Puppy Love: 5 New and Upcoming Books For Dog Fans

Banjo, by Graham Salisbury
Who wants to read a book about a very good border collie, his rodeo star boy, and the bonds between people and animals? If you raised your hand, Banjo is the dog book for you. When Danny Mack, Oregon’s rising rodeo star, wakes up in the middle of the night to gunshots, he finds his border collie Banjo shot by the neighbors. They say he was going after their livestock, and when Danny’s dad agrees, Danny comes up with a radical plan to save Banjo’s life. But something goes wrong, and Banjo ends up in the hands of Meg Harris, on a ranch miles away. She’s determined to find his owner and his real story, no matter the cost. Banjo releases on October 1.

Diary of a Pug: Pug Blasts Off, by Sonia Sander and illustrated by Kyla May
If you’re looking for a book about dogs for your early reader, look no further than, Diary of a Pug: Pug Blasts Off. One of the new books in Scholastic’s Acorn series, aimed at kiddos who are moving from picture books to chapter books, this fun and funny story told from a pug’s point-of-view will keep them turning pages. Baron von Bubbles, a.k.a “Bub,” loves peanut butter and his human Bella and loathes Nutz the squirrel and any sort of water. He’s determined to help Bella win the Inventor Challenge… until Nutz gets in the way. Can he stand up to the annoying squirrel, especially when the rain starts?

Bad Bella, by Ali Standish
Ready for a book to bring up all your Because of Winn Dixie feelings? Bella thinks she’s the best dog, but when Mrs. McBridge gets pregnant, they don’t really appreciate her like they used to. They drop her off at the pound, unwilling to keep the little pup in their life, and Bella’s heart breaks. When the Roses show up and bring Bella home, she thinks that maybe she can find a new home…but when winter comes around and the Roses start acting strange, Bella wonders if the pound is in her future again. Bad Bella releases on September 24.

Balto and the Race Against Time, by Helen Moss and Misa Saburi
Let’s jump into the Time Dogs series! Fans of Kate Messner’s Ranger in Time series will love Balto and the Race Against Time. When a pack of senior dogs are transported in time and turned back into puppies, they have to find their way home by helping real-life historical dogs. Their adventure starts as Baxter, Trevor, Newton, Titch and Maia are dropped back in time to 1925 Alaska. They have to help Balto in his famous sled race, delivering medicine during a diphtheria outbreak, if they want to make it home. Fast-paced and fun, this will keep dog-loving littles on their toes!

ASPCA PAW Pals: Chance’s Choice, by Brenda Scott Royce and Colleen Madden
All dogs are good dogs, but service dogs are the goodest. “Chance” gets another chance at life when Meg Harper and her cousin Amanda bring the scruffy collie home. Meg is tired of being both the new kid and, thanks to her epilepsy, the sick kid, but maybe Chance can be a good distraction. But when Chance comes to her rescue during a seizure, Meg wonders if he could become an assistance dog.