Looking for True by Tricia Springstubb

In Looking for True, A lonely boy and a frustrated girl find common cause in rescuing a dog from its neglectful owner.

Looking for True by Tricia Springstubb. Holiday House (Margaret Ferguson Books), 2022, 273 pages.

Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12

Recommended for: ages 6-10 as a read-aloud, 10-14 for independent readers

A dead-end summer?

Jude’s home life isn’t ideal, with one overactive little brother and one overworked mom. Silas (nicknamed Spider) is too much for a 12-year-old stuck with babysitting him all summer and Mom can barely look up from the daily grind. Time with his best friend Jabari, in the abandoned house they fashioned into a “fortress,” is Jude’s only escape. Meanwhile, across town, Gladys is stuck with taking up the slack for her large-hearted Mama who runs a daycare. And though unbeknownst to her, Gladys is losing her own best friend to day-camp buddies and diverging interests. Summer looks like a dead end for both kids until the dog brings them together.

But not at first. They discover the dog on the same day, though separately: a peculiar-looking dog with spiky, unkept hair, sky-blue eyes, and an aura of sadness. Is the dog’s name Spooky, Poochie, or Pookie? Hard to tell, but her sorry treatment is obvious. The owner is a bitter-tongued woman who seems not to care for the dog or anyone else. The mutt’s soulful eyes speak to Gladys, who decides her real name is True.  Jude likewise feels an instant bond with True, who reciprocates that attachment. To both kids, it seems imperative to get True away from unfeeling grownups. But how?

Redeeming the time

Like all good dog stories, Looking for True is about much more than dogs. Both kids have their own reasons for self-doubt: Gladys because she’s adopted (why didn’t her real parents want her?) and Jude because he can’t seem to please his mom or find his niche. But True teaches them to begin looking outward and responding positively. The way humans treat animals, especially animals who seem specially designed to bond with them, is a reflection of how we treat each other. As Gladys’ Mama observes, “We teach each other how to hurt, just as surely as we teach each other how to love.” Love is always the best lesson. Jude and Gladys are winning personalities, and their story is told with humor, style, and heart.

Overall Rating: 4.5

• Worldview/moral value: 4
• Artistic/literary value: 5

Read more about our ratings here.                 

Also at Redeemed Reader:

• Reviews: We’ve recommended other books by Tricia Springstubb: The Most Perfect Thing in the Universe, Cody and the Fountain of Happiness (both starred) and Every Single Second.
• Reviews: We Could Be Heroes is another appealing story of two misfits coming together to save a dog. Super Jake and the King of Chaos touchingly details the joys and challenges of a difficult sibling.

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