THE MEANEST HOUND AROUND

Fluffy, sweet, and well-bred, Freddy find himself suddenly homeless when his boy’s father decides to dump him out in the woods far from home. Freddy is not the sort of dog that one would expect to be wandering the roads out in the middle of nowhere and he’s not prepared for the rude welcome that he receives at the junkyard where he goes to find food and shelter. With snapping jaws and a ferocious bark, Spike launches himself at the fence only to find that Freddy is not frightened, only confused at the little dog’s reaction. Talking with him, Freddy realizes that he is Spike’s only hope if he’s to escape the dirty junkyard and the cruelty of his master and the first junkyard dog, Tiger. Together they manage to break Spike out of his prison; meet many amazing forest creatures; and eventually find a new family. Their adventures do not end there, as the two friends must somehow find a way to help Spike to find his trust in people and other animals again. Gently written with a sweetness that does not give way to saccharinity, this will find a home in any dog-lover’s heart. (Fiction. 7-10)