Iggy Included

by Deborah Kerbel

A girl, a dog, and a summer they won’t forget. Twelve-year-old Paige Coopersmith and her family have won a house in an essay-writing contest. Excited to leave their cramped apartment and move to a sprawling property in rural Ontario, they’re more than a little surprised to find the house is old and in need of major repairs. They’re even more shocked to discover that Iggy ― the old dog who lives there ― comes with the house. Apparently it was all in the fine print! Due to financial stress, and with nowhere else to go, the family stays. Paige, who is scared of the large, unkempt Newfoundland dog, does her best to stay out of her way, while her parents deal with an unusual list of instructions from the previous owner. But girl and beast soon form a special bond, when Paige, a hesitant reader, practises her reading out loud and discovers that Iggy loves to be read to. Little does Paige know Iggy is even more special than she realizes. In fact, someone else has their eye on her, and when Iggy goes missing, it’s Paige who must solve the mysteries of this unusual house and find her now beloved dog.

240 pages, Paperback

Published May 7, 2024

About the author

Deborah Kerbel was born in London, England, but grew up in Toronto, Canada.
A finalist for the 2012 Governor General's Literary Award, the 2010 Canadian Library Association YA Book of the Year Award, 2019 Blue Spruce Award Honour Book, and winner of the 2020 IODE Jean Throop Book Award, Deborah is the author of ten books for young readers of all ages.
Currently, Deborah lives and writes in Thornhill, Ontario, with her husband, two book loving teens, and a schnoodle named Fred.
Visit her at www.deborahkerbel.ca

Reviews

[Joy Couttenier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story, another book for our school's reader cup. Had to come up with some questions.

[Amanda Lewis]

A middle grade book with perfect ingredients to charm and engage a reader. Paige is an intelligent, unsettled twelve-year-old (“Twelve was like the age version of Tofukry”), whose family has just moved into a new home in the country. It’s summer and Paige would rather be anywhere than looking after her baby sister and hanging out with her brother. She’s a fact collector, and a problem solver, and she has her work cut out for her this summer. But the central character of the book is an aged Newfoundland dog named Iggy, the sweetest, gentlest, farting barfer that you’ll ever meet between the pages of a book. A delightful romp filled with adolescent angst, mysteries and some dastardly villains.

[Barbra · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the Coopersmiths, winning a big, beautiful home in the country was a dream come true. However, they never imagined that it was going to take a lot of renovating, and that it also came with an extra tenant, Iggy the dog. At first Paige wants nothing to do with this big, slobbery old gal. Iggy soon grows on everyone, especially Paige, when she discovers the dog likes to be read to. When Iggy is taken, Paige sets out to find by who, and why. A fun page- turning emotional ride for readers who love dogs and mysteries.

[Stephanie H · Rating 3 out of 5]

Paige and her family find that they have gotten more than they bargained for when they win a contest and receive a house as a prize.

This was a cute, quick read. It was heartwarming and sweet and an easy one for my middle grade readers.

[Anna Rosner · Rating 5 out of 5]

A charming, easy to read middle-grade book that will make you love dogs forever. The dialogue is witty, clever and oh-so-realistic. This book helps us all realize just how much a dog's love can mean. They can save us and the people we love!

[Lillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

2025 Silver Birch Fiction Nominee

[Jennifer Aylward · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was a very cute book to read with my son in grade 2 as a family read. He loved it and it was so cute when he kept asking for one more chapter because he wanted to know what happened next :)

[Elizabeth Bruce · Rating 4 out of 5]

2025 Silver Birch Award nominee

[Mary-Esther Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful.

[Faye · Rating 5 out of 5]

(From my 10 year old): it had so much family drama and creativity that made the book really amazing. I would recommend if you want a funny family story. I loved this book.

[Philippa Dowding · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sweet, middle-grade, doggy mystery, Paige and her family "win" an old, dilapidated house that looks nothing like the picture in the contest flyer. They sign the papers and agree to live there and fix it up, but that's not all they inherit. The previous owner's HUGE Newfoundland dog, Iggy, is also included with the house! Unfortunately, Paige is terrified of dogs ...

A wonderful page-turner for younger readers, the payoffs later in the book made me laugh. Watch out for Pumpkin in the Pipes!