Gus and Glory
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
Perfect for fans of WISH and BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE comes award-winning author Sarah Guillory's latest middle grade tale of found family and the unshakable bond between a girl and her beloved dog.
Twelve-year-old Gloria St. Romain, Glory to everyone who knows her, has always loved mysteries. She spends her time solving puzzles and reading detective novels, comforted by the knowledge that truth can always be found for those who look closely enough for it.
But when her mom suddenly leaves without a word, Glory is finally faced with the one mystery she can't crack: Why did her mom leave, and where did she go?
Sent to spend the summer with her grandparents, Glory is determined to sniff out the clues to track down her mom. And when Glory comes upon Gus, a bloodhound in need of a friend, she realizes she's been paired with the perfect partner to do just that.
With accessible text and a compulsively readable story, Gus and Glory is a perfect pick for upper elementary and middle school readers.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In a heart-tugging and hopeful novel from Guillory (Nowhere Better Than Here), a rambunctious bloodhound bounding nose-first through life proves to be the glue that bonds a 12-year-old to biological and found families. Aspiring detective Glory St. Romain feels out of sorts when she's sent to stay with her mother's estranged parents, Nana Pat and Papaw Jack, in small, sweltering Sweet Olive, La. With her trucker father on the road, the young mystery fan is determined to make the most of her time by cracking the case of where her mom has gone, which is surely not "on vacation" like Dad says. Glory finds some assistance in sniffing out clues at a neighborhood park when she encounters Gus, a big, wrinkly dog attracted to her peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich. Sweet and slobbery Gus proves a cherished companion who helps lead Glory to new friends, a healing relationship with her steadfast grandparents, and difficult truths about her mother. In a smartly balanced novel that strikes notes tough and tender, Glory's forthright observational narration renders the child's warm connection with Papaw Jack, appreciation of Gus's innate talents and capacity for empathy, and feelings about showing up for loved ones. Protagonists read as white. Ages 8–12.
