GOOSEBERRY

Upon their first meeting, B knows rescue dog Gooseberry is meant for them. Will their new foster parents agree?

Twelve-year-old B has lived unhappily in various foster homes since their parents’ deaths. Nonbinary, trans, and undecided on their new name, B also grapples with their emotional, anxious, neurodiverse brain. At school, B endures queerphobic bullying and academic struggles but has a tight friend group. When Humane Society runaway Gooseberry charges in to comfort a crying B at a block party, B knows it’s fate. Fortunately, B’s new foster moms, Jodie and Eri, agree. After all, B’s dream is to be a dog trainer. Gooseberry tests B to their limits—hiding, snapping, and escaping—but B also has more to learn about dog training than they realized. B refuses to give up, though, and Jodie and Eri refuse to give up on B. Evocative metaphors illuminate B’s thought processes for readers as B wrestles with a world that’s not calibrated for their autism or their gender identity. Gooseberry is often B’s emotional mirror, benefiting as much from B’s devotion as B benefits from having accepting, supportive parents. Readers might be surprised, however, that the Humane Society would adopt out a highly reactive dog to inexperienced dog owners with a rule-breaking kid. B and their foster moms seem to be white, and Eri is trans; there’s racial and gender diversity among the supporting cast.

A sensitive exploration of autism, gender identity, and dog training.