Reading Metrics
Description
Grace Abernathy, a 13-year-old still reeling from her police-officer father's recent death, has withdrawn from friends and let her schoolwork slip. When her older sister signs them up to train a shelter dog as a service dog, Grace reluctantly joins the effort, only to be drawn deeper into the project when a scruffy mutt named Rex appears to speak to her. As she works with Rex, Grace must decide whether the dog is a supernatural guide or simply the therapy she needs to move forward. The story mixes realistic family drama with a hint of the magical, offering a fresh take on grief and healing for middle-grade readers.
Quick Summary
When Grace's police officer father is killed in the line of duty, her family has to figure out how to move forward, and her older sister's idea to train a service dog becomes the unexpected thing that starts pulling them back together. It's one of those middle-grade books that doesn't shy away from how painful grief actually is, but the dog training thread gives the story real warmth and even some genuinely funny moments as Grace gets swept up in the chaos of raising a service dog-in-training. Kids who love dogs, stories about animals helping people, or books that handle tough family stuff in a way that feels real without being overwhelming will probably connect with this one. The writing has a nice voice Grace thinks like an actual teenager, sarcastic and tender at the same time, which makes the emotional stuff land without feeling preachy. Parents should know it deals directly with loss and what it's like when a family changes forever, but in an age-appropriate way that ends up being more hopeful than sad. If your kid liked "The War That Saved My Life" or books where a pet helps a family heal, this hits a similar vibe.