What do you think?
Rate this book
Dogtown #3
I Am a Good Dog: A Dogtown Book
Dogtown is a shelter for all dogs -- real and robot. Metal Head, a robot dog who is a longtime resident of Dogtown, yearns for a forever home. When a girl named Esme begins visiting Dogtown, Metal Head goes on a mission to get her to adopt him.
But Esme doesn’t like robot dogs. She has her heart set on taking home a gangly wolfhound mix named Ghost with one blue eye and one yellow eye. Sadly Ghost’s former owner mistreated him, so he’s terrified of everyone. Can Esme, Metal Head, Mouse, and Molly, a dog who fosters stray kittens, figure it out?
And what about Metal Head? When will he get his forever home?
The characters in the New York Times-bestselling Dogtown books have already found homes in readers’ hearts. Award-winning authors Katherine Applegate and Gennifer Choldenko bring humor and empathy to the story of this special shelter; with charming illustrations by Wallace West, the Dogtown books are perfect for readers at all levels.
But Esme doesn’t like robot dogs. She has her heart set on taking home a gangly wolfhound mix named Ghost with one blue eye and one yellow eye. Sadly Ghost’s former owner mistreated him, so he’s terrified of everyone. Can Esme, Metal Head, Mouse, and Molly, a dog who fosters stray kittens, figure it out?
And what about Metal Head? When will he get his forever home?
The characters in the New York Times-bestselling Dogtown books have already found homes in readers’ hearts. Award-winning authors Katherine Applegate and Gennifer Choldenko bring humor and empathy to the story of this special shelter; with charming illustrations by Wallace West, the Dogtown books are perfect for readers at all levels.
- GenresDogs
345 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 22, 2026
About the author
Katherine Applegate
289 books6,587 followers#1 New York Times bestselling author Katherine Applegate has written many books for young readers, including THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN, winner of the 2013 Newbery Medal.
Katherine’s picture books include THE BUFFALO STORM, illustrated by Jan Ormerod (Clarion Books); THE REMARKABLE TRUE STORY OF IVAN, THE SHOPPING MALL GORILLA, illustrated by G. Brian Karas (Clarion Books); SOMETIMES YOU FLY, illustrated by Jennifer Black Reinhardt (Clarion Books); and ODDER: AN OTTER’S STORY, illustrated by Charles Santoso (Feiwel & Friends).
She’s written or co-written three early chapter series for young readers: ROSCOE RILEY RULES, a seven-book series illustrated by Brian Biggs (HarperCollins); DOGGO AND PUPPER, a three-book series illustrated by Charlie Alder (Feiwel & Friends). With Gennifer Choldenko, she co-authored DOGTOWN and MOUSE AND HIS DOG, illustrated by Wallace West (Feiwel & Friends).
Books for middle-grade readers include HOME OF THE BRAVE (Feiwel & Friends); THE ONE AND ONLY series, illustrated by Patricia Castelao, including THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN, THE ONE AND ONLY BOB, THE ONE AND ONLY RUBY, and THE ONE AND ONLY FAMILY (HarperCollins); the ENDLING trilogy (HarperCollins); CRENSHAW (Feiwel & Friends); WISHTREE (Feiwel & Friends); WILLODEEN (Feiwel & Friends); ODDER (Feiwel & Friends); and the forthcoming POCKET BEAR (Feiwel & Friends).
With her husband, Michael Grant, Katherine co-wrote ANIMORPHS, a long-running series that has sold over 35 million books worldwide. They also wrote two other series, REMNANTS and EVERWORLD, and a young adult novel, EVE AND ADAM (Feiwel & Friends.)
Katherine’s work has been translated into dozens of languages, and her books have won accolades including the Christopher Medal, the Golden Kite Award, the Bank Street Josette Frank Award, the California Book Award Gold Medal, the Crystal Kite Award, the Green Earth Book Honor Award, the Charlotte Zolotow Honor Award, and the E.B. White Read Aloud Award. Many of her works have appeared on state master lists, Best of the Year lists, and Publishers Weekly, USA Today, and New York Times bestseller lists.
Katherine lives in Nevada with her husband and assorted pets. She is represented by Elena Giovinazzo at Heirloom Literary and Mary Pender at WME.
Katherine’s picture books include THE BUFFALO STORM, illustrated by Jan Ormerod (Clarion Books); THE REMARKABLE TRUE STORY OF IVAN, THE SHOPPING MALL GORILLA, illustrated by G. Brian Karas (Clarion Books); SOMETIMES YOU FLY, illustrated by Jennifer Black Reinhardt (Clarion Books); and ODDER: AN OTTER’S STORY, illustrated by Charles Santoso (Feiwel & Friends).
She’s written or co-written three early chapter series for young readers: ROSCOE RILEY RULES, a seven-book series illustrated by Brian Biggs (HarperCollins); DOGGO AND PUPPER, a three-book series illustrated by Charlie Alder (Feiwel & Friends). With Gennifer Choldenko, she co-authored DOGTOWN and MOUSE AND HIS DOG, illustrated by Wallace West (Feiwel & Friends).
Books for middle-grade readers include HOME OF THE BRAVE (Feiwel & Friends); THE ONE AND ONLY series, illustrated by Patricia Castelao, including THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN, THE ONE AND ONLY BOB, THE ONE AND ONLY RUBY, and THE ONE AND ONLY FAMILY (HarperCollins); the ENDLING trilogy (HarperCollins); CRENSHAW (Feiwel & Friends); WISHTREE (Feiwel & Friends); WILLODEEN (Feiwel & Friends); ODDER (Feiwel & Friends); and the forthcoming POCKET BEAR (Feiwel & Friends).
With her husband, Michael Grant, Katherine co-wrote ANIMORPHS, a long-running series that has sold over 35 million books worldwide. They also wrote two other series, REMNANTS and EVERWORLD, and a young adult novel, EVE AND ADAM (Feiwel & Friends.)
Katherine’s work has been translated into dozens of languages, and her books have won accolades including the Christopher Medal, the Golden Kite Award, the Bank Street Josette Frank Award, the California Book Award Gold Medal, the Crystal Kite Award, the Green Earth Book Honor Award, the Charlotte Zolotow Honor Award, and the E.B. White Read Aloud Award. Many of her works have appeared on state master lists, Best of the Year lists, and Publishers Weekly, USA Today, and New York Times bestseller lists.
Katherine lives in Nevada with her husband and assorted pets. She is represented by Elena Giovinazzo at Heirloom Literary and Mary Pender at WME.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
August 24, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an ALC of this book!
My family loves this Dogtown series! This book is placed in Dogtown, which is a shelter for all kinds of dogs! Real and robot… we get to meet Metal Head, who has desperately been hoping to find a forever home. He has his heart set on getting someone to adopt him, except they don’t want a robot dog. Will he convince them? Or will he continue waiting for someone else to adopt him?
This book was lighthearted, humorous, and touching. I loved the POV of Metal Head and how believable his perspective was as he patiently waited to be adopted. It was sweet and at times sad and lonely reading how much he wanted to find a home.
My kids loved this ALC! The sound effects, music, and Dylan Reilly Fitzpatrick as Narrator were phenomenal! The way Fitzpatrick brought this story to life and changed his inflections for different scenes and different characters was really easy to differentiate for smaller kids and was still intriguing for older kids.
My family loves this Dogtown series! This book is placed in Dogtown, which is a shelter for all kinds of dogs! Real and robot… we get to meet Metal Head, who has desperately been hoping to find a forever home. He has his heart set on getting someone to adopt him, except they don’t want a robot dog. Will he convince them? Or will he continue waiting for someone else to adopt him?
This book was lighthearted, humorous, and touching. I loved the POV of Metal Head and how believable his perspective was as he patiently waited to be adopted. It was sweet and at times sad and lonely reading how much he wanted to find a home.
My kids loved this ALC! The sound effects, music, and Dylan Reilly Fitzpatrick as Narrator were phenomenal! The way Fitzpatrick brought this story to life and changed his inflections for different scenes and different characters was really easy to differentiate for smaller kids and was still intriguing for older kids.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A Warm, Emotional Dog Story That Handles the Hard Stuff Well
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing an advance listening copy.
⭐ Overall — 4/5
🎧 Audio — 4/5
I Am a Good Dog: A Dogtown Book was a genuinely lovely listen.
The story has plenty of cuteness and humor—Metal Head being completely baffled by shedding was an immediate favorite—but it also makes room for some surprisingly emotional material without losing the warmth of the Dogtown world.
One of the strongest things about the book is how well it handles difficult situations involving animals. Ghost has been mistreated and is understandably terrified of people, and the story treats that fear with care rather than framing it as bad behavior that simply needs to be “fixed.” There are also quieter emotional moments, like an older man making the painful decision to give up his dog because he knows he can no longer provide the care the dog needs. That kind of choice is sad, but the book allows it to be loving at the same time.
The emotional range worked really well for me. This is a story that can be funny, sweet, sad, hopeful, and comforting without any of those tones feeling out of place.
The audiobook was also very easy to listen to. The chapters are short and digestible, the narration was pleasant, and I never felt lost despite this being part of an existing series. The music and sound effects added to the experience without becoming distracting. I do think the production could have leaned into them a little more, but what was there worked.
I also appreciated that the audiobook felt complete on its own. I never felt like I needed the illustrated edition in front of me to understand what was happening.
Who Should Listen?
This is a strong choice for young listeners who enjoy dogs, animal shelters, friendship stories, robot characters, and books that mix humor with more meaningful emotional moments.
Adults should know going in that the story includes animal mistreatment, frightened shelter animals, pet separation/surrender, and some sadness around animals and their circumstances. Those topics are handled thoughtfully and accessibly, but sensitive kids may benefit from a little preparation.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing an advance listening copy.
⭐ Overall — 4/5
🎧 Audio — 4/5
I Am a Good Dog: A Dogtown Book was a genuinely lovely listen.
The story has plenty of cuteness and humor—Metal Head being completely baffled by shedding was an immediate favorite—but it also makes room for some surprisingly emotional material without losing the warmth of the Dogtown world.
One of the strongest things about the book is how well it handles difficult situations involving animals. Ghost has been mistreated and is understandably terrified of people, and the story treats that fear with care rather than framing it as bad behavior that simply needs to be “fixed.” There are also quieter emotional moments, like an older man making the painful decision to give up his dog because he knows he can no longer provide the care the dog needs. That kind of choice is sad, but the book allows it to be loving at the same time.
The emotional range worked really well for me. This is a story that can be funny, sweet, sad, hopeful, and comforting without any of those tones feeling out of place.
The audiobook was also very easy to listen to. The chapters are short and digestible, the narration was pleasant, and I never felt lost despite this being part of an existing series. The music and sound effects added to the experience without becoming distracting. I do think the production could have leaned into them a little more, but what was there worked.
I also appreciated that the audiobook felt complete on its own. I never felt like I needed the illustrated edition in front of me to understand what was happening.
Who Should Listen?
This is a strong choice for young listeners who enjoy dogs, animal shelters, friendship stories, robot characters, and books that mix humor with more meaningful emotional moments.
Adults should know going in that the story includes animal mistreatment, frightened shelter animals, pet separation/surrender, and some sadness around animals and their circumstances. Those topics are handled thoughtfully and accessibly, but sensitive kids may benefit from a little preparation.
Review of advance copy
This series is a lot of fun, as is anything the author writes. There is always a message that makes you pause and think, always humor, and you can count on characters that you are drawn to and care about. This is book 3 in the series and can be enjoyed alone but the impact and enjoyment will higher if you've read the previous 2 as well.
The book is set in a shelter for dogs, Dogtown; it houses dogs that are real and robotic. It is told from the POV of Metalhead, a dog that just wants to find his forever home. It is sweet, heartbreaking, hopeful, and really tugged at my heartstrings. His loneliness is felt, his excitement is real, and his sincerity is strong.
I received an early audiobook by Libro.fm and let me tell you- it was phenomenal. It felt like listening to an old time radio program with sound effects, a full cast, and music.
If you have a reluctant reader- this will get their attention. If you have a dog lover, they will devour this series. If you just like a good MG story- you will enjoy this and anything else by her.
The book is set in a shelter for dogs, Dogtown; it houses dogs that are real and robotic. It is told from the POV of Metalhead, a dog that just wants to find his forever home. It is sweet, heartbreaking, hopeful, and really tugged at my heartstrings. His loneliness is felt, his excitement is real, and his sincerity is strong.
I received an early audiobook by Libro.fm and let me tell you- it was phenomenal. It felt like listening to an old time radio program with sound effects, a full cast, and music.
If you have a reluctant reader- this will get their attention. If you have a dog lover, they will devour this series. If you just like a good MG story- you will enjoy this and anything else by her.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Join Dogtown again, this time through Metal Head's POV. As he tries to help new dogs adjust, Metal Head wants nothing more than to find his forever home with a new visitor, Esme. Unfortunately, every time Metal Head tries to help his new friend, things go awry and he causes more trouble then he helps.
This heartfelt book will appeal so many people. Whether you're a dog lover or not, you cannot deny the love that Metal Head exudes to anyone who will open their heart to him. This book has such good lessons for children about misunderstandings, friendship, family, the loss of loved ones, and the impact of grief.
My family listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the narrator and his ability to bring Metal Head to life. The narrator had a great cadence and tone for a "dog". Do not miss out on this - it's a great listen!
Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an ARC of this audiobook.
This heartfelt book will appeal so many people. Whether you're a dog lover or not, you cannot deny the love that Metal Head exudes to anyone who will open their heart to him. This book has such good lessons for children about misunderstandings, friendship, family, the loss of loved ones, and the impact of grief.
My family listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the narrator and his ability to bring Metal Head to life. The narrator had a great cadence and tone for a "dog". Do not miss out on this - it's a great listen!
Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an ARC of this audiobook.
September 27, 2026
My heart is full! What a great book helping us understand how to find our forever home. Metal Head is a very smart dog who befriends and helps the other dogs in the kennel. Esme comes and gets Ghost, a very scared dog, to come to her while Mr. Popnik came to visit his dog, Boris. Mr. Popnik was sick and left Boris at the dog shelter and asked them not to adopt her out for awhile, so he visited often. These two characters become important to Metal Head. Metal Head has a very special friend in Mouse and Molly- a mother dog who takes new puppies and kittens under her care. The book shares their relationships and friendships and makes you feel for each achievement. What a great legacy to have a kindness be a trait for Mr. Popnik. So glad to have read this book. It is heart warming and a book that will make you smile.
September 29, 2026
Ntas good as the previous books in the seris. Dogtown is a shelter for all dogs -- real and robot. Metal Head, a robot dog who is a longtime resident of Dogtown, yearns for a forever home. When a girl named Esme begins visiting Dogtown, Metal Head goes on a mission to get her to adopt him.
But Esme doesn't like robot dogs. She has her heart set on taking home a gangly wolfhound mix named Ghost with one blue eye and one yellow eye. Sadly Ghost's former owner mistreated him, so he's terrified of everyone. Can Esme, Metal Head, Mouse, and Molly, a dog who fosters stray kittens, figure it out?
And what about Metal Head? When will he get his forever home?
But Esme doesn't like robot dogs. She has her heart set on taking home a gangly wolfhound mix named Ghost with one blue eye and one yellow eye. Sadly Ghost's former owner mistreated him, so he's terrified of everyone. Can Esme, Metal Head, Mouse, and Molly, a dog who fosters stray kittens, figure it out?
And what about Metal Head? When will he get his forever home?
October 3, 2026
What a wonderful Dog rescue story with the classic elements of this author when it comes to children connecting with animals in a healing way that leads to the rescue of both parts. In this one, with also have a very smart robot Dog in rhe dog shelter who even has speech capacity. Finding a home, not just any, one to belong too.
Can be read as standalone actually this is my first of this series, will go back to read the rest.
Can be read as standalone actually this is my first of this series, will go back to read the rest.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Oh my gosh! This was such an interesting take on rescue with these pets being robots and animals. I spent years helping a local rescue and got emotionally invested with every pet I met, and you can feel the emotions in this story. This was so sweet, so heartwarming, so satisfying in the end with the surprises. The audio was fantastic too.
October 13, 2026
This was the best one! Way less sad than the others. 4.2 stars
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews