Answers to Dog by Pete Hautman

In Answers to Dog, an abused border collie finds a home and a boy finds a friend–multiple friends.

Answers to Dog by Pete Hautman. Candlewick, 2024, 234 pages.

Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12

Recommended for: ages 10-15

Evan seems like a normal kid but feels like a misfit at school. And even a little bit at home. His mother is competent but withdrawn; his father is easier to talk to but often absorbed in his wood-carving business. Evan’s only friends—though he’s not sure if he can even call them “friends”—also have a hard time fitting in. But they all notice the white dog with a black spot who attaches to Evan at the bus stop, and even follows the bus out of sight. What’s more, the dog seems to be waiting for Evan when he comes home. But there’s no chance he can stay. Evan’s parents would never agree.

Still . . . Evan seems to be the one choses to chase “Dog’s” origin to a puppy mill that’s fallen on hard times. Rather, the owner has fallen on hard times and seeks solace in drink. This doesn’t make for a happy kennel but Evan feels powerless to help until Hana, a girl in his class whom he barely knows, takes an interest. Hana identifies his new friend as a border collie and helps Evan track him down to the source, but not before Dog is recaptured by his owner and escapes again to an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar smells. Will dog and boy be reunited?

Readers will probably guess the answer to that question, but still be drawn into this understated, but evergreen story. It’s simply written but masterfully told from the viewpoint of both dog and boy, with just enough detail to make us care about Evan and his widening circle. As he is drawn out of himself, he’s drawn into a larger world. All because of a dog.

Consideration:

• One misuse of God’s name, in lower case.

Bottom Line: An understated, warm-hearted story of the sort that never grows old.

Also at Redeemed Reader:

• Reviews: A Dog’s Way Home and The Eyes and the Impossible (last year’s Newbery winner) tell similar tales. And for more of this perennial favorite subject, see our dog archives.
• Review: But what are dogs really like? See Making Sense of Dog Senses.
• Reflection: Betsy ponders the value of Sad Dog Stories.

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