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Lily to the Rescue! #1
[W. Bruce Cameron ]-[Lily to The Rescue ]-[Paperback]
An irresistible chapter book series from the
New York Times
bestselling author of
A Dog's Purpose
Puppy Tales featuring Lily, a rescue dog who rescues other animals!
Lily lives with her girl, Maggie Rose. Once a stray, Lily was rescued by the kind people at the animal shelter run by Maggie Rose’s mom. Now she has a very important purpose: to rescue other animals in trouble.
In Lily to the Rescue, Lily meets a crow with a broken wing, so she and Maggie Rose take the crow home to Mom. But when the crow starts to become too tame, some unexpected problems arise. It’s Lily to the rescue!
More Puppy Tales for young readers by W. Bruce Cameron:
Lily to the Rescue: Two Little Piggies
Bailey’s Story
Ellie’s Story
Max’s Story
Molly’s Story
Shelby’s Story
Toby’s Story
Lily lives with her girl, Maggie Rose. Once a stray, Lily was rescued by the kind people at the animal shelter run by Maggie Rose’s mom. Now she has a very important purpose: to rescue other animals in trouble.
In Lily to the Rescue, Lily meets a crow with a broken wing, so she and Maggie Rose take the crow home to Mom. But when the crow starts to become too tame, some unexpected problems arise. It’s Lily to the rescue!
More Puppy Tales for young readers by W. Bruce Cameron:
Lily to the Rescue: Two Little Piggies
Bailey’s Story
Ellie’s Story
Max’s Story
Molly’s Story
Shelby’s Story
Toby’s Story
Unknown Binding
First published January 1, 2020
86 people are currently reading
563 people want to read
About the author
W. Bruce Cameron
97 books4,497 followersI’ve always loved dogs, which puts me in a unique category along with what, maybe two or three billion people?
What’s not to love about an animal who will sit in your living room all day long, waiting for you to get home, and even if you need to work late and then stop for a stress-relieving beverage on your way home, when you unlock that front door, is absolutely overjoyed to see you? How could you not adore an animal who senses when your day is not going well and tries to cheer you up by dumping a sodden tennis ball in your lap?
I was probably 8 years old, playing in the back yard of our house in Prairie Village, KS, when my dad opened the gate and in rushed a 9-week-old Labrador puppy. I fell to my knees and spread my arms and that dog leaped into them as if we had loved each other our whole lives. It’s a scene that shows up in A Dog’s Purpose—a puppy and a boy meeting each other the very first time, both of them full of unrestrained joy.
We named the dog Cammie. She arrived in my life when I was just beginning to connect some of the dots in my memory to make a picture of who I was, forming my identity as a child. I remember every skinned knee and bicycle ride in the context of Cammie, who was always there for me. And I lost her just as I was starting to leave childhood behind, passing on after I’d spent a year in college. That’s Cammie, the dog of my childhood.
Years later I was riding my bicycle in the mountains outside of Pine, CO. A chance decision to bounce down a dirt road led me past a few scattered ranches and one small house near a creek, set back from the road at least 50 yards. A single “woof” from a dog caught my attention, and I braked and stood in the dry, clear air, regarding the dog who had called out to me.
She was on a chain by the house, and a fence stood between us, so I remained on the road even though I could see that the dog, a black lab mix with a crazily active tail, was clearly friendly. I gazed at her and the dog sat, attentive, staring into my eyes exactly the way my first dog, Cammie, used to look at me, really seeing into me.
And that’s when the thought hit me. What if this wonderful dog was Cammie? What if dogs live over and over again, and always remember us?
I dismissed the thought, waved at the dog, and rode away, but days later the idea came back to me. What if?
I’ve been a writer my whole life, but never have I ever written anything as important as A Dog’s Purpose.
I can’t promise you that A Dog’s Purpose will make you love your dog more—how could it do that? But I’ll tell you what a lot of people have told me: after reading A Dog’s Purpose, you’ll never look at your dog the same way again.
What’s not to love about an animal who will sit in your living room all day long, waiting for you to get home, and even if you need to work late and then stop for a stress-relieving beverage on your way home, when you unlock that front door, is absolutely overjoyed to see you? How could you not adore an animal who senses when your day is not going well and tries to cheer you up by dumping a sodden tennis ball in your lap?
I was probably 8 years old, playing in the back yard of our house in Prairie Village, KS, when my dad opened the gate and in rushed a 9-week-old Labrador puppy. I fell to my knees and spread my arms and that dog leaped into them as if we had loved each other our whole lives. It’s a scene that shows up in A Dog’s Purpose—a puppy and a boy meeting each other the very first time, both of them full of unrestrained joy.
We named the dog Cammie. She arrived in my life when I was just beginning to connect some of the dots in my memory to make a picture of who I was, forming my identity as a child. I remember every skinned knee and bicycle ride in the context of Cammie, who was always there for me. And I lost her just as I was starting to leave childhood behind, passing on after I’d spent a year in college. That’s Cammie, the dog of my childhood.
Years later I was riding my bicycle in the mountains outside of Pine, CO. A chance decision to bounce down a dirt road led me past a few scattered ranches and one small house near a creek, set back from the road at least 50 yards. A single “woof” from a dog caught my attention, and I braked and stood in the dry, clear air, regarding the dog who had called out to me.
She was on a chain by the house, and a fence stood between us, so I remained on the road even though I could see that the dog, a black lab mix with a crazily active tail, was clearly friendly. I gazed at her and the dog sat, attentive, staring into my eyes exactly the way my first dog, Cammie, used to look at me, really seeing into me.
And that’s when the thought hit me. What if this wonderful dog was Cammie? What if dogs live over and over again, and always remember us?
I dismissed the thought, waved at the dog, and rode away, but days later the idea came back to me. What if?
I’ve been a writer my whole life, but never have I ever written anything as important as A Dog’s Purpose.
I can’t promise you that A Dog’s Purpose will make you love your dog more—how could it do that? But I’ll tell you what a lot of people have told me: after reading A Dog’s Purpose, you’ll never look at your dog the same way again.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
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April 24, 2020"Ree- ree!"
Once a stray, Lily was rescued by the kind people at the animal shelter run by Maggie Rose's mom. Now she has a very important purpose: to rescue other animals in trouble.
When they are out of the dog park, having the best of days, Lily and Maggie Rose meet a crow with a broken wing. They take the crow home to Mom for help, but when the crow starts to become too tame, some unexpected problems arise. Can Lily help the crow get back to normal?
A story of wag and wing. A tale of friendship no feathered lover of shiny things could resist.
Trigger warnings for an injured animal.
Kind, helpful Lily was always ready to rescue her fellow creature. Wether saving an injured crow or the dog park water bowl, the clever pup intuitively knew or learned just what to do in every situation. I adored her simply joyful yet curious approach to life.
From sweet Maggie Rose, to her family, to Casey the crow, Lily's life was full of love. The love of a friend is one best feelings in the world and what better friend is there than a pet? The bond between Lily and Maggie Rose was full of warm, fuzzy trust that melted my heart. Perhaps the only other bond that glinted in the Sun as much was that of Lily and Casey. The inter-species relationship was charming. I was delighted to get to know the souls in Lily's life.
Oh no, an animals in trouble! But never fear, Lily is here! Adorable illustrations made it a lot of fun to follow one of humankind's best friends through pages of going to the dog park, the animal shelter, and the trials of befriending a crow. Gentle and exciting, Lily to the Rescue was the perfect vessel to show kindness, friendship, and returning and paying forward the love others have given us. Naturally dispersing little tidbits about animal behaviors throughout the book, this was a perfect blend of cute and smart. Continuing to craft tales of the goodest boys and girls, A Dog's Purpose author, W. Bruce Cameron's latest tale will make readers of all ages smile. The added info about crows at the end was a special bonus.
Read Lily to the Rescue to your best legged friend. It's guaranteed pawsome.
Once a stray, Lily was rescued by the kind people at the animal shelter run by Maggie Rose's mom. Now she has a very important purpose: to rescue other animals in trouble.
When they are out of the dog park, having the best of days, Lily and Maggie Rose meet a crow with a broken wing. They take the crow home to Mom for help, but when the crow starts to become too tame, some unexpected problems arise. Can Lily help the crow get back to normal?
A story of wag and wing. A tale of friendship no feathered lover of shiny things could resist.
Trigger warnings for an injured animal.
Kind, helpful Lily was always ready to rescue her fellow creature. Wether saving an injured crow or the dog park water bowl, the clever pup intuitively knew or learned just what to do in every situation. I adored her simply joyful yet curious approach to life.
From sweet Maggie Rose, to her family, to Casey the crow, Lily's life was full of love. The love of a friend is one best feelings in the world and what better friend is there than a pet? The bond between Lily and Maggie Rose was full of warm, fuzzy trust that melted my heart. Perhaps the only other bond that glinted in the Sun as much was that of Lily and Casey. The inter-species relationship was charming. I was delighted to get to know the souls in Lily's life.
Oh no, an animals in trouble! But never fear, Lily is here! Adorable illustrations made it a lot of fun to follow one of humankind's best friends through pages of going to the dog park, the animal shelter, and the trials of befriending a crow. Gentle and exciting, Lily to the Rescue was the perfect vessel to show kindness, friendship, and returning and paying forward the love others have given us. Naturally dispersing little tidbits about animal behaviors throughout the book, this was a perfect blend of cute and smart. Continuing to craft tales of the goodest boys and girls, A Dog's Purpose author, W. Bruce Cameron's latest tale will make readers of all ages smile. The added info about crows at the end was a special bonus.
Read Lily to the Rescue to your best legged friend. It's guaranteed pawsome.
February 16, 2020
"I liked the part when Casey the crow taught the other crows to bring Maggie Rose coins, boltcaps and charms and other shiney things. Casey was at the dog park and had a broken wing. Lily and her owners helped the bird and together they saved a cat from the tree. " -Cadee, age 7.
April 28, 2022
i really loved the book i have read the book lily to the rescue and the two little pigs and the witting is perfect so good job to the author . I even finished the book in one day ! I love this book! It is so addicting, it is like no other. Like I said before, this book has amazing writing.
March 15, 2021
Really cute good book
July 30, 2022
First sentence: My name is Lily, and I have a lot of friends. My best friend of all, of course, is Maggie Rose. In the nighttime, I sleep on Maggie Rose's bed, pressed up against her warm legs. I get to lie there until Mom or Dad pokes a head in the doorway and says the word school. Maggie Rose will groan a little, and then she climbs slowly out of bed and puts on her clothes and goes into the kitchen for breakfast with her brothers. While she's changing clothes, I lie on the bed, missing her legs and trying to show her that we would all be happier if she just climbed back under the covers. But she never does that on days people say school. I don't know why. I think school must be a place....
Premise/plot: Lily, our dog protagonist, loves, loves, loves her life. At home she's surrounded by her people. At work she's surrounded by animals. Maggie Rose's mother is a veterinarian at an animal shelter. Lily helps out at the animal shelter...
In this first adventure, Lily is helping out a crow (named Casey) with a broken wing...
My thoughts: Animal fantasy is nothing new for young readers. But surely they can't all be as delightful as Lily to the Rescue????? I definitely enjoyed her voice and point of view. It was cute without being nauseatingly so. (At least in my opinion.) The book was just a joy to read from start to finish.
Highly recommended and no need to worry...even though there is a dog on the cover.
Premise/plot: Lily, our dog protagonist, loves, loves, loves her life. At home she's surrounded by her people. At work she's surrounded by animals. Maggie Rose's mother is a veterinarian at an animal shelter. Lily helps out at the animal shelter...
In this first adventure, Lily is helping out a crow (named Casey) with a broken wing...
My thoughts: Animal fantasy is nothing new for young readers. But surely they can't all be as delightful as Lily to the Rescue????? I definitely enjoyed her voice and point of view. It was cute without being nauseatingly so. (At least in my opinion.) The book was just a joy to read from start to finish.
Highly recommended and no need to worry...even though there is a dog on the cover.
October 27, 2020
Loved this book. Bruce Cameron is a master of writing. I gave this book to several kids as gifts and they loved it too. There are multiple books in this series and they are all equally as good. Would make the perfect Christmas gift for all the young reader on your list.
May 10, 2020
A cute dog story for young readers.
September 18, 2020
Sweet, funny and the perfect choice for young animal lovers! They will love the great story and the extra fun facts in the back. These transitional chapter books continue Lily's Story. Lily loves her girl Maggie Lee and helping other rescue shelter animals with Mom at Work. In this installment, Lily makes friends with an injured crow.
August 27, 2020
Lily is a rescue pitbull who lives with her human, Maggie Rose, and her parents and brothers. Maggie's parents are really cool and love animals a lot because her dad is a Colorado game warden and her mom is a vet who runs a rescue. On day at the dog park Lily saves an injured crow who they name Casey. Maggie's mom tries to save Casey but in the process they fear they've made him too tame. Also, Casey ends up rescuing a kitten hiding in a tree.
Casey likes to eat peanuts (which I don't like but I do like peanut butter) and Lily likes meat sandwiches. I would definitely eat sandwiches with Lily because she is kind of cute. However, I already have a girlfriend, Emma, who maybe Mom will tell you about one day. So I guess I would introduce Lily to Apollo. It might give me some peace.
So this was a fun book to read with Mom and my bratty brother. There were small pictures throughout done in black and white and accented in the blue which is on the cover which is a really nice touch and caught Apollo's attention. I enjoyed hearing about all of the animals and am looking forward to reading the next one in the series. I like this book a lot so Apollo better not eat it!
Oh, and I especially liked hearing about Boggs, a huge dog who likes to sit in the water bowl at the dog park. Sounds like something Apollo might do.
Casey likes to eat peanuts (which I don't like but I do like peanut butter) and Lily likes meat sandwiches. I would definitely eat sandwiches with Lily because she is kind of cute. However, I already have a girlfriend, Emma, who maybe Mom will tell you about one day. So I guess I would introduce Lily to Apollo. It might give me some peace.
So this was a fun book to read with Mom and my bratty brother. There were small pictures throughout done in black and white and accented in the blue which is on the cover which is a really nice touch and caught Apollo's attention. I enjoyed hearing about all of the animals and am looking forward to reading the next one in the series. I like this book a lot so Apollo better not eat it!
Oh, and I especially liked hearing about Boggs, a huge dog who likes to sit in the water bowl at the dog park. Sounds like something Apollo might do.
October 27, 2023
My son picked this out 2 years before we actually got to it. When time presented us the opportunity, I noticed the structure of the book was very conducive to where I thought his reading level was. The font and spacing are a little larger, the pages don’t seem overwhelming, and the chapters -while some are a bit longer for him- were manageable with some dedicated effort. I either preread or read every chapter after him, quizzing him on his comprehension, so I am familiar with the story as well. There were mercifully no surprises and I found it very age appropriate for innocent audiences. The characters are cute and the perspective is from the dog’s point of view which captivates the reader in a charming way. My son really enjoyed it and I found it more enjoyable than previously imagined as I thought it would be very boring for me. He finishes the last chapter tomorrow, completing his first independently read chapter book. I’m thankful this book found him and kicked off his reading adventures in an encouraging way.
March 17, 2020
This new series is intended for K-3rd grade but I got it to read to my Granddaughter because she loves our little dog. The type is larger (great for kids and Big Kids like me at heart) and the sweet story revolves around the main dog, Lily, figuring out how to rescue friends like her who are still at the animal rescue. The illustrations are darling and dispersed enough through the book to show the little ones while you're reading. Even though my Granddaughter is not yet reading she loves to flip through the pages and see the drawings and she clearly likes the story because she relates to the photos and begs either myself or her 12-year-old Uncle or 16-year-0ld Aunt to read it to her! I like that the story is a good message and funny so that we all enjoy it.
October 1, 2020
The book was about a dog name Lilly. She met a new friend named Casey who is a crow. Casey got hurt and Lily's girl, Maggie Rose's, Mom and Dad are veterinarians. They care for Casey and put a little coat on Casey's wing to help it heal. Casey got better and visits the dog park with Lily. They learn that crows like peanuts and shiny things. Maggie Rose gives Casey peanuts to bring her trinkets but soon too many crows want to do the same thing. They have to figure out how to fix it before it gets out of hand. Casey also returns the favor by saving a kitten. It was a good book can't wait to read the next one!
May 4, 2022
3.5 but bumping to 4 just for enjoyment factor. I liked that this was written from the point of view of Lily, the dog. There are a lot of funny lines where Lily is clearly trying to make sense of human behavior and usually gets it wrong. A cute story about friendships and a dog's bond with their human. I liked that we learned about crows throughout the book without being fact heavy. The book also featured some facts at the end to learn more about crows. My kiddo learned the word "corvid" from this book so that's cool too.
March 17, 2020
I’m old enough to be a grandma but young enough to remember being a new reader. Both the senior and the young reader in me LOVED this little dog, Lily! I just want more of this rescue dog who rescues others! I found myself wondering as I read, if the animal facts were plausible. I was delighted to read the animal facts at the end of the book! W Bruce Cameron has done so much to turn young readers into life long readers and nurturers of animals! I’m a fan for life!
March 4, 2022
My daughter and I enjoyed it.
It was from the dog’s perspective so it was cute and funny.
I like the fact that this book teaches about how harmful it can be to have a wild animals depend on a human for food and how that can disrupt the ecosystem.
I adore the non-fictional aspect that is added to the back of the book that goes along with the story. The duotone illustrations are classic and adorable.
It was from the dog’s perspective so it was cute and funny.
I like the fact that this book teaches about how harmful it can be to have a wild animals depend on a human for food and how that can disrupt the ecosystem.
I adore the non-fictional aspect that is added to the back of the book that goes along with the story. The duotone illustrations are classic and adorable.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 29, 2025
This was a sweet story about a dog named Lily and her human. Its told from the perspective of the dog as she works in an animal shelter and helps save an injured crow. Furthermore, the crow gets used to being domestic and has a hard time going back into the wild. Finally the dog helps a kitten. So sweet. I hope my 7 year old loves this story! It also had some great information about crows at the end!
March 17, 2020
W. Bruce Cameron wrote A Dog's Purpose, A Dog's Journey, A Dog's Promise, A Dog's Way Home and other great books for adults. He also wrote a set of books for children. He is now has books about a dog named Lilly for younger elementary school students! In this first book Lily helps out other animals! I love how Bruce's dog books are always about kindness!
March 9, 2021
Cameron's book one of "Lily to the Rescue" series is an adorable story about Maggie Rose and her rescue dog, Lily helping out a crow with a broken wing and all the adventures the crow brings to super friendly Lily. I loved the artist's work in this series, really cute!🐶 Lily and her new family are first introduced in "Lily: A Dog's Purpose" story.
December 3, 2022
Another sweet doggy book! I love the little educational animal facts that are seamless incorporated in the story.
There is some sibling name calling, but each instance is rebuked or bad behavior is shown to be undesirable.
Perfect for an independent upper elementary reader (4th+) or as a read aloud (1st+).
There is some sibling name calling, but each instance is rebuked or bad behavior is shown to be undesirable.
Perfect for an independent upper elementary reader (4th+) or as a read aloud (1st+).
March 17, 2020
I am a huge fan of Bruce Cameron and have read every book. Even though I am a Grandma I enjoyed this adorable story. I love how Lily comes to the rescue to help her 4 legged friends. Kids of all ages will enjoy this book.
October 12, 2021
A clean, easy read for kids doing beginning chapter books. My 6 and 9 year old loved the storyline. There were several chuckles from them as we read the story. When we finished the book, they insisted we head to the library to get the next one in the series!
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October 28, 2022The main character of my book is Lily and she is a pittie she is a dog and her owner is Maggie.Lily's conflict is that she needs to help animals but since she is a pittie people think she is bad and all she tries to do is help.
February 1, 2020
I received the ARC for this book. It's an adorable read about rescue animals, and this one highlights crows. I am ordering it for our library.
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February 17, 2020Cute story about an inter-species friendship between a dog and a crow.
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August 22, 2020its a great book
November 22, 2020
Very cute book with nice embed facts about animals.
March 1, 2021
Very cute! I think it'll make a nice addition to my library collection.
April 11, 2021
Another fantastic book by Bruce w carmeon he is a fantastic author can't wait to read bella story called a dogs courage
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October 4, 2023
Cute little book. Reminded me of hank the cow dog.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews