Book Description:
"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
name 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.
Tarah's Review:
Stella was a cute little story about second chances. Stella is a dog that had a traumatic event happen to her, and this story is about how she learns to trust herself again, and how she isn't made of only her mistakes. While the point of view is from a dog, it has a good message that I think upper elementary and middle grade children could relate to and understand, although it is certainly geared towards those that love animals, especially dogs. It's a heart warming quick read. It would even make a good read aloud for those that enjoy that.
Rorie's Review:
This is not usually my type of book - I'm not much of an animal person - but I got it thinking my kids would enjoy it. That being said, I found myself fully engrossed in the story almost from the very beginning. The dog, Stella, is suffering from PTSD (did you know dogs could have that? I had no idea.) from an incident with her last handler. She had been from home to home, but no one had been able to handle her. As a last resort, she went to live with Cloe and her mom. None of the adults thought this arrangement would work out, but Stella and Cloe started to form a strong bond. I enjoyed reading the story from the perspective of a dog. It made for a unique read. The story was well-written, and I found myself cheering for Stella. I think one of my kids picked up the book after I finished with it, but I haven't seen it since, so I'm not sure if they finished it or not. Although this story is geared towards middle-grade or maybe even elementary-age kids, I feel like even adults can enjoy reading it.
Andrea's Review:
I need to preface my review by disclosing that I'm not an animal lover. Before you start throwing stones, this mostly stems from being a germophobe. I know not all animals are dirty, but just thinking of examples to type is giving me the heebie-jeebies. Anyway, know that I have a tender heart and don't want bad things to happen to anyone or any animal.
Also note, that even if you aren't an animal lover, you shouldn't pass this book by. It is very well written and caught my attention right off. It's told from the dog's perspective (Stella), and I was heartbroken by her loss and struggles. I was reading it while I was at a restaurant by myself, and had to stop reading because I was about to start crying. It was already sad to be at a restaurant alone-no need to draw more attention to myself by having tears streaming down my face.
I loved Stella's good heart and her determination to help her person, especially when it meant having to face some of her fears to do so. When Stella first met Cloe I was worried about the outcome based on some information that Stella noted. Although there are sad parts of this story, it does have a happy ending. I highly recommend this book.
Zoie's Review:
Although this was a very short/quick read, it was one that really caught my attention. As someone who loves dogs - I find myself begging for one nearly once a week - this story was perfect for me. Stella is written in such a way that a young child could enjoy the perspective of a sweet dog; on a deeper level, an adult would be able to appreciate how an innocent animal would perceive the world and overcome her struggles. While it is from the point of view of a dog, I found myself relating to Stella on a personal level multiple times.
Title: StellaPurchase: Amazon (aff) | Deseret Book
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