Gus and Glory - by Sarah Guillory (Paperback)

About the Book

Perfect for fans of WISH and BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE comes award-winning author Sarah Guillory's latest middle grade tale of found family and the unshakable bond between a girl and her beloved dog.

Book Synopsis

An ALSC Notable Book
A Bank Street Best Book of 2025

Perfect for fans of WISH and BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE comes award-winning author Sarah Guillory's latest middle grade tale of found family and the unshakable bond between a girl and her beloved dog.

Twelve-year-old Gloria St. Romain, Glory to everyone who knows her, has always loved mysteries. She spends her time solving puzzles and reading detective novels, comforted by the knowledge that truth can always be found for those who look closely enough for it.

But when her mom suddenly leaves without a word, Glory is finally faced with the one mystery she can't crack: Why did her mom leave, and where did she go?

Sent to spend the summer with her grandparents, Glory is determined to sniff out the clues to track down her mom. And when Glory comes upon Gus, a bloodhound in need of a friend, she realizes she's been paired with the perfect partner to do just that.

With accessible text and a compulsively readable story, Gus and Glory is a perfect pick for upper elementary and middle school readers.

Review Quotes

Four starred reviews
A Bank Street Best Book of the Year

"One part sweet. One part sad. One part funny. Every part perfect. Gus and Glory has it all." -- Barbara O'Connor, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Wish

★ "A charming and moving novel that's sure to tug at readers' heartstrings." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review

★ "Begging to be read aloud, the writing is tight, peppered with folksy turns of phrase that manage to both drop readers into the setting and lighten up the somber circumstances. This story will satisfy both animal lovers and tween readers who like a good cry." -- School Library Journal, starred review

★ "Glory's voice is strong and affecting, and Gus is absolutely the goodest boy. They're two funny, poignant, memorable characters in this moving and hopeful tale about a transformative time in a girl's life, and the ways in which she and her dog leave those around them forever changed as well." -- BookPage, starred review

★ "In a heart-tugging and hopeful novel from Guillory, a rambunctious bloodhound bounding nose-first through life proves to be the glue that bonds a 12-year-old to biological and found families." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Full of heart and resilience." -- Booklist

"A heartwarming account of finding hope in an uncertain future." -- Horn Book Magazine

Oklahoma Library Association's Children's Sequoyah Book Award Shortlist
A Vermont Golden Dome Book Award Nominee
Kentucky Bluegrass Award Nominee
Volunteer State Book Award Nominee

About the Author

Sarah Guillory is a high school English teacher and author of the middle-grade novels Gus and Glory and Nowhere Better Than Here, which was named a Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year and earned four starred reviews. She loves walking her dogs, sitting under a tree with a book, or running countless miles before the sun has even come up. Sarah lives in Louisiana with her husband and dogs, who, unlike Gus, are only experts at finding the kitchen.