He loves running as far and as fast as his feet can carry him, but that applies to his emotions, too. He runs from his problems: his strained relationship with his mom, the bullies at school, and the feelings he can’t quite name.

Everything changes the day a scruffy, stray border collie follows him to school. The dog seems to have a good feeling about Evan—and it turns out, he’s right. When Evan helps the dog escape from an abusive, alcoholic puppy mill owner, an unlikely friendship begins. The dog gives Evan the courage to stop running from his problems and start facing them head-on.

Their bond leads to new friendships, a showdown with the school bully, and the slow mending of Evan’s relationship with his mom. Now, Evan isn’t running away anymore. He’s running with someone toward something better.

Themes: Grief and healing, Protecting the helpless, Loneliness and friendship

You might like this book if you like:

• Animals! Especially dogs. This books if for all pet people and animal lovers.

• Books like The Eyes and the Impossible, Rain Reign, Buddy, Wonderland

• Shows like The Healing Powers of Dude, Teacher's Pet, Best Foot Forward

• Movies like Because of Winn-Dixie, A Dog's Purpose, Marley and Me

  
  

Other books written by this author: Godless, Rash, Slider, Otherwood

Book Talk Read Aloud Section

*What is a book talk? (Watch a how to video here. Read my blog post here)

If you have the physical book, read chapter 1 (pages 1-4)

If you don't, read pages1-4 in the Kindle reading sample here.