Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

This book had an interesting premise, but I think the characters were not very interesting. I was more invested in the dogs than the characters.

Louis is a good kid, but his life isn't the typical kind you see portrayed in the media. His dad took early retirement from firefighting in the city to become a fisherman in a much more laidback environment. His mom is a perennial do-gooder who wound up getting significantly hurt while breaking up a fight at the women's shelter where she volunteers, so is now in in-patient rehab, to the dismay of her kids. Louis' younger sister Faye is a charming know-it-all who's taken over running their household in the meantime. And his older brother Ike... well, Ike is the real reason they left their old neighborhood behind. Ike did not have a great high school experience, but hopefully high school will be different for Louis and Faye now that they've moved away from the city.

Louis is actually pretty worried about starting high school soon. It doesn't help that he and Faye have been homeschooled up till now. Mom is super smart and fully capable of tutoring kids -- hers or others -- to success, but even she knows her limitations.

And it isn't really the academics that worry Louis. He's a smart kid after all. But he doesn't really have any friends outside of Faye, which will do very little to help him make a success of his high school career.

That begins to change when his dad asks him to dogsit Amos, the incredibly stinky dog of one of their incredibly stinky neighbors (an unfortunate occupational hazard of the fishing industry.) If Louis walks Amos while his owner helps Dad out on the boat, then both Singletarys can make some money. Louis agrees despite his mother disapproving of his capitalist tendencies, and soon finds himself at the head of a burgeoning dog walking business.

More importantly -- and more interestingly -- than collecting clients is Louis' newfound knack for collecting friends. And not just from the ranks of the people who want him to walk their dogs, or even of the dogs themselves. Aggie comes into his life, as does Cy, and soon Louis starts thinking he might actually have a pack of his own to run with. But with Ike constantly looming in the background, and with his worries about Ma never far from his thoughts, will Louis be able to successfully navigate this pivotal summer before high school, and go in to his new academic experience with confidence?

The best things about this Middle Grade novel (and honestly, I think I should finally make a new MG category for this here at The Frumious Consortium, because Walkin' The Dog is, sure, a children's book, but it's not a <i>children's</i> book,) are the lively, completely believable dialog between the characters as well as Louis' own inner monolog. Louis is smart and funny and insecure, and has maybe been done a disservice by his parents in not being actively encouraged to make more friends. It's rare for most non-religious homeschoolers to feel as socially isolated as Louis and Faye do, so idk what was going on there, especially when they're such likeable kids.

I also loved how the kids, Aggie and Cy included, came together and confronted new problems and worked them out, forming friendships and bonds. I even liked the rapprochement between Louis and Ike, even if I still thought it was weird that the firefighting community Dad had been a part of had been subject to the disrespect that the American policing community has, unfortunately but actually, earned. Like, who hates firefighters? It felt like an odd workaround to an underlying writerly problem that readers weren't otherwise privy too.

But I think what bothered me the most about this otherwise charming novel was how abruptly the book ended. I suppose, as in real life, that there aren't really any neat chapters marking the beginning and end of things. The point here, after all, was to describe a pivotal summer. I really did think that the whole thing with Ike should have been better addressed tho, because he really is so much different from the rest of the Singletarys that it almost didn't feel possible that he was raised by the same parents. Sure there's a black sheep in every family but I think I would have liked to see the reasons behind this difference better explored.

Overall, however, this was a worthwhile and highly entertaining book about a young man getting ready for high school. There are animal deaths, so be warned if that's a trigger for you. Walkin' The Dog is a smart and funny book with unusual characters that covers ground that usually isn't addressed in most middle grade novels. I liked it a lot, despite my small criticisms.

Walkin' The Dog by Chris Lynch was published March 12 2024 by Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers and is available from all good booksellers, including <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/15382/9781481459204">Bookshop!</a>

As a previous middle school English Language Arts teacher, I have a lot of thoughts about this book

Pros:
- It handles difficult subject matters with honesty and through the eyes of a middle schooler.
- It's funny and kind of gross. Middle schooler absolutely love that combination.
- Louis is mostly relatable to this age group as well. He tries really hard to be mature but there's just some stuff he doesn't understand. Which is absolutely the of this age group.
- The "fish out of water in my own family" feeling is really common for this age too and it's handled really well. Louis is both relatable, someone to be more like, AND someone to avoid being like in some areas.
- Great ending that wraps up loose ends and leaves the reader with a warm feeling.

Cons:
- There were quite a few times that the dogs should have received more care than they got. I would have liked to have seen the best behavior modeled towards the dogs.
- The plot dragged in the beginning. Up until chapter 3 or 4 I was pretty bored with it.
- A lot of time was spent on details of the characters' pasts that didn't really come up again in the book.

Overall, it's a good book for middle schoolers. It should interest them, capture their attention, and portrays the world through a character they can relate to.

Louis, unlike his mother, is known for being an "inactivist." It's not that he doesn't acknowledge the bad things happening in the world; he just isn't convinced he can do much about them. But with his mother away from home receiving care and a friend of his father's in need of assistance, there's only so much longer he can remain inactive. So begins an unexpected summer gig as a dog walker, starting with the smelly hound Amos and branching out into other clients.

Along with this growing clientele comes a growing friend group. As Louis's mother urges him to become more aware and active, he reconnects with Cy, one of her more accomplished tutees. He also crosses paths with the strong-willed but personally reticent Agatha. Balancing this new social life, work, and an incoming shift from homeschooling to "real" school would be enough for one inactive kid. But there's also his violent older brother Ike to deal with, as well as the looming specter of his mother's mental health. And, as it happens, dog-walking isn't always a walk in the park. We invest a lot of emotion in our furry friends, but they can't be with us forever.

I'm a firm believer that books for young readers deserve to be just as artfully written as books for adults, and Chris Lynch goes above and beyond in Walkin' the Dog. His writing style is engaging and clever without ever feeling quippy or overshadowing the growth of his characters. Louis, for all his inactivism, is a likable character, and we want to watch him grow and mature. It's a meaningful, delightful read that's about so much more than dog-walking.

Genre: Middle Grade Contemporary

Synopsis:
After being homeschooled all his life, Louis enters his first public school where he becomes a dog walker and learns life lessons from the people he meets.

This was a quick, poignant coming of age middle grade read. If you are a dog lover, this one is for you. The MC becomes a dog walker and forms a special bond with some of the dogs. He finds himself learning life lessons from his experience as a dog walker. It also appropriately(for MG) touches on addiction as Louis’ mom is in rehab for opioids. (Would probably go over the heads of most middle graders in a purposeful way).
This is my first book by this author and I would read more!

Thank you to Simon Kids for the gifted copy! 🦮

Delightful! Humorous! Heartwarming! This highly relatable story teaches life lessons through the guise of dogs. The cast of characters is diverse, each offering a piece to the puzzle of adolescent struggles including friendship, loyalty, self-discovery, and connection. Highly recommended.

This is a heartwarming story with humor, wisdom, and heartfelt moments, It showcases friendships and relationships between humans or dogs and how it can change us for the better. I adore this book and it left me feeling happy and appreciative more of my bond with my furbaby, a solid 4 ⭐

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers for letting me read an ARC of this book through NetGalley!

Walkin' the Dog
Overall Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ (3/5) or 6.42/10 overall

Characters - 7
The characters in this book were unique and had clear personalities that came through in their interactions. However, they all felt rather bland and one-note. Louis was seemingly the only dynamic character, and even then, the change was minimal, which made the story seem to drag for me.

Atmosphere - 6
I could picture the different settings throughout the story, but the atmosphere did nothing to make them more interesting. That might just be part of the way Louis viewed the world though. If it wasn't interesting to Louis, why should it be interesting to the reader.

Writing - 6
The writing was decent. A lot of the time was spent really fleshing out the little details in the character's pasts, which helping to make the characters more realistic, but really took away from the enjoyment factor to me due to these details rarely playing a role in the story.

Plot - 7
The plot was alright and it was certainly a feel-good story in the end. However, I did not vibe with the time/setting shifts. There were a few chapters that just immediately changed from one place and time to another (nothing surreal or time-travel-ish, but different from where the plot left off) seemingly just to introduce some new dogs that Louis was walking? It made the plot feel a bit odd and disjointed to me. Plus, it made the book harder to follow, since there were all these new minor characters that Louis interacted with.

Intrigue - 6
Honestly, the book was not all that intriguing to me overall. There were a few times where I really had to know what happened next, but mostly I just felt apathetic towards the book.

Logic - 7
The book was rather logical. Aside from the awkward time skips, I could understand where the characters were and what their motives might be.

Enjoyment - 6
I enjoyed certain aspects of this book. It was certainly fun to visualize all the dogs and some emotional points felt well-thought out. :)

Lynch's narrative is both heartwarming and humorous, capturing the essence of adolescence with its struggles, triumphs, and unexpected connections. Louis's journey from reluctant bystander to active participant is engaging and relatable, offering young readers a protagonist they can root for.

The dynamic between Louis and the various characters he encounters is richly developed, particularly his interactions with the dogs he walks. Each canine companion has its own distinct personality, adding depth and charm to the story.

"Walkin' the Dog" is not just a tale of friendship and self-discovery; it's also a poignant exploration of the transformative power of animals in our lives. Lynch beautifully illustrates how dogs have the ability to change us for the better, nudging us out of our comfort zones and teaching us valuable lessons about empathy, loyalty, and connection.

Overall, "Walkin' the Dog" is a delightful read that will resonate with readers of all ages, reminding us that sometimes the most profound lessons come from the unlikeliest of sources.

The transition into high school is never an easy one- add being homeschooled your entire life along with some rough waters in the family and it is a whole new level of intimidating. When Louis responds to a favor from his dad to walk his neighbor’s very smelly dog, he finds a new outlook in life and a business venture, he learns a whole lot of life lessons that help him prepare for his year ahead. Light and humorous while still dealing with big life challenges, Walkin’ the Dog is a delightful read! And an important reminder that sometimes life’s greatest lessons and source of comfort can be found in four legged companions.

I would like to thank Netgalley for providing me with an ARC copy of this book. The cover photo and the title intrigued me into reading it and I am glad that I did.

Louis is done with homeschooling and ready for high school. But first, he spends his summer walking dogs for cash and company. He bonds with the furry friends, each with their own quirks, as Lynch portrays in this book. He longs for his mom, who is in rehab, and tries to avoid his annoying sister and scary brother. He hates being called an “inactivist” by his family, who don’t get him. He finds it hard to talk to people and make friends. But two fellow dog lovers, Aggie and Cy, break through his shell and show him the value of friendship. Louis may or may not be neurodivergent, but anyone who struggles with socializing will relate.

The writing skills of the author are flawless and I was engaged throughout the book. Through his captivating writing style I could visualise the whole plot unfold infront of my eyes. I will highly recommend this book. Grab your copy today and you will definitely enjoy reading it as much as I did.

#NetGalley

Cute story but overall grammer and sentence structure can take away from the book. Would be great for new readers needing an interest piece.

This was a fun read. The characters Louis meets along the way are a good representation of different personalities he'll encounter in public school. I felt the language and vocabulary were a bit advanced for grades 3-7. My son is in 4th grade and very bright and I could see him struggling to understand many descriptive words in the text. That is however how readers learn so I feel this is a great read for maybe grades 5-8.

The subject matter is real life without being too jarring. I felt the subject of addiction was approached correctly for the audience. Overall, I would recommend this book to dog lovers, kids struggling to fit in, or just anyone who wants a fun read!

Who doesn’t love a book that has to do with a dog! A very cute story with very cute pictures with very cute dogs! It was a little longer than I originally expected, but it was well written and flowed together nicely.

While starting a walking dogs business, Louis makes new friends, copes with his mean older brother, and visiting his mom in the hospital , Louis finds these new challenges just might help him be ready for high school after being home schooled for years. He realizes “all dogs are guide dogs in the end.”