**Spoilers**

Ash lives with his mother, a busy nurse who is also taking classes for her CCRN certification, in a large coastal city. This starts with a memory all of us can relate to; having to wait at school for a parent who is running late to pick us up. He doesn't see too much of his father, who lives about an hour away on Ferncliff Island with his new wife Cheryl and her daughter Parker. When Ash makes a bad choice to skateboard with friends in an abandoned warehouse after having some other problems, his mother decides to send him to his father's for the summer. Not only that, but he's required to do community service every weekday. He thinks about going to a senior center, but he still misses his gradfather, who recently passed away. Instead, he ends up at the animal shelter, where the supervisor, Joanna, has him working with dogs, even though he doesn't like them very much. There's a ton of work to do, and Ash uncomplainingly does piles of laundry, updates dog's fecal scoring charts, cleans, posts on social media, and eventually walks dogs. He starts with the dogs who are very well behaved, and takes a liking to one dog, Cooper, who has some behavioral issues because he has been neglected (sound familiar, Ash?). Ash also finds that there is a skateboard park in town, and meets Joanna's young relative Bella there. She introduces him to mountain biking, and the two get along well. Ash likes his step family, but has some small irritations with them. The same is true of work, as well, but he has a positive attitude and starts coming early to work because he enjoys it. He does make some mistakes, like letting a dog off the leash, but Joanna is very understanding, and uses the moments to teach Ash valuable information. She is also good about rewarding his diligence. One afternoon, he takes Cooper on a walk in the woods, carefully keeping him on the leash. He asks his dad if they can adopt Cooper and keep him at the father's house, but the next time he comes to the shelter, Cooper has passed away after suffering a fatal spider bite. Ash is understandably beside himself with grief and guilt. He fights with Bella, but does manage to still be nice to Parker. He has made friends with a man who runs a local restaurant, and when the man gives him a bone for Cooper, as is his wont, Ash is upset, and the man helps him process his emotions a bit. Joann asks for Ash's help with Roxy, a tripod, and shows him that even though things didn't end well with Cooper, he is making a difference in the lives of dogs at the shelter. Ash is able to make up with Bella and make plans for spending more time on the island with his father and his new community.
Strengths: Where to start? First of all, there's skateboarding, which needs to be portrayed a LOT more in middle grade literature. I love that Bella was into the sport, and introduces Ash to mountain biking as well. There's great depictions of family dynamics that are very realistic. Single moms are often overworked, and tweens often get into trouble. A father and hour away might be more distant, even if the relationship is cordial. There is a ton of good information about the work that animal shelters do, and there are notes about a wide variety of activities and terms associated with rescues. The animals' problems are well explained, and I adored how Joanna used things that went wrong to help Ash learn things. I rather hoped that Ash would get to stay on the island, but it's reasonable that he had to go home. The cover on this is fantastic, and I know that this will fly off the shelves like kittens at an adoption event.
Weaknesses: Normally, I would complain about the grandfather dying, as well as Cooper passing away, but these events are both really used to inform Ash's character and are not "soggy" at all. Bad stuff happens, and I think that tweens process bad stuff more like Ash does; there's other stuff to worry about as well, and so even big, sad events aren't necessarily dwelt upon. But yes, Cooper does die.
What I really think: This was really quite brilliant. Do I buy two copies, or three? This might be one of my favorite graphic novels after Tatulli's Short and Skinny, and I am not personally a fan of the format. Readers who enjoyed Lloyd's Allergic or Fairbairn and Assarasakorn PAWS series will definitely want to pick this one up.

This adorable graphic novel covered a variety of topics: having two homes, life changes, volunteering, grief, friends - and dogs! Ash finds himself in some trouble while living in the city with mom. This causes his parents to decide it's time for Ash to spend the entire summer with his dad in the woods on an island and away from his friends. Ash is resistant to this plan because not only does he consider the island boring, but he has to do community service! Choosing the work at the local animal shelter, will the dogs help Ash handle this summer? The artwork is perfect - it captures the dogs and their personalities throughout the book. I also love the definitions of shelter and animal related issues so the reader learns something.

Dog Trouble is a heartwarming tale celebrating the bond between dogs and humans, showcasing the tireless efforts of shelters and rescues, highlighting the resilience of families, and emphasizing the impact of service. This story is destined to capture the hearts of animal enthusiasts everywhere.

I received and ARC of this graphic novel through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Oh, my goodness. This book! I love absolutely everything about it. It's a testiment to the love and joy that dogs and humans provide for each other, the work of shelters and rescues, the strenth of families, and the power of serving. It's going to be a huge hit with animal lovers-I have a daughter who is going to adore it so much that I will probably pre-order it for her.