Buster

Buster #1

by Caleb Zane Huett

Buster's a therapy dog who needs to take matters into his own paws to help a boy understand his own anxiety even if it means breaking a few rules. Buster's in big trouble. He's been dragged to Dog Court for breaking one of the most sacred of all dog Never, ever talk to a human, or let a human know how smart you really are. But he swears he had a good reason! The boy he's been taking care of, Tonio, needed his help in a big way. You see, Tonio is afraid all the time -- afraid of saying or doing the wrong thing, afraid of making a fool of himself or (even worse) hurting someone else's feelings. His doctor thinks having a therapy dog will help his anxiety -- and Buster wants to help. He really wants to help. Even if it means breaking the rules

Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Animals, Audiobook, Humor, Juvenile, Fiction

320 pages, Hardcover

Published April 6, 2021

About the author

Caleb Zane Huett is a playwright, undercover reindeer, and independent bookseller at Avid Bookshop. He's a graduate of the University of Georgia and currently lives in Athens, Georgia where he plays a lot of video games.

Reviews

[Savannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not only is this book delightful and adorable, but it does the important work of making chronic anxiety more digestible to the lay person. The fact that this book not only talks about and explains what I assume to be a mixture of childhood GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorder) and social anxiety, but does it in such a way as to be entertaining, endearing, and informational to children who are not familiar with these disorders. Any person who has struggled with major anxiety will find many of the feelings and descriptions of anxiety, panic attacks, and obsessive-intrusive thought cycles familiar. Huett does such an amazing job of giving tangible description to something that so often eludes easy explanation. Especially for the children who suffer from these disorders.

[Ann Major · Rating 5 out of 5]

My grandson, Caleb Zane Huett, has a new book out this spring! I read it earlier this year and loved it! It is about a service dog who cares about his anxious human so much he breaks some pretty important dog rules at great risk to himself just to help him. There was a lot about gaming I didn't understand but his audience will love it. Charming story. Likeable characters. I am very very proud of him.

[Mandelin319 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love a children’s book that addresses mental health and anxiety is so prevalent these days. Will recommend for sure.

[Lauren Kramer-Theuerkauf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Buster is on a mission to be the best service dog to his human, Tonio. Tonio suffers from crippling anxiety and panic attacks. At first, the pair seem to be opposites. Tonio isn’t sure that he can handle the responsibility of a dog and Buster is just as concerned with his role.

When Buster finds a way to connect with Tonio, he has a serious decision to make: help his human or risk endangering all of Dogkind. Is Buster truly a Bad Dog or simply a misunderstood friend?

I absolutely LOVED this book! As someone who has anxiety, I could definitely relate to Tonio and his “bad brain.” I found myself learning new tricks to manage my anxiety too! And I love the cast of colorful characters. I can totally picture my pups in Dog Court.

I highly recommend this book for dog lovers ages 11 and up!

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

Buster by Caleb Zane Huett ; narrated by Peter Cross.

Buster is a children’s book of the “true” life of dogs where we find they are all as intelligent and communicative as humans, but they don’t want humans to know to protect all of “dogkind”. Buster has trouble with this, wanting to help the humans more than anything else so much so that his intelligence is discovered. This lands Buster in dog court twice. It could lead to the greatest punishment he can receive. The story centers around his day in court with many flashbacks that lead up to his time in court.

Buster was very different than I expected. I didn’t particularly enjoy it, but I can see how mid to upper elementary as well as middle school students might really relate to the anxiety of one of the main human characters and that it could be very helpful in this area.

The narrator did a fine job of presenting the story. I thank Libro.fm for the opportunity to listen to and review this title. I think the story is written for upper elementary and middle school students, and schools would find this a worthy title to include.

[H · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet story about a boy who suffers from anxiety disorder that severely cripples his ability to function. His parents get him a therapy dog (Buster) - and after a rough start, they begin to help each other. But will helping Tonio force Buster to give away the great secret of the dogs - that they are secretly just as intelligent as humans and have their own laws, policing, and languages - all designed to keep them safe from humans? This might be a good look at anxiety disorder for kids and or adults - but I felt like the story might have been a bit slow to develop, which might make kids abandon the book early. I listened to this book through the Libro.fm program for educators. Grades 3-5.
https://libro.fm/alcprogram

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story told from Buster's point of view. Buster is in "Dog Court" up on charges for letting his human know just how smart he really is. Buster was acquired to be a therapy dog for Tonio to help with his anxiety. In order to help him, Buster has had to break a few rules. But maybe those rules need to be broken?
Good for anxious kids to read and for others to understand all the complexities of anxiety.

[Veronica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun animal fantasy for middle grade students. Who doesn't love the idea that dogs have their own secret society with dog cops, dog trials, and "bad" dogs like Buster. Buster isn't really a bad dog, he is a service dog who is just doing what he thinks is best for his human, Tonio, who suffers from anxiety. I would recommend this book to students in grades 3 and up, especially to those who love dogs.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

very happy to learn this is a series and not just this one off book. I love the dog court rules and the corgi lawyer. Does a really good job explaining anxiety for children from a dogs perspective.

Only downside is trying to explain the details of a made up complicated card game that plays much like magic the gathering but is about beans mixed with sci fi?

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this wonderful middle grade novel, a sweet service dog goes above and beyond to help a boy with lots of anxiety (which I greatly relayed to,) and I found myself wanting to give my pup a huge hug for how many times she’s calmed me as I worked through things.

What would we do without our loyal, selfless, loving dogs?!

[Marianne McKiernan · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an animal communicator who really does talk to dogs, and who raises service dog puppies, this book ticked all my boxes. Plus, so many puns. I hope this is a series because I am not ready to say goodbye to Buster and Tonio.

[Laura Robinette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! The author does a great job of explaining anxiety in a way that non-anxious people would understand. Buster’s dog response to the anxiety would actually be helpful for those who have someone who struggles in their life, giving ways to react to them.

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this story so much! I love the relationship portrayed between dog and human as Buster helps Tonio learn about and start to tackle his anxiety. I am a middle school librarian, and I will definitely be adding this book to our library.

[Michelle Simpson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an interesting look into anxiety and how it can impact someone who is dealing with it, while normalizing it along the way. Buster proves to be a huge support and a true friend to his companion.

Digital audio version received from Libro.fm.

[Ashley Ewert · Rating 2 out of 5]

One of the first middle grades I've read that really focused around a kid with anxiety and all that he went through because of it, but it was a bit much. Interesting to read from the dogs perspective and thinking about what it would be like(or maybe is like) for dogs to communicate.

[Scoot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic, funny, and adorable. Buster tackles anxiety in a wonderful, thoughtful way. Filled with humor and so many nerdy nods to pop culture, this book has found a spot on my favorite book list.

[HopeAnneFrost · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book sooo much! First of all I really like dogs and it really is meaningful and has a good lesson to those with anxiety. 🐕

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very cute and enjoyed the ending!

[Stacie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was great. I enjoyed the dog’s perspective and it did such a good job addressing anxiety and even gave tips for how to handle it.

[Gigi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super cute story about the intelligence of dogs and a boy coping with anxiety. Not only is it humorous and fast paced but it provides real insight into how anxiety can be debilitating to some.

[Amy]

K

[Lam780]

Amazing story about understanding and living with anxiety in young children.
LGB - Two dads, 'My husband is Mr. ---'

[Jill CD · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book addresses severe anxiety through the voice of a therapy dog. It was a fun read, sprinkled with humorous moments, that kids will enjoy. Grades 3/4 and up.

[Robin Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the way the author dove into anxiety and how crippling it can be. Super cute story.

[MaryAnne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buster, a therapy dog, finds himself sharing too much about dog intelligence with Tonio, his human friend with anxiety issues.

[DOGLVR · Rating 4 out of 5]

An underrated read. I found this book very entertaining and hopefully I can get my hands on the second of the series soon.

[Hoover Public Library Kids and Teens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buster is on trial in Dog Court for breaking the most important rule of Dogkind -- revealing his true intelligence to his human owner.

[Tweller83 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy from libro.fm as part of the educator audiobook listening copies. All opinions are my own. #librofm #scholastic Narrated by Pete Cross.

Buster is on trial in dog court for breaking the number one rule for dogs by letting Tonio know he is as smart as a human. This is a super cute middle grade book about anxiety, friendship, and the love between a dog and a human. I especially loved that Buster was so compelled to be a "service" dog or be of service to humans. Tonio grew very much when he opened up to both Buster and his therapist. I quite enjoyed this audio book and think many middle grade students would love this book. Came out to a very high 4.5, almost a 5 so rounded up for Goodreads. I would read more by this author for sure.