Wag the Tail End of Summer with 6 Great New Dog Books

Good Rosie, by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Harry Bliss
Here’s a sweet story for 4-8 year-olds who love dogs, and who might be anxious about making new friends. Little terrier Rosie doesn’t know any other dogs. Walks with George, her human person, aren’t lonely, but it’s not the same as having other dog friends. Then George takes her to the dog park. At first, Rosie feels lonelier than ever around all the strange dogs. But after a wobbly start that almost goes wrong, Rosie has two new friends to play with. Kids starting at a new school will relate to Rosie, and be comforted by her success. This is a picture book formatted like a graphic novel, with multiple panels on many of its pages, so it’s great for kids who don’t want “baby” books but aren’t ready to jump into pages of text.

Wedgie and Gizmo vs. the Great Outdoors, by Suzanne Selfors
Wedgie, the playful cape-wearing corgi, and Gizmo, the evil genius guinea pig are back for their third adventure, one that takes them into the “wilderness” of Chipmunk Lake campground. Wedgie is thrilled to have chipmunks to chase, and Gizmo is thrilled by all the small animals just waiting to become evil minions! But there’s a stowaway—a hamster, Butterball, has joined the party. Is she a harmless candidate for evil minion, or an evil genius in her own right? Wedgie is a fun, rambunctious dog who kids will love, and Gizmo’s attempts to take over the world are entertaining as all get out! A great pick for kids in elementary school.

Voyage of the Dogs, by Greg Van Eekhout
The space ship Laika has set out on a mission to begin the colonization of a planet far away. On board, alongside the human crew, are the Barkonauts, four specially trained dogs of extraordinary intelligence. But before they reach their new home, the dogs wake from stasis to find the humans missing. Alone in space, the dogs are determined to complete the mission, despite the cascade of technical problems and their grief at being abandoned. Though the problems seem insurmountable, these good dogs (and they are very, very Good Dogs), keep going. This is both a lovely dog story, with some of the best fictional dogs ever, and a surprisingly convincing science fiction story that’s a great introduction to space exploration for older elementary and middle school kids! (And just in case you’re worried on behalf of sensitive young readers—no dogs die.)

Rules of the Ruff, by Heidi Lang
Jessie used to enjoy spending summers at her cousin’s house. But this summer, Ann and her new friend, Loralee, don’t want anything to do with Jessie. Bored and lonely, Jessie decides to apprentice herself to the local dog walker. Grumpy Max doesn’t want her, but she is persistent, and soon Max is teaching her his “rules of the ruff” for successful dog wrangling, and she’s moving up from poop-scooping to leash holding. But there’s a new dog walker in town, one who can charm the two-footed clients that cranky Max doesn’t bother with, and she’s luring customers away. Jessie and Max retaliate with dirty tricks, and Jessie has to find more maturity in herself than Max is showing to make everything come out all right for both dogs and their people. Kids who think being paid to walk dogs sounds like a dream come true will enjoy this lots, and learn useful tips!

Wonderland, by Barbara O’Connor
Here’s one that’s perfect for readers who love both dogs and middle grade friendship stories! When Mavis’ mom becomes a housekeeper for the Tully family, a job that comes with a place for them to live, Mavis sets out to find a best friend, even though the snooty neighborhood seems to make this unlikely. But Rose Tully, the same age as Mavis, also wants a friend. The only person in the neighborhood Rose cares about is the old gatekeeper, Mr. Duffy, but ever since his dog died, he’s been depressed and withdrawn. Rose and Mavis unite to cheer Mr. Duffy up, and Mavis is sure this means finding him a new dog. Meanwhile, a lonely lost dog has come to the neighborhood. Is he just what Mr. Duffy needs? With considerable scrambling the girls bring Henry the dog and Mr. Duffy together for a happy ending.