A Dog Called Homeless (YA)

Book #17 Read in 2014
A Dog Called Homeless by Sarah Lean (YA)

This was a cute book for elementary children....though it had a lot going on in it.  Cally's mother is killed in a car accident; Cally's father cannot bear to talk about his wife and how he misses her.  Cally then stops talking at all, communicating through nods and gestures and, with her new friend Sam, through sign language.  Cally connects with a stray dog she named Homeless, and Sam and his mother.  Eventually Cally finds her voice and connects all of these players in ways that might surprise readers.

As for this book, there were many heavy plot points for a book geared towards readers of such a young age.  There was the death of Cally's mother, disabilities, homelessness and other issues that could make this need to be a read aloud book so that discussion of these topics could happen.  Overall, it was a good, quick read.