Gus and Glory

Gr 3-7–Mom leaves 12-year-old Glory in the care of her long-distance-trucker father with a single text message: “Your turn.” Dad in turn drops Glory for the summer on the doorstep of her estranged grandparents in Sweet Olive, LA. She’s feeling anxious and abandoned, but Glory’s summer improves when she meets Gus, a down-on-his-luck bloodhound with poor manners and a huge heart. Glory initially teaches Gus to track missing things, hoping that he can locate Mom. Their bond over the summer ultimately helps Glory form relationships with newly found family and, for the first time, friends. Though the book doesn’t have a Cinderella ending, Glory is left in a secure place filled with love and hope, realizing that it’s not about the ones who leave us but the ones who stay. Begging to be read aloud, the writing is tight, peppered with folksy turns of phrase that manage to both drop readers into the setting and lighten up the somber circumstances. What is discovered and how the characters grow together are richer than what Glory set out to accomplish. The secondary characters are also interesting; Papaw Jack, who is recovering from a stroke, is a standout. Similar in tone and theme to Because of Winn Dixie, this story will satisfy both animal lovers and tween readers who like a good cry. Main characters are cued white.