Straydog - Hardcover

"What do you do when you're too smart for the freaks, but too much of a freak for the smart kids?" This is the question Rachel asks herself daily as she walks down the halls of her high school observing the strange rituals of the "TV Girls," "People from Planet Mensa," and the "Net Jockeys." Rachel couldn't care less that she doesn't fit in. As far as she's concerned, the only things she needs to survive are her volunteer work at the local animal shelter and her writing. Until she meets the feral collie she christens Grrl. To others at the shelter, Grrl seems completely untamable. But Rachel sees her own fury and frustration mirrored in the dog's deep brown eyes, and she is determined to domesticate Grrl. Inspired by the outlaw dog, Rachel's writing takes off, and she is even coaxed into sharing it with "Griffin Lost Boy," another creative loner like herself. But giving her story a happy ending and providing one for Grrl in real life are two totally different things, and no matter how strong Rachel thinks she is, she may not be strong enough to handle the truth about Grrl.

Weighing in at just over one hundred pages, this slim tome nevertheless packs a powerful emotional wallop. While angry, abused Grrl may seem like an obvious metaphor for the angry adolescent experience, author Kathe Koja's short, choppy sentences where both girl and Grrl snarl and snap at the world are well executed and inventive. Take this Straydog home from the pound immediately. (Ages 12 and older) --Jennifer Hubert

Kathe Koja is the author of several novels for adults. She lives in the Detroit area with her husband and teenage son.