For German shepherd fans!

There are a lot of different, interesting aspects to How I, Nicky Flynn, Finally Get a Life (and a Dog) by Art Corriveau.  Nicky's parents have divorced; he and his mom have moved to a not-real-great (or big) apartment.  Nicky's mom surprises him by bringing home Reggie, a German shepherd and former guide dog for the blind.  Initially kind of mad, Nicky ends up bonding with Reggie and trying to figure out why the dog was returned to the pound.  At the same time he's learning about guide dogs in general and Reggie in particular, Nicky is dealing with school bullies, a girl who's trying to be his friend, a mom who isn't dealing well with the divorce, and a dad who's ignoring him.  Told in Nicky's voice, the story is authentic; parts are a little funny, but when characters mess up...it still seems real.

But she's black - will they let her compete?

I loved the title character in Kizzy Ann Stamps by Jeri Watts!  The year is 1963; Kizzy Ann is black, and she's nervous about starting at a new school that has just been integrated.  She's already faced hatred and bigotry, and she doesn't know what her white classmates will think of her.  Fortunately, KIzzy Ann has her beloved dog Shag.  Shag is a border collie, a type of dog that loves to work and is especially good at herding sheep.  With Shag at her side, she gets to know the others at her school a little better, but when she learns about a herding competition, she's not sure if she should go for it: what if a black girl isn't allowed to compete?  The story is told through letters to her new teacher and journal entries; although Kizzy Ann's voice sometimes sounds more like that of an adult than a child, she's a likable character and teaches us about an important part of our country's history.

A true gem

What an absolutely enchanting book! Diamond Willow by Helen Frost is told in first person; twelve-year-old Willow's narration is in diamond-shaped verse, each one containing a secondary message in bold type. Willow lives in remote Alaska. She helps her father care for their sled dogs and is finally allowed to mush the dogs to her Grandma and Grandpa's by herself. On the way home she has an accident that blinds her favorite dog, Roxy. After learning that her parents plan on putting Roxy to sleep, Willow enlists the friend of her friend Kaylie to rush Roxy back to her grandparents', but a blinding blizzard leaves them stranded in the forest overnight. Unbeknownst to the girls, the spirits of their ancestors, in the form of various animals, provide protection and guidance. A surprising family secret is revealed about two-thirds of the way through the book, and the voices of the animal ancestors become even more meaningful. The touches of magical realism are simply delightful.