What the Dog Said

Grace Abernathy, a 13-year-old still reeling from her police-officer father's recent death, has withdrawn from friends and let her schoolwork slip.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.