Girl Scouts: Anika and the Great Dog Rescue: A Heartwarming Story About Courage, Friendship, and Rescue for Girls (Ages 8-12)

by Sayantani DasGupta

A fun-and-friendship-filled follow-up to Maven Takes the Lead in the must-read middle grade series from Girl Scouts of the USA, starring a group of fifth graders who love making the world a better place. This novel written by New York Times bestselling author Sayantani DasGupta is perfect for fans of The Baby-Sitters Club and American Girl's Girl of the Year series.

Anika loves animals.

She loves bird-watching in her backyard, volunteering at the animal shelter with her Girl Scout troop, and caring for her elderly neighbor’s parrot. Anika wants a pet, but her parents have a long list of reasons to say no, including that they aren’t sure Anika is up for the responsibility.

When Anika discovers a stray dog in her neighbor’s backyard, she decides to take charge all on her own. Between friend fights at school and her mom working harder than ever, Anika could use the distraction. This is something she wants to handle herself. But then the pup doesn’t show up for a few days and Anika is worried something is wrong. With time running out, it’s up to Anika to build a web of support strong enough to bring the dog to safety. 

Look out for more incredible middle grade books from Girl

Maven Takes the Lead, the first book in this Girl Scout Novel series, September 2024The Ultimate Friendship Journal, coming March 2025Take You Can Make the World a Better Place, coming Fall 2025

256 pages, Paperback

First published May 13, 2025

Reviews

[Emma Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ani, who loves drawing, has a passion for animals but her mother forbids her from having any. At school, her best friend Harper is more and more distant. Thankfully, the bright spot in Ani’s weeks is taking care of Wilbur, the neighbour’s rude parrot, until one day Wilbur gets scared of a stray dog in the garden.

The best parts about this book was the Indian French toast which sounds amazing and Ani’s friends from Girl Scouts - they do a reading out loud session at the animal shelter and have a great time when they’re together but most of the book is about how left out Ani feels - she has no best friend anymore and her mother has no time for her - and that wasn’t my cup of tea.

My endless thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for this ARC!

[Therearenobadbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series, easy to read, great pacing, and size. The characters are rich in culture and relatable, even when from different cultures. Volume two is about pets, and it's my favorite so far, with great family and friends' relationships, scenes, and actions, educational and worth taking as a model. I love the artwork as well.

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Fun elementary chapter book that would make a great gift for Brownies or Junior Girl Scouts, especially those with an interest in pets.

[Anika · Rating 3 out of 5]

it had my name in it so I had to read it. And I do girl scouts so ya