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INTERMEDIATE FICTION
Applegate, Katherine , Choldenko, Gennifer

Dogtown

352 pp. | Feiwel | September, 2023 | Trade ISBN 9781250811608 $17.99 | Ebook ISBN 9781250811615 $10.99
(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Wallace West. Three-legged Chance is at the top of the pack at Dogtown--an animal shelter where she has a glowing reputation among dogs and humans alike. She's known for quickly settling the new "boo-hoo" pups as they adjust to life without their beloved owners, and she charms the managers into letting her cozy up under the staff poker table: "She makes everyone feel like her favorite," says a shelter volunteer. Then, Chance finds herself on an unexpected adventure back in the outside world, alongside Metal Head (a quirky dog that is actually a robot) and her friend Mouse (an actual rodent). While the threesome searches for Metal Head's human family, Chance's protective poise begins to waver--just like every abandoned boo-hoo in Dogtown, Chance still harbors the painful hope that she might find a missing-dog sign with her own picture on it. Accompanied by friendly, cartoonlike halftone drawings, this canine slice-of-life adventure features a confident, affable narrator with a proclivity for doggy jargon (the cutest dogs at Dogtown get "First Cage" where they can flaunt their "Adopt-me Routine"). Short chapters and Chance's snappy narration keep the pace rolling, but Applegate and Choldenko adeptly make space for gently poignant moments along the way. An accessible, appealing romp that provides a dog's-eye view of the nature of hope, belonging, and found family.
Reviewer: Jessica Tackett MacDonald | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2023

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