(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Richard Cowdrey. German shepherd Ellie tells how she is trained from puppyhood to be a search-and-rescue dog. Her thoughts include concern for her trainers' happiness and observations about the uselessness of cats. There's suspense and action, and the human-dog interactions are heartwarming; occasional black-and-white illustrations are dark and poorly proportioned. Back matter includes search-and-rescue dog facts and a reading and activity guide. Reading list, websites.

Reviewer: Grace Worcester Greene