A DOG ON HIS OWN

In this tale told from the mutt’s point-of-view, spunky serial-adoptee K-10 believes in his ability to make it on his own without humans, whom he charms but always leaves. Caught one too many times, however, K-10 escapes from the pound with some new dog friends when he realizes that this stay won’t end in an adoption. Confronted by an outside world that’s far more difficult than he’s anticipated, K-10 relies on his new friends to survive. Auch tackles themes important to children as she forces K-10 to realize which dogs are his real friends, and which are not. K-10’s present-tense narration includes some mild violence and briefly portrays the death of a rabbit but keeps the story age-appropriate and the resolution happy. The characters stand out as real individuals, and K-10’s cocky tone brightens the whole. A delightful little romp for boys and girls alike. (Fantasy. 8-12)