Release: March 2nd 2021
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Source: Amazon
Find it at: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, Audible, B&N, Kobo
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Even dogs deserve a second chance.
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 named Cloe wants to adopt Stella, the beagle knows this is her last chance to prove her worth. But how? When the puppy 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?
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.
About the Author:
McCall Hoyle is the award-winning author and an ALA Schneider Family Book Award finalist. McCall is a sixth-grade language arts teacher in one of the largest school systems in Georgia. She has a wide circle of influencers in the middle grades, including teachers and librarians. In addition to teaching middle grade readers, she presents regularly at local schools.
McCall has also presented at the National Council of Teachers of English, The American Library Association, and BookCon. She enjoys meeting teachers, librarians, parents, and readers and interacts with them regularly on social media. You can learn more about her at mccallhoyle.com.
Stella Review:
“Stella” is a beautiful middle-grade novel that talks about friendship, fear, and building trust and courage, and I enjoyed reading it a lot.
Firstly, I admire the way the author told the story from Stella’s point of view. Stella is a beagle and misses Connie. My heart went out to her right from the beginning as she adjusted to her new life with Diana and then Esperanza. The author portrays so many emotions in Stella, where at times she feels guilty for being a bad dog and thinks that’s why Connie left her. You empathize with Stella immediately because we have also gone through times when we feel uncomfortable in a new environment. She is scared initially, but you see how she slowly eases up to people. Stella also has an impeccable sense of smell, and I liked how the author incorporated this into the thrilling scenes.
I had mixed feelings about Esperanza. Initially, I thought she would help Stella, but I felt her priorities changed in the middle. On the other hand, I adored Cloe’s relationship with Stella. Cloe never doubts Stella even though Esperanza doesn’t feel like they are a good fit. I loved how protective Stella became towards Cloe.
Similarly, I thought Stella’s relation with Nando was also interesting. While the two of them do not always get along, it was nice to see how they work together for the greater good. Some memorable moments were the incident with the sheep and when they encountered mean boys like Beau. On a side note, I also thought the author tackled the subject of epilepsy nicely.
Moreover, the illustrations had a beautiful touch to the book, and I love how detailed they were. Overall, “Stella” is a lovely middle-grade novel worth reading!
