Following Baxter

Description

This heartwarming adventure for dog lovers everywhere is a great match for fans of books such as The Fourteenth Goldfish and A Snicker of Magic. Eleven-year-old Jordie Marie Wallace has been waiting forever for someone to move in next door, so she is thrilled when Professor Reece arrives: she has a laboratory in her basement and an extraordinary dog named Baxter-who seems to understand everything Jordie says. Jordie and her younger brother T.J. begin walking Baxter and helping Professor Reece in the lab. But being lab assistants ends up being more than Jordie and T.J. bargained for and leads them to a secret neither of them expected. When Professor Reece goes missing, it's up to Jordie and T.J. to use their smarts and Baxter's magical powers to find her. Will they be able to save Professor Reece before it's too late From award-winning author Barbara Kerley comes a sweet and funny story about a young girl, a quirky professor, and a magical dog. A Bank Street Book of the Year! Praise for the award-winning Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins by Barbara Kerley: "Marvelous." -New York Times "Stunning." -Kirkus (starred review) "[Kerley] suffuses her text with a contagious sense of wonder and amazement." -Publishers Weekly (starred review)

When she was a baby, Barbara Kerley shared nap time and her crib with a cat named Mrs. Hancock. Barbara now lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband, Scott, and their dog, Seamus--who, she is pretty sure, understands everything she says. Barbara is the award-winning author of numerous books for kids, including Following Baxter, The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins, What to Do about Alice?, A Home for Mr. Emerson, and A Cool Drink of Water. You can learn more about her pets and her books at www.barbarakerley.com.

"Kerley has written a dog book like no other...Readers will want more adventures with these kooky characters." -- Booklist "[Kerley] writes with warmth and thoughtfulness in her first work of middle grade fiction...Relatable and compelling...Fans of realistic and science fiction will find a lot to enjoy." -- School Library Journal "A highly readable story that pairs a rapid-fire plot with a likable progragonist." -- Kirkus Reviews