THE DOG HEIST

Eighth graders navigate school drama in Nova Scotia while bonding over concern for a mistreated dog.

Caleb is adjusting to Bayshore Middle School in the touristy Canadian town where he’s recently moved to live with his dad in the wake of divorce. Skinny, Jewish, with learning differences and nervous energy, Caleb doesn’t fit in with the cool kids, the jocks, or the nerds. Valery grew up here but feels like a middle school outsider, and her BFF Liz’s crush on classmate Logan isn’t helping. Caleb and Valery form a tentative friendship on daily walks past Lyra, a long-neglected dog Valery befriended, though she takes pains to avoid Lyra’s abusive owner. Eager to make a positive change in memory of his dog Dunk, Caleb enlists Valery’s help to dognap Lyra and find her a better home. Chapters unspool from Caleb’s and Valery’s points of view, sensitively relating Caleb’s academic and social frustrations and Valery’s self-consciousness when she hears fat-phobic remarks, as well as her nascent exploration of where she falls on the sexual attraction spectrum. Caleb and Valery convincingly articulate their thoughts as they strive to be kind and to live up to adult expectations. Though one subplot fails to materialize, the supporting cast is richly drawn, undergoing convincing personal growth and ultimately transcending the labels Caleb originally stuck on them. Caleb is olive-skinned, while Valery is pale-skinned; their school is predominantly white.

Strong, relatable character studies.