Answers to Dog

by Pete Hautman

“True-to-life moments of humor and pathos further ground a story that’s sure to win attention from misfits and dog people of all stripes.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Evan doesn’t seem to fit in at school or at home. He goes out of his way to avoid attention. He sits at the back of the bus, keeps his head down in class, and keeps to himself. But when a burr-covered border collie—a survivor with a gut instinct about the Boy—starts following him around and joining him on his runs, Evan’s simple duck-and-dodge existence becomes a lot more complicated . . . a lot more like life. Evolving from wary companions to steadfast friends, Evan and the dog run fast and far together, thwart an abusive dog breeder and the school bully, and find the courage to stand up for themselves and to open up to those who matter most. Narrated in alternating viewpoints, this relatable contemporary novel with classic coming-of-age themes has all the hope, pathos, and emotional complexity that mark Pete Hautman’s books for middle-grade readers—and is a deeply satisfying read for animal lovers.

Genres: Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Animals, Fiction, Dogs, Childrens, Audiobook

201 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 1, 2024

About the author

Peter Murray Hautman is an American author best known for his novels for young adults. One of them, Godless, won the 2004 National Book Award for Young People's Literature. The National Book Foundation summary is, "A teenage boy decides to invent a new religion with a new god."

Reviews

[Amina · Rating 3 out of 5]

✰ 3.25 stars ✰

“The thing about dogs is, no matter what you want, there’s a dog for you.”

I thought Answers to Dog was a very sweet and heartwarming middle-grade read. The author did a good job balancing the alternating narrative between Evan and Dog, which really helped develop Dog (yes, he ​ does​ have a name, but it will be revealed much later) as a character.​ 🐶​ I liked how it felt natural for Evan to express an interest and concern about the dog that accompanied him on his daily runs, despite how so very disinterested he has always been in life. He began opening up, he started being more involved, Dog even changed his relationship with his family, which I thought was one of the highlights of the story.​

​“​Before he’d met the dog, life had been simple. Boring and ray, maybe, but not so complicated and upsetting.​”

One of the reasons why Evan feels life to be so meaningless and dull is mainly because of how his parents don't technically neglect him, but are so involved with their own personal issues, that they tend to forget that they have a son they should care about.​ 🥺 But, the gradual ease in which Evan shows his concern for Dog - that he brings about change to his routine - that he starts taking responsibility for wanting a pet, which he feels will be good for their family - was portrayed well. 👌🏻👌🏻 Despite how listless his parents may seem​ or 'so helpless, so unwilling to do anything, or at least try something​', they do have their reasons and in their own way, they do care about their son.​ The author portrayed very gently, but surely how small changes started to take root with Dog's presence in their son's life, how attentive and active he finally became. Dog reminds all three of them the importance of making the most of the time they have now and the value of what it means to be a family. 🫂

And I liked how their lives intertwined; I liked that by caring about Dog's well-being and safety, Evan's parents started to notice changes in Evan - that he started to care, started to become attentive, started to seek out a reason for doing things, rather than listlessly wading through a boring and simple life that he had been leading. ❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹​ ​He wasn't afraid to attack his school problems head-on anymore, nor was he too tired to interact with his classmates, either. ​Life had been mundane till this dog came along in his life and showed him how much of life he was missing if he kept treating it as a mundane one. The sheer joy and happiness he felt by being with Dog, by learning to care about him and wanting him to be well - it was these slight yet subtle changes that Dog helped bring to his life that made his determination to look out for Dog all the more meaningful.​ 😥

​“​If they like you, they like you. They can see right into your soul. Even if you’re not nice, sometimes. They are very forgiving.​”

Dog ​has lived an adventurous life; from his time at the shelter, to adrift as a stray - getting the story from his point of view gave us a front-row and center seat to all that he felt and thought and experienced. It is a wild and carefree existence, but not one without having seen the challenges and the dangers that come by being a stray - by being unwanted - ​of being free.​ 😟Running alongside Evan, the Boy who he saw the good in made what it is that life has been that makes it all the more endearing to see how he notices the good in Evan - how he feels safe and warm with him​ - 'dogs ​are excellent judges of character​'. That this Boy is a sanctuary - he is a Home and a Comfort that does not entice in him the fear of Doors that are known to trap dogs in.​ 😔

I was​ also really ​happy to see how ​very much the writing felt​ like it was intended for a young audience; no grandiose dialogue, no overbearing of detail - just the simplicity of Evan's conflicting thoughts of school and home​ that felt relatable and believable. There was also a very steady balance between the serious tones and the humorous ones, which I appreciated. 👍🏻👍🏻 I also liked some of the insightful and helpful pieces of advice the author included - not only for taking care of pets, but the little things in life that may not stand out, but they still count and are worth knowing. The story itself may not have really been a new one, but I did enjoy how easy it was to read and how well it captured the special bond that grows between a boy and his dog. 🐶🫶🏻

*Thank you to Edelweiss for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

[Trisha Parsons · Rating 2 out of 5]

Why I chose this book: I really enjoyed Slider by Pete Hautman and was excited to read a new book of his. Plus, there's a dog.

Brief summary: Evan is a misfit at school who lives with his emotionally detached parents leaving him to also feels like a misfit at home. When a dog won't leave him alone, he starts to wonder why and follows the dog to their unfortunate home, a puppy mill that the dog keeps escaping from. Evan has always wanted a dog, but his mom is steadfast against it. Will Evan be able to convince his mom to adopt the dog?

What I didn't like about this book: The prose in this book was sparse. I don't like a long-winded writer, but Hautman really doesn't go deep into descriptions, or feelings, despite the fact that this is an emotionally charged book.

What I like about this book: I like the themes of emotional neglect as I think they are sadly relevant for many children (I just wish Hautman had hit these harder), and I like how the dog's neglect parallels Evan's and that they are able to find support in each other.

[Caleb Baldwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A boy leads a very simple and plain life with a very simple and plain family. Nothing is out of the ordinary or exactly wrong… But that doesn’t mean everything is perfectly right. Thus, the impact of a dog comes into full display in this wholesome and powerful tale of the connections between humans and dogs.

This book read very slowly, but mostly in a calm sort of way. I felt relaxed as I read; like walking through a wheat field on a summer evening. It really feels like this book would not be engaging enough for me to include it in course curriculum at any grade level, however, I think it would be a powerful and wholesome story to be read to the class. Even afterwards, I recognize there are levels to the story that have meaning I do not fully understand, but this adds value to the book to discover through reflection; keeping it relevant even after finishing the text. Overall it was a very pleasant read.

[Carli · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. Heartwarming book to end 2024. Evan is kind of a misfit at school. One day a dog shows up alongside him on a run, and he and the dog spend the rest of the book in each other’s orbit. He finds out that the dog is owned by a horrible breeder, and ends up caring for the dog and others when the breeder falls off a ladder and is unable to walk (with the help of the breeder’s ex-wife). A nice tale of found family, with the dog narrating every other chapter. Recommended for grades 6-7.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a lovely, heartwarming middle-grades novel. The characters - all of them, including Dog - are easy to love. The story is simple and straightforward and just right.

Thank you to Libro.fm for the Educator ALC of this title.

[Aaryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet story about a boy who rescues a dog.

[Clementine · Rating 5 out of 5]

really well done! excellently paced, compelling, a little heartbreaking. a great MG title for a wide range of readers.

[Max Whalen · Rating 5 out of 5]

it was very good a classic tale about a boy and his dog!

[Brenda]

review closer to 10/1 release

[Aimee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this with my kids (ages 12-18) on a road trip. I was expecting it to be too young for them, but they all loved it. I let them rate it… Sweet story.

[Ashley Healey · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5
Great Stone Face 25-26 nominee. Great for anyone who loves a heartfelt dog story!

[Cobbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute dog book. What’s not to love ❤️

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Evan Dunn has a decent life; his friend Calder and Kellan sit with him on the bus and dilute the attention of bully Adam, and his home life is calm. His father, a former lawyer, now carves exquisite wooden dragons, and his mother is very set in her ways, leaving the house only to go to her Quaker meetings, and cooking predictable dinners. Evan takes great comfort in running as well, and even comes to the attention of his gym teacher, Coach Riley. When a dog shows up at his house, Evan is intrigued. He eventually tracks down the dog to Happy Dog puppy mill, where he encounters the unpleasant Peter Grey who is mistreating the dog for having run away. Grey, an alcoholic, has recently been left by his wife, and he seems to be taking his disappointment out in the dogs. He does tell Evan that it would cost $5,000 to buy the dog, which is money that Evan doesn't have even if his mother would let the dog in the house. He starts talking to classmate Hana on the bus, and getting more information about dogs. When the dog (whose point of view we see frequently) shows up at Evan's house and herds him back to Happy Dog, Evan finds Grey unconscious on the yard. He calls 911, and stays to feed the dogs. He even calls a veterinarian, who refuses to help because Grey is behind on his bills. Evan asks his father for help, and the two eventually find out Grey's status in the hospital and talk to Deni, Grey's wife. Deni hires Hana and Evan to take care of the dogs and tells them that the dog's name is Samarkand, or Sam, which is also Mr. Dunn's name. Coach Riley, who had had Ms. Dunn as a student, gives Evan shoes and requests that he comes to practice, since he is given to running six or seven miles. Sam the dog proves somewhat elusive, but eventually comes to live with the Dunns.
Strengths: I love that Hautman was a fan of Jim Kjelgaard's dog books! My library copies of Stormy and the Big Red series finally fell apart, which was sad. Also, other than a puppy that dies off page, all of the dogs, especially Sam, are okay! The thing that is really brilliant about this is the fact that Evan and Hana step in and save the day. There are so many stories in the news about puppy mills, and yet my students don't seem to know anything about them, so this will be a good introduction. Evan is a typical middle school boy, who doesn't quite know what he's doing or what he wants, so it's interesting to watch him discover running and to connect with the dog. The book is a good length, moves quickly, and has enough emotional punch to it that I foresee this being a popular choice for book projects.
Weaknesses: There were just little things that bothered me that won't bother younger readers. Hana calls Sam on a landline, which didn't seem realistic. There seemed to be something wrong with Evan's mother (depression?), but it was never addressed. Considering that Evan's mother was a runner, it seemed odd that he would not have proper shoes, and I don't know how he would be able to continue to run after he damaged his feet running barefoot. Evan is reading Of Mice and Men for class, which I can't imagine any teacher these days assigning. Hana is portrayed as being on crutches and in a walking boot; at first Calder thinks this is because she has had surgery because of limb differences, but it just turned out to be a bone spur. That seemed like an odd pivot. None of these things really ruin the story, but had they been different, this could have been a much better book.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who can't get enough dogs books like Salisbury's Banjo, Hoyle's Millie, Ibbotson's classic A Boy and His Dog, and other books that combine realistic problems with the reassuring presence of dogs. I will definitely be purchasing a copy.

[YSBR · Rating 5 out of 5]

Evan’s day-to-day life seems to be made of colorless blanks.  Nothing at home or school anchors him or brings him much joy; his friends are a bit annoying and his mom and dad, remote. But one chilly autumn, a white dog with a black ear and a blue eye shows up in his driveway, and begins accompanying Evan as he runs: chuff, chuff, chuff. Evan gradually warms to the dog’s presence and Hautman begins to alternate his third “person” narration, with some portions told by Evan and others, by the dog. In the hands of a lesser writer, a canine narrator might be a stretch, but Hautman’s admiration for the dog’s senses and simple emotions translates into a believable voice. A new friend Hana helps Evan track down the dog’s owner, a neglectful and at times cruel man who ends uprelegating care of the dog and his other border collies to Evan and Hana. The dog (who we come to learn is named Sam) turns out to be an escape artist and gets lost, but has already set his sights on Evan and works tirelessly to be reunited with his boy. 

This somewhat old-fashioned novel works on many levels. It’s a satisfying boy/dog love story, inspired by one of Hautman’s favorite writers, Jim Kjelgaard, author of animal classics such as Big Red (1945). But it also works as an exploration of care and love. Evan starts out with few genuine relationships, but his connection to Sam awakens him to the needs of others, including his mom and his friends, and prompts his parents to reevaluate the emotional health of their small family. Hautman’s descriptive powers immerse readers in Evan and Sam’s worlds, from the humiliations of the school bus to the smells of the woods and meadows. The rising action feels suitable for the audience and the happy ending will wrap around readers like a warm blanket. Characters cue as White, but Evan’s friends and mother are navigating various disabilities, which adds depth to the story. Link to full review: https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/2...

[Janet McGuire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Boy meets dog. Dog meets Boy. They need each other in their lives but will it happen. Evan lives with his parents in a rural area. He has friends but they don't live near him. His father crafts unique wooden figurines in the garage and his mother can be found in the house doing household chores. Evan likes to go on long runs after he gets home from school, and this is how Dog and Boy meet. They enjoy the time they spend together. Dog is a border collie who is white with one black ear and 2 different color eyes. One day Evan follows Dog and finds out that Dog lives at Happy Dog Kennel which breeds Border Collies and Australian Shepards. Evan discovers that none of the dogs have water or food in their bowls. Evan makes sure that all the dogs are taken care of before he leaves. Evan and his friend, Hana, step into take care of the dogs after the breeder is injured. Dog is smart enough to escape his kennel and runs towards Evan's house. He gets disoriented and tries to find his way back to Evan's house. Dog has many adventures which include being captured by the animal control officer but escaping and wandering through woods where he encounters 3 coyotes who jump on him. Dog is bitten by the youngest coyote. Dog grabs it and flings onto the highway which causes an accident, but it stops traffic and dog escapes across the highway. He eventually gets to Evans house and Evan's mom tends to his puncture wounds. Dog meets Boy. Boy meets Dog and they live as best friends which Boy and Dog are meant to do..
The story is told by each other's point of view. Throughout the story Dog calls Evan, the Boy and Evan calls Samarkand, the Dog.
Recommended for Ages 9-12 by the SEPA Book Reviewers

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

The dog is an escape artist. No matter what the cruel man at "The Happy Dog" kennels does to keep him penned in, the dog is determined to keep escaping. He has a good feeling about the boy, though--even though the boy keeps shooing him away, the dog still has a good feeling about him.

Evan is a misfit. He hangs out with the nerd squad on the bus, to help them avoid the bus bully, but doesn't quite fit in with them. At home, his father is always preoccupied with his woodcarving, and his mother is so routinized she almost never leaves the house and yard. One thing Evan does love is running, and one day, he's joined by a white border collie who seems determined to stay with him, no matter how much Evan shoos him away--because his mother would never let him keep a dog. But Evan is thinking that, actually, he might really want a dog. With the help of one of the nerd squad, a girl named Hannah who has just had bone spur surgery, Evan finds out more about border collies and "The Happy Dog," and ends up being in the right place at the right time. But where is the dog?

This was a great dog story, with the dog viewpoint just enough anthropomorphized for it to make sense, but not too much to make it undoglike. I liked that all the characters had layers and flaws, and that Evan learned to stand up for himself and what he wanted, and also to see the layers in other people and know when he might have misjudged someone. A good book for dog-lovers and runners. Thanks to Libro.FM for a free educator copy of the audiobook.

[Sally Kruger · Rating 5 out of 5]

AWSWERS TO DOG by Pete Hautman is a heartwarming story about a group of underdog characters and, of course, a dog. Perfect for middle grade readers for independent reading or a read-aloud everyone will love.

Evan doesn't really feel comfortable anywhere. At home his father is busy carving dragons in his workshop and his mother is either reading, cooking predictable dinners, or sleeping. Evan is pretty much on his own. Running helps him relax and feel free. At school Evan hangs out with a group who have been labeled the Nerd Posse. Their goal is to keep a low profile and stay away from the bullies.

Everything starts to change when Evan finds the white dog. The dog joins him on his run one afternoon. He knows his mother would never consider letting him have a dog, but maybe he can convince her with his dad's help.

He discovers that the dog often escapes from a local business called Happy Dog. When he goes to visit the business, he finds out the owner is a mean old man who mistreats the dogs he breeds. The white dog has every reason to escape when he gets a chance. Evan is even more convinced that he needs to rescue the dog and give him a home.

Author Pete Hautman weaves an adventurous tale told in alternating voices of Evan and the dog. With the help of his friends and eventually some adults, Evan uses problem solving and creative thinking to reach a satisfactory end.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a sweet story that I read it very fast, but this time of year is busy so I'm just now sharing about it. Middle school boy Evan keeps to himself much of the time, has a few friends, but mainly on the bus ride home. He feels he doesn't fit much of anywhere, even at home with a mother who hardly speaks to him and a father immersed in carving wood creations, which make a lot of money. There are no money worries, but in this boy's life, loneliness worries until a border collie who seems to know the boy needs "something" starts following Evan and even joins him when he's running. Yet, like many stories, it gets complicated. Evan gains some better friends, and then the dog, after being gone for a while, arrives, clearly on a mission involving an abusive dog breeder. Added to that problem, a new "girl" friend enters Evan's life. She's witty but is on crutches, something to do with one of her legs. It's somewhat awkward on the bus when she joins right in! Not only do Dog (Yes, he really does "Answer to Dog") and Evan help each other, he helps the family, too. Hautman alternates the story-telling, letting both Evan and Dog tell their side of the story, an adventure in love and loss and, yes, also, hope and growing up. It's wonderful to be able to journey along!
Thanks to Candlewick Press for my copy!

[Melanie Dulaney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding boy & his dog story with sadness & joy; extras-mother w/depression, school bully who gets his comeuppance, diverse group of friends including one with alopecia and another recovering from leg surgery for debilitating bone spur.

Evan lives with a work-obsessed father and a mom who clearly is suffering from depression and has a small group of friends, dubbed the Nerd Posse by a school bully. A stray Border Collie adopts Evan and keeps showing up to run with him leading to the discovery of a puppy mill where dogs are being abused as well as finding new friends and a new niche on the school’s track team. Great boy & his dog story for those who love McCall Hoyle’s Best Friends series but have gotten a little older and need characters who have as well. However, with zero profanity or sexual content and only a small amount of violence (some human to dog, a bit of animal to animal and one incident of bullied to bully), this book would be equally wonderful for all in grades 4-7. At only 238 pages, is very approachable for all in that age range.

Thanks for the print arc, Candlewick Press!

[Darla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is it a match made in heaven when a boy named Evan meets a border collie named Sam (short for Samarkand)? Well, let me tell you --it's complicated.

I want to thank my GR friend Amina for putting this book on my radar. It is a book about family, friends, and the love of Fido (or dogs in general) 🐕

Here is what I liked:

🚴 Evan is a lovable kid who thinks he is "normal" and helping his oddball friends like the guy with alopecia. My favorite of his friends was Hana - she is feisty and helpful! They become the "Nerd Posse." Watch out, bullies!

🐕 We see a good portion of the story from the perspective of Samarkand, the border collie who is desperate to escape a puppy mill. When he connects with Evan, our story begins.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Evan's parents are a bit quirky, but they support each other and encourage Evan to see the other parent in a more positive light.

🐕 Fear not. Samarkand gets a happy ending and so does Evan. It is quite an exciting journey and there are some tissue-worthy moments.

Thank you to Candlewick and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eighth grader Evan Dunn feels as though he's almost sleepwalking through life. Although he has a couple of friends--later dubbed the Nerd Posse--every moment at school and at home has a bland, sameness, even the family meals, and there's hardly anything worth waking up for. But when the school track coach sees him running with a stray white dog, he starts thinking maybe this is something he can do well. Plus, that border collie that loves to run has stolen his heart. When its owner is injured, Evan and new friend Hana Ganz step up to help out at the kennel. While the plot is simple, the shift in perspective from Evan's to the dog, Sam, adds interest to the well-told story. Author Pete Hautman keeps things running smoothly, never missing a beat, even while he tugs at readers' heartstrings and reminds them that dogs like Sam aren't simply lawn ornaments or moneymakers but living creatures who feel and love deeply. This story--3.5 for me--is a good classroom read aloud as well as inspiration to go for a run with your own dog.

[Therearenobadbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

This felt very realistic to me. The parents who have their own interests and issues are a bit distant from their son, but at the same time, their son slowly also notices that he too disregards some aspects of the adult's daily life. For lack of understanding, both generations are distant and can be united by one single event or dog. I like that there is a separation. The main character still feels like a kid and doesn't quite understand some of his mother's actions. This almost feels like an anime/light Japanese novel that i usually love to read, it has that kind of community, character arc, fighting bully, coming together for a purpose but quite realistic issues, social problems. It's definitely a fall read. I love the relationship of the Mc and the Dog that even after being abused can keep loyalty to humans when right things need to be done. It was a different kind of book. I am glad I've come across it.

[Stephanie Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must-read for dog-lovers of all ages!
Evan has some conflicts going on in his seventh-grade year. He loves his mom, but her frequent bouts of depression and agoraphobia have turned her into someone he doesn’t know anymore. Evan and his dad get along great-until “Sam” (not Dad, please), gets totally engrossed in an art project and tunes out to everything around him. Evan enjoys running, but the thought of joining the track team makes his stomach hurt. How can he say no to the coach who praised him, gave him new running shoes, and asked him to join, though?
Evan’s biggest problem is not any of these, however. It’s the fact that he’s fallen in love with a stray dog, who seems to really have taken to Evan, that unfortunately belongs to a drunken puppy-mill owner. And Evan’s mom is not about to say “yes” to having a dog around; “it’s the last thing we need”…

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Evan is a runner. A dog starts to follow him on his runs. He really wants to adopt the dog but his emotionally detached parents are not interested/capable of caring for a dog right now. They're not really doing that great of a job with the kid either due to ... issues, which get explored. Evan gets attached to the dog anyway and does what he can to take care of him, even when the dog is at returned to a surly dog breeder who lives nearby.
There's a lot of emotional depth here with family, school, and mental health issues. It is not a fast-paced story but those who like Lynda Hunt's books will appreciate the nuances here as well.
CW: animal cruelty (not graphic but still not easy to read about), mental health issues, benign neglect

[Bailey Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Answers To Dogs is an emotional, heartfelt, deep, beautiful, and wonderful story! This book hits you on every emotional level. It joyful, raw, saddening, humorous, grief filled, and stunning. Truly, it is an encompassing book that makes you feel all the feelings. I could not adore this book more. I love the alternating viewpoints. I adore that this book sticks up for the underdog. Both characters go through some trials, but find as long as they continue growing their relationship they can overcome anything. The fact that this dog and boy develop such an unexpected beautiful bond warms my heart!

[LS Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked to story. Evan is a likable character in a sad, sort of way. I always felt a little bad for him. The grown-ups in the book were very supportive of him, which I liked. Some of the dog abuse was hard to read about so any sensitive reader might have a hard time with this. The chapters are written in changing POVs between Evan and Dog. I didn't realize this when I began reading the book because the chapters were not marked. After realizing it I went back and re-read the first couple of chapters and they made more sense. Some younger readers may not pick up on this right away and be really confused.

[The Teaching Distillery · Rating 4 out of 5]

A heartwarming and uplifting story about an unlikely group of characters—and, of course, a dog—this book offers both depth and charm. What stands out is how each character is developed with layers of complexity and flaws, making them feel authentic and relatable. Evan’s journey of self-discovery is particularly compelling, as he learns not only to stand up for himself but also to recognize the hidden depths in others, even when they may have initially seemed unlikeable. This theme of personal growth and empathy is a powerful takeaway. Perfect for middle-grade readers, especially dog lovers and young runners. This novel will inspire anyone who’s ever felt like an underdog themselves.

[Bethe · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars. Chap 1 introduces human characters Evan white dog shows up by his house, follows bus on way to school, Calder has alopecia, Kellan is smartest but smallest kid in 8th grade, both get bullied
Chap2 shows dog after chasing the bus, eating cat food, smelling all the critters and hiding from a certain white car with the Man in it
White van lettering Happy Dog - border collies Australian shepherds
The thing about dogs is, no matter what you want, there’s a dog for you.
Mistreatment of dogs by drunk Man
Interesting MG book parents
You don’t know what’s up in the end for Evan and the dog Sam, but you do get a good feeling

[Maura · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 12 year old son and I (and even his dad who normally can't stand MG audiobooks) loved listening to the audiobook version of Answers to Dog, about a lonely boy who needs a dog and a lonely dog who needs a boy.

I think it's fair to all dog lovers to give away the spoiler that there is a happy ending for both dog and boy.

There is a fair bit of animal cruelty and neglect as well as a scary, violent alcoholic dog breeder in some scenes, but safe people outnumber the bad.

Recommended for elementary library collections.

[Abbigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book even though I sometimes struggled with the dog chapters... I'm just not an animal perspective person. But there were several things that felt unfinished: the ending seemed abrupt, we dont get a lot of acknowledgement of the weird parent dynamic (calling his dad Sam, his mom's depression? General disengagement? Whatever we want to call it), and barely any resolution with his original sort of crappy friends.

These things kept the book from being really good and made it just decent.