"This empathetic read is also full of important themes and lessons for young readers bravery, how to overcome fears, and that mistakes don't have to define us." -- School Library Journal Told from Stella's perspective, this story is about a special dog who must find the courage to overcome her fears in order to help save a young girl with epilepsy. Ever since she was a puppy, Stella was trained to use her powerful beagle nose to sniff out dangerous chemicals and help her handler keep people safe. But during a routine security inspection, Stella misses the scent of an explosive. The sound of the blast is loud and scary. Unable to go back to work because of her anxiety, Stella is retired as a working dog. When a young girl named Cloe wants to adopt Stella, the beagle knows this is her last chance to prove her worth. But how? When Stella smells a strange chemical inside Cloe's body, a scent that surges just before the girl has a seizure, Stella's nose makes the connection. But how can Stella warn her new family without them thinking she's having an anxiety attack? How can she convince others that she can be a new kind of service dog and hopefully save Cloe's life? Even dogs deserve a second chance. Gr 3-7-Stella is a good dog, but she misses her old handler Connie and is having a hard time understanding where Connie went and why loud noises such as thunder and fireworks cause her to panic. Now, living with post-traumatic stress disorder, Stella sometimes does bad things that she can't control, like escaping from crates and digging. Because of this, she's convinced she's a bad dog who cannot change. Before Stella made her way to live with Esperanza, an expert dog trainer, and her daughter Cloe, she used to be a bomb-sniffing dog at the airport. She blames herself for Connie's death because Stella was distracted and missed the scent of an explosive device. Stella and Cloe are immediately drawn to each other, and through their relationship, Stella finds that she can still use her nose and be helpful. This tender novel from a dog's perspective will help readers understand the importance of animals in their lives. This empathetic read is also full of important themes and lessons for young readers-bravery, how to overcome fears, and that mistakes don't have to define us. VERDICT A heartfelt dog story that readers young and old will enjoy.-Alicia Kalan, The Northwest Sch., Seattleα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. "Gr 3-7-Stella is a good dog, but she misses her old handler Connie and is having a hard time understanding where Connie went and why loud noises such as thunder and fireworks cause her to panic. Now, living with post-traumatic stress disorder, Stella sometimes does bad things that she can't control, like escaping from crates and digging. Because of this, she's convinced she's a bad dog who cannot change. Before Stella made her way to live with Esperanza, an expert dog trainer, and her daughter Cloe, she used to be a bomb-sniffing dog at the airport. She blames herself for Connie's death because Stella was distracted and missed the scent of an explosive device. Stella and Cloe are immediately drawn to each other, and through their relationship, Stella finds that she can still use her nose and be helpful. This tender novel from a dog's perspective will help readers understand the importance of animals in their lives. This empathetic read is also full of important themes and lessons for young readers-bravery, how to overcome fears, and that mistakes don't have to define us. VERDICT A heartfelt dog story that readers young and old will enjoy.-Alicia Kalan, The Northwest Sch., Seattleα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted." -- School Library Journal 2022-2023 master list nominee -Texas Bluebonnet Award 2022-2023 Honor Book -Nebraska Golden Sower 2022-2023 Winner -Oklahoma Sequoyah Book Award 2022-2023 nominee -New Mexico Land of Enchantment Book Award 2022-2023 nominee -Pennsylvania Keystone to Reading Elementary Book Award 2022-2023 nominee -Kentucky Bluegrass Award 2022-2023 nominee -Maine Student Book Award 2023-2024 nomination for Grades 3-5 -KS William Allen White Children's Book Award master list nomination 2023-2024 for Grades 3-5 -Louisiana Readers’ Choice (LYRC/LTRC) Awards nominee 2022-23 master list for Grades 4-5 -AL Children's Choice Camellia Award nomination 2022-2023 for Grades 3-5 -FL Sunshine State Young Readers Award nominee 2022-2023 master list -PA Young Readers Choice List nominee 2023-24 State Award nominee -South Carolina State Award 2023-2024 MCBA nominee Massachusetts State Award --From School Library Journal "Endearing. Tender exploration of human-animal bonding. --From School Library Journal McCall Hoyle is an award-winning author and an ALA Schneider Family Boo