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Bound for Home
From the author of The Trail , a heartwarming tale of survival and adventure, following three unlikely friends and their quest to make it home together. a shelter dog who just wants his freedom. a lonely girl who secretly wants a place to call home. And a cat who’s never needed anyone or anything beyond her own sharp wits. Can the three survive a journey deep into the woods? From the moment Emi walks into the animal shelter, she knows the dopey-looking dog with the sandy-colored hair is the dog for her. Despite Max's many escape attempts and inability to be trained, she chooses him. When Emi's home life starts to crumble, she takes off into the Maine woods with Max at her side, determined to prove that she can make it on her own. But they immediately lose each other, and one catastrophe after another shows that they're totally unprepared to handle the wilderness. Wild animals, hunger, and an impossible trail to track mean that each must do whatever it takes to stay alive―but what happens when they have to choose between getting back to safety... and looking out for a friend? Can loyalty be as strong as the will to survive?
224 pages, Hardcover
First published June 7, 2022
49 people are currently reading
245 people want to read
About the author
Meika Hashimoto
30 books39 followersMEIKA HASHIMOTO's first baking foray was a chocolate cake. She was eight years old and, in her excitement, forgot a few key ingredients like sugar and baking powder. She also left the cake in the oven for far too long. Although it resembled a brick, her parents politely ate it and gave her very encouraging feedback. Meika's baking techniques have improved greatly since then. When she's not kneading bread dough or baking cheesecakes, she can be found editing children's books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
August 20, 2022
Love the nature and adventure in it and how it can go on to daily life!
December 28, 2022
I read this book upon my granddaughter's prompting. She is eight and loved the story.
I will start by saying that I am not a fan of animal books. This is a story about a foster child who goes to a home that shows promise, but because of her prior experiences, trust is difficult. The parents get her a dog and she learns to care for it and love it. The dog runs away, and eventually the girl and the dog run away and make friends with a cat in the woods. I do think that the first part of the story would interest foster kids, or kids who have been adopted later in life.
It seemed though as the book went on that the story became more and more improbable to a point that seemed ridiculous to me.
At one point the girl has some gorp that she shares with the dog, removing the chocolate before she gives it to the dog. However she gives the dog the raisins and peanuts. Raisins are very dangerous for dogs to eat. Apparently neither the author nor the editor knew this fact. Sigh.
As the book became more and more unlikely it lost my interest. But, then, I'm not an eight year old.
I will start by saying that I am not a fan of animal books. This is a story about a foster child who goes to a home that shows promise, but because of her prior experiences, trust is difficult. The parents get her a dog and she learns to care for it and love it. The dog runs away, and eventually the girl and the dog run away and make friends with a cat in the woods. I do think that the first part of the story would interest foster kids, or kids who have been adopted later in life.
It seemed though as the book went on that the story became more and more improbable to a point that seemed ridiculous to me.
At one point the girl has some gorp that she shares with the dog, removing the chocolate before she gives it to the dog. However she gives the dog the raisins and peanuts. Raisins are very dangerous for dogs to eat. Apparently neither the author nor the editor knew this fact. Sigh.
As the book became more and more unlikely it lost my interest. But, then, I'm not an eight year old.
June 23, 2022
Bound for Home is a well-written novel for pre-teens exploring issues such as belonging, trust, friendship and family. My 10-year-old son loved the book.
June 2, 2022
I loved this book so very much! It was sad at times but other times it was happy. Overall, this book was a great book and one I will never forget!
June 7, 2024
Loosely modeled after The Incredible Journey (or perhaps more accurately its beloved 90s film counterpart, Homeward Bound) but in a more kid-focused way. 4.5 stars rounded up because this is a great addition to the children's lit canon and I would have adored it when I was younger.
Short summary: Foster girl's family adopts dog (a pit bull mix nobody else wants -- kind of like how she feels). Dog is obsessed with escape and manages to get loose a couple of times, but is found, partly with the help of an accidentally-abandoned cat, who has found life not too shabby as a stray and feels compelled to make sure the Soft Idiot House Dog does not die in the woods.
When foster parents announce impending baby, girl decides to run away to the woods with dog in tow. Accidentally-abandoned cat, who happily and secretly lives in the woodshed next to the house, notices oh, that's not right, and decides to follow them, just in case. "She had no obligation to track down the girl and Max. But it was spring, the air was warm, and she had nothing better to do. And if they were in trouble, they would need an experienced set of paws." I love Red, y'all.
In the woods, Max's senses pretty much immediately go "SQUIRREL!" and he gets lost again. A lot of good adventure and forest survival ensues, chapters continuing to trade off perspective between the characters as girl & dog try to find each other again (and cat tries to get them both home while dodging much bigger predators than herself), and ultimately it is a very heartwarming story.
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I don't know if it's the most realistic dog-perspective out there, but it's pretty good. Max is a super-big dope and his chapters go exactly how you'd expect the inner monologue of a super-enthusiastic but relatively dopey dog (we've all known and loved them!) to go. I laughed a lot at the way his chapters open with lists like "Max's Guide To Getting So Many Treats" (follow the girl around, notice she keeps making the same mouth-sound, sit to think about it, receive treat for some reason!, remain confused two weeks and hndreds of treats later) and "Max's Guide To Having A Pretty Good Idea That Something Weird Is Happening."
Random favorite line: the description of the cat as "full of mouse and lazily curious."
Second favorite line: the (Asian) girl's foster mother, also Asian, addressing that she understands how it can be difficult to grow up in Very White Maine when you look like they do, something clearly drawn from the author's real-life experience. "You feel watched. Like people are expecting you to behave differently because you're not white. Or that you have to prove that you belong." This is the only time race is brought up in the book, but it's highly effective as a food-for-thought as well as a bonding moment.
Long story short, reads a little younger and funnier, but just as good as her previous year's book The Trail, if not better.
Short summary: Foster girl's family adopts dog (a pit bull mix nobody else wants -- kind of like how she feels). Dog is obsessed with escape and manages to get loose a couple of times, but is found, partly with the help of an accidentally-abandoned cat, who has found life not too shabby as a stray and feels compelled to make sure the Soft Idiot House Dog does not die in the woods.
When foster parents announce impending baby, girl decides to run away to the woods with dog in tow. Accidentally-abandoned cat, who happily and secretly lives in the woodshed next to the house, notices oh, that's not right, and decides to follow them, just in case. "She had no obligation to track down the girl and Max. But it was spring, the air was warm, and she had nothing better to do. And if they were in trouble, they would need an experienced set of paws." I love Red, y'all.
In the woods, Max's senses pretty much immediately go "SQUIRREL!" and he gets lost again. A lot of good adventure and forest survival ensues, chapters continuing to trade off perspective between the characters as girl & dog try to find each other again (and cat tries to get them both home while dodging much bigger predators than herself), and ultimately it is a very heartwarming story.
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I don't know if it's the most realistic dog-perspective out there, but it's pretty good. Max is a super-big dope and his chapters go exactly how you'd expect the inner monologue of a super-enthusiastic but relatively dopey dog (we've all known and loved them!) to go. I laughed a lot at the way his chapters open with lists like "Max's Guide To Getting So Many Treats" (follow the girl around, notice she keeps making the same mouth-sound, sit to think about it, receive treat for some reason!, remain confused two weeks and hndreds of treats later) and "Max's Guide To Having A Pretty Good Idea That Something Weird Is Happening."
Random favorite line: the description of the cat as "full of mouse and lazily curious."
Second favorite line: the (Asian) girl's foster mother, also Asian, addressing that she understands how it can be difficult to grow up in Very White Maine when you look like they do, something clearly drawn from the author's real-life experience. "You feel watched. Like people are expecting you to behave differently because you're not white. Or that you have to prove that you belong." This is the only time race is brought up in the book, but it's highly effective as a food-for-thought as well as a bonding moment.
Long story short, reads a little younger and funnier, but just as good as her previous year's book The Trail, if not better.
October 27, 2022
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Emi's mother has recently died of cancer, and her father had died in a lobster boating accident before she was born. After several unsuccessful foster placements, she has landed with Meili and Jim. They live in a wooded area in Maine, and take Emi to pick out a dog from the local shelter. She picks Max, who has been there the longest and has a tendency to run away. Max, whose perspective we also hear, has been abandoned by his family when they were expecting a baby. He still has a tendency to run, although Emi and her foster parents are trying to teach him to stay. On some of his briefer forays into the woods, he meets Red, a cat who was left behind by her family and who has decided she likes being wild. Emi tries to keep Max in line (one of his many eccentricities is his insistence on peeing right in the threshold of her room every morning), and learns to get along with Meili and Jim, who are very glad to have her. When family circumstances are about to change, Emi decides to head out on her own to survive in the woods with Max. This goes poorly, since she is ill-equiped, and both she and Max suffer injuries and privations. They do find a cabin, and don't perish, but eventually have to decide if they want to return home and make a life with Meili and Jim.
Strengths: Like Hashimoto's The Trail (2017), this is a solid adventure book with good details about surviving in the wilderness. Emi was a sympathetic character who was struggling to feel loved and wanted, and her reaction to Meili and Jim's news was not overly unrealistic. I liked that she wasn't really running away from any mistreatment, and that she liked being with them; it was a preemptive measure based on her previous life experiences. Meili briefly mentions how difficult it is to be of Asian descent in predominately white Maine, and the fact that the two of them had each other was a brief moment of light. Max and Red have very distinct personalities, and the chapters from their perspectives added an interesting element to the survival aspect.
Weaknesses: There was a lot of grim hunting for food and getting injured, which is completely realistic, but got somewhat repetitive. What's the good of running away if there aren't some awesome Boxcar Children moments of cooking your own food and seeing the sun set spectacularly? Although as an adult, I guess I should be grateful the experience of running away isn't glorified. I guess I wanted some glorification!
What I really think: This made me think of Burnford's The Incredible Journey (1960) and the movie version (1963), which I remember watching on the Wonderful World of Disney as a child. It's a great choice for readers who liked Behrens' Disaster Days, Pyron's A Pup Called Trouble, or some of Jennifer Li Shotz's more adventuresome dog titles.
Emi's mother has recently died of cancer, and her father had died in a lobster boating accident before she was born. After several unsuccessful foster placements, she has landed with Meili and Jim. They live in a wooded area in Maine, and take Emi to pick out a dog from the local shelter. She picks Max, who has been there the longest and has a tendency to run away. Max, whose perspective we also hear, has been abandoned by his family when they were expecting a baby. He still has a tendency to run, although Emi and her foster parents are trying to teach him to stay. On some of his briefer forays into the woods, he meets Red, a cat who was left behind by her family and who has decided she likes being wild. Emi tries to keep Max in line (one of his many eccentricities is his insistence on peeing right in the threshold of her room every morning), and learns to get along with Meili and Jim, who are very glad to have her. When family circumstances are about to change, Emi decides to head out on her own to survive in the woods with Max. This goes poorly, since she is ill-equiped, and both she and Max suffer injuries and privations. They do find a cabin, and don't perish, but eventually have to decide if they want to return home and make a life with Meili and Jim.
Strengths: Like Hashimoto's The Trail (2017), this is a solid adventure book with good details about surviving in the wilderness. Emi was a sympathetic character who was struggling to feel loved and wanted, and her reaction to Meili and Jim's news was not overly unrealistic. I liked that she wasn't really running away from any mistreatment, and that she liked being with them; it was a preemptive measure based on her previous life experiences. Meili briefly mentions how difficult it is to be of Asian descent in predominately white Maine, and the fact that the two of them had each other was a brief moment of light. Max and Red have very distinct personalities, and the chapters from their perspectives added an interesting element to the survival aspect.
Weaknesses: There was a lot of grim hunting for food and getting injured, which is completely realistic, but got somewhat repetitive. What's the good of running away if there aren't some awesome Boxcar Children moments of cooking your own food and seeing the sun set spectacularly? Although as an adult, I guess I should be grateful the experience of running away isn't glorified. I guess I wanted some glorification!
What I really think: This made me think of Burnford's The Incredible Journey (1960) and the movie version (1963), which I remember watching on the Wonderful World of Disney as a child. It's a great choice for readers who liked Behrens' Disaster Days, Pyron's A Pup Called Trouble, or some of Jennifer Li Shotz's more adventuresome dog titles.
May 19, 2023
My book is called Bound for Home. The lexile level is 5.3 but it is a good book. There are three characters, one is Max who is a shelter dog who just wants to be out of the shelter. Emi is a lonely girl who wants somewhere to call home. Red is a cat who has never been anybody's friend and no one likes him.
Emi's mother has recently died of cancer, and her father had died in a lobster boating accident before she was born. After several foster parents, she has landed with Meili and Jim. They live in a wooded area in Maine, and take Emi to pick out a dog from the local shelter. She picks Max, who has been there for a long time and likes to run away. They are about to change, Emi decides to head out on her own to survive in the woods with Max. This goes bad because she is sick and both she and Max suffer injuries and privations. They do find a cabin, and don't perish, but eventually have to decide if they want to return home and make a life with Meili and Jim.
Overall the setting was in japan so kind of cool. I don't really think you should read this book if you don't like japan. This book would only be good for people who love dogs and the outdoors. I would give it a 6/10 overall because just the way the author said some things could have been better.
Emi's mother has recently died of cancer, and her father had died in a lobster boating accident before she was born. After several foster parents, she has landed with Meili and Jim. They live in a wooded area in Maine, and take Emi to pick out a dog from the local shelter. She picks Max, who has been there for a long time and likes to run away. They are about to change, Emi decides to head out on her own to survive in the woods with Max. This goes bad because she is sick and both she and Max suffer injuries and privations. They do find a cabin, and don't perish, but eventually have to decide if they want to return home and make a life with Meili and Jim.
Overall the setting was in japan so kind of cool. I don't really think you should read this book if you don't like japan. This book would only be good for people who love dogs and the outdoors. I would give it a 6/10 overall because just the way the author said some things could have been better.
February 27, 2023
In my opinion I believe "Bound for home" is a great book about the adventures and struggles of Max, Red, and Emi. Out of those 3 main characters I would have to say that Red is my favorite. I would say Red is my favorite because she is just a chill helping cat. My favorite event from the books comes from the very beginning when Max finally breaks out of his cage. This Novel is written in 3rd person, and is more on the fast pace side. One "person" (Dog) I think we all can relate to is Max. I believe this because no matter who you are, your life is far from perfect and you're looking for an escape from something you can't change.
September 5, 2025
I'm not a huge fan of animal stories, but this one was pretty great. There are a few things to consider: Emi's mom has died from cancer at the beginning (off screen) and she uses food to help her grief. She is half Asian and her foster mom is also Asian and they talk a little bit about looking different than their friends and neighbors. This is also a book that wants to make a case for pitbulls. This is problematic as Pitbulls really are a dangerous breed. But overall, this is a great survival story with lots of heart!
Found in L4M YT Volume 42.
Found in L4M YT Volume 42.
January 14, 2023
LOVED this book from beginning to end. SO MUCH imagery (almost a little too much at some of the injury parts) and a great example for teaching point of view.
It tugged at my heart strings, and brought up a lot of serious conversations between me and my students about foster care, what that means, and having strong emotions and how to cope with them. I would absolutely recommend this read aloud for a 4th grade or 5th grade class.
It tugged at my heart strings, and brought up a lot of serious conversations between me and my students about foster care, what that means, and having strong emotions and how to cope with them. I would absolutely recommend this read aloud for a 4th grade or 5th grade class.
July 30, 2024
Really I’d go 2.5 stars. I feel like 2 is too harsh, but 3 is too many.
The first part of this books worked. But once Emi decided to run away it just got stupid. And for a 224 page book, it’s WAY too long. I got to chapter 19 and just basically power read and skimmed it to get it finished. I didn’t need multiple pages of the animals hunting for food or the third predator attack. You’d think the coyotes and bear would be enough without adding a hawk.
The first part of this books worked. But once Emi decided to run away it just got stupid. And for a 224 page book, it’s WAY too long. I got to chapter 19 and just basically power read and skimmed it to get it finished. I didn’t need multiple pages of the animals hunting for food or the third predator attack. You’d think the coyotes and bear would be enough without adding a hawk.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 14, 2025
Readaloud with my sons, chosen by my older son when his school librarian read an excerpt. Wasn't a big fan of the prose, but it held both my 8-year-old and my 4-year-old's interest ... and for better or worse, it was the book through which my 4-year-old finally wrapped his head around the concept of death. (The main character is in foster care following her mother's death.) Some heavy stuff, wrapped in an adventure story starring animals.
June 13, 2023
Sweet tween adventure fiction. Told from alternating views, the cat Red, dog Max and the girl Emi. They must survive in the woods and together they help each other through many natural dangers and wild encounters including bears and coyotes. Story of love, survival and redemption. Recommend for 10 and up.
October 2, 2024
The book Bound for Home is an adventure book.This book is about a girl named Emi who is adopted by a couple and they also adopt a dog. After a while of living with that couple they tell her that the lady is pregnant.After that Emi feels that after the baby is born they will not pay attention to her so she runs away from them into the wood with her dog. Read the book to find out how she survives!
February 10, 2025
Hearing a story from 3 narrator perspectives is always a joy to me, but when you make 2 of those narrators animals, I'm all in!
TBH, I thought this was going to be another "Homeward Bound" type story and that's been done enough. I thought the continuous storyline of "belonging" was very sweet. This was a great children's literature read!
TBH, I thought this was going to be another "Homeward Bound" type story and that's been done enough. I thought the continuous storyline of "belonging" was very sweet. This was a great children's literature read!
September 2, 2025
This book was not meant for my age level, and that’s probably why I didn’t like it as much. I thought that the topic was a very heavy one considering the target demographic. I very much enjoyed the plot but the writing style was a little choppy and bland. Overall an okay book, and one I would recommend to younger reader. But not for me.
March 27, 2022
My family loved this one. We read it out loud together. We laughed out loud. We cried. I was a little worried about how my foster kids would respond since the girl is in foster care, but they enjoyed it along with the rest. The kids couldn’t wait to read the next chapter.
April 10, 2022
My 8 year old daughter enjoyed this book. I felt like the writing was realistic, good imagery, and we often were sad to close the book to say goodnight- we always wanted to read just one more chapter! There were some good lessons about love and bravery, which generated good discussion.
August 19, 2022
The ending was adorable! It was hard to envision what Emi looked like though. She was still a very brave character and she was ready to be on her own. But sometimes we need our family more than we think. And your furry friends need you too, I felt really happy for Red and Max! Loved it!
March 3, 2023
Tears from me, and Brannon says, “Do you want me to read?” But then, when Red is hurt, Brannon is about to sob so I take over. I love seeing his emotional response to books develop. This was a book for us to talk about—feelings of abandonment, wanting to belong, what a family means.
January 2, 2026
This book was amazing. I think I had three moments when I just had to sit there and like cry, but overall the book had to be at the edge of our seats, wanting to read another chapter until like 3 AM four stars.❤️
March 24, 2022
Very good for students feeling out of place.
June 27, 2022
It was just amazing
July 21, 2022
Would be a good book club book. Foster child, rescue dog, abandoned cat struggle to find their way home.
July 27, 2022
just like the incible jounrey home
August 20, 2022
2 1/2 stars. Predictable and full of social issues, but girls who can read at a 4/5 level might enjoy it.
January 3, 2023
The book was great I almost cried because of how sweet and sad it was and I highly recommend it
February 4, 2023
Well written and full of adventure! This book will keep you reading. It’s a great school read and will keep e everyone engaged and wanting to know more!
April 21, 2023
Loved this.
June 3, 2023
Sweet story for animal lovers
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews