A Dog’s Life Books

Newbery Honor author Ann Martin's "heartwrenching and heartwarming" (Kirkus) dog story with After Words bonus material. A Dog's Life joins the Scholastic Gold line, which features award-winning and beloved novels. Includes exclusive bonus content! Squirrel and her brother Bone begin their lives in a toolshed behind someone's summer house. Their mother nurtures them and teaches them the many skills they will need to survive as stray dogs. But when their mother is taken from them suddenly and too soon, the puppies are forced to make their own way in the world, facing humans both gentle and brutal, busy highways, other animals, and the changing seasons. When Bone and Squirrel become separated, Squirrel must fend for herself, and in the process makes two friends who in very different ways define her fate.

In this companion to her acclaimed 2005 novel, A Dog's Life , Ann M. Martin tells the parallel stories of a stray dog (the brother of the dog featured in A Dog's Life ), a boy dealing with unspeakable loss, and a boy whose most ardent wish is to own a dog―and everything for a dog. Bone and his sister, Squirrel, are stray dogs born in a shed. Left motherless as puppies, the two dogs survive together for a while, but are soon wrenched apart. Bone doesn't know if his sister is still alive, and must now go on, alone. Charlie is a boy who has suffered a terrible loss. And, as he's healing with the help of his dog, another tragedy occurs. Henry's best friend has moved away. All Henry has wanted is a dog of his own. But his parents won't let him. Bone, Charlie, and Henry live very different lives, but they are fated to intersect in surprising ways. Award-winning author Ann M. Martin has written a powerful, heartfelt novel that's perfect for anyone who has ever longed for a dog, or loved one.