Eleven-year-old animal-lover Campbell Cole secretly rescues a stray dog she cannot keep and must hide it from her emotionally distant father, the director of animal control, while teaming up with her best friend and a troubled army veteran to find a solution that could heal them all.

"Campbell Cole has a big heart for all living things, especially strays. It might be because her father, the director of the local animal control, is as aloof as they come, so Campbell knows what it's like to feel alone. When she spots an adorable dog being dumped on the street, the last thing Campbell can do is tell her dad. He might take the pup straight to the shelter, where new rescues have just three days to be adopted. The only person she can trust with the truth is her best friend, Luz. The more time Campbell spends trying to catch the dog, the more he starts to trust her, which is both great and terrible because Campbell knows she can't keep him. But perhaps she doesn't have to. With the help of Luz's father, an army vet grappling with PTSD, she just may find a solution that benefits not only the dog, but everyone else, too. Gia Gordon's Strays is a beautifully written, heartfelt novel about friendship, family, and finding the courage to stand up for what's right, that will resonate with anyone who has ever struggled to find a place to call home."-- Publisher's website.

Ages 8-12 Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers.

Grades 4-6 Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers.