The Dog Heist - by Dani Jansen (Paperback)

About the Book

Unlikely friends Valery and Caleb try and save an abused dog in their neighbourhood while navigating middle school.

Book Synopsis

A neglected dog brings two misfits together in this adventure for middle schoolers who love animals and stories where the kids take charge.

For Caleb, September is off to a rough start. His parents have split up, he's moved to a new town, and--worst of all--he misses his dog. Valery is his new neighbor, but apart from being in the same class, they have nothing in common. Valery is lonely and hurt since her best friend abandoned her for a boy, and she thinks Caleb is just obnoxious. Under normal circumstances, they'd never be friends. But these aren't normal circumstances.

There's a hurricane coming, and Valery and Caleb are both worried for Lyra, their neighbor's terribly neglected dog. None of the adults in their lives will do anything, so they hatch a plan to rescue her themselves, no matter how risky.

Review Quotes

★"While the rescuing of the dog is what brings all the characters together, the novel centers friendship, communication, and the kids figuring out what is best for themselves and for Lyra in a way that feels authentic to middle schoolers.... This well-constructed story is a quiet but powerful read about trying to do what is right."

"Chapters unspool from Caleb's and Valery's points of view, sensitively relating Caleb's academic and social frustrations and Valery's self-consciousness when she hears fat-phobic remarks, as well as her nascent exploration of where she falls on the sexual attraction spectrum. Caleb and Valery convincingly articulate their thoughts as they strive to be kind and to live up to adult expectations.... Strong, relatable character studies."