Millie

From the author of Stella—nominated for fourteen Best Book of the Year state awards—this heartwarming story is about a street dog named Millie and a young girl who are both dealing with abandonment issues and must give trust and belonging a second chance. Millie is a feisty border terrier who lives on the streets and has a keen sense for finding scraps of food, usually in the shadows or the cover of darkness. She protects herself with a shield of what is perceived by many as aggression—barking and snarling—when in reality, Millie is just plain scared. Turned over to animal control after a recent run-in with the dogcatcher, Millie is rescued by a special education teacher who also rehabilitates and rehomes dogs. It’s a win-win. Together, the dogs and her students learn emotional resilience, anger management, and other coping skills. When one of the students, a struggling reader named Tori, shows a natural gift for dog training and working with fearful dogs, Millie is temporarily placed in her care. Tori may be young, but she knows a thing or two about anger, fear, and abandonment after her mother could no longer care for her and she was placed in kinship care with her grandfather. Millie wonders if she has finally found her person and begins to let down her emotional guard. But when trust and belonging are challenged, Millie reverts to old habits—fleeing, hiding, and growling. Will she end up back on the streets? Or can Millie and Tori embrace their training, trust in each other, and find a forever home together? Millie is an empathy-building novel for young readers who love dogs and is a tender portrayal of the importance of emotional safety and what it means to truly belong.