Fetch!

Barker's Doghouse 1: Fetch! introduces readers to Gio, a ten-year-old boy grappling with the challenges of moving to a new town and starting at a new school. Feeling isolated and lonely, Gio finds himself spending afternoons at his mom's new doggy day care. A magical mishap involving a dog biscuit grants him the ability to understand and communicate with the dogs, who quickly become his loyal and surprisingly wise companions. The dogs, with their unique perspectives and 'dog school' lessons, help Gio learn valuable life skills like teamwork and perseverance, which he applies to making human friends and trying out for the soccer team. This charming and humorous early middle grade series starter explores themes of belonging, friendship, and self-discovery through a delightful, fantastical lens.

The first book in a charming and funny early middle grade series about a boy finding his way in a new place with the help of some talking dogs. A little bit New Kid, a little bit Secret Life of Pets. Ten-year-old Gio Barker is down in the dumps. His mom has uprooted him to a new school and a new town, all so she can start her own business. Gio used to see friends after school, but now he’s stuck hanging around his mom’s new doggy day care. Then one day he mistakes a dog biscuit for a human cookie, and suddenly he can talk to the dogs! The day care dogs become the friends Gio desperately needs. They tell him some of the great secrets of dog life, and he takes them for wild romps in the park. But when the dogs realize that Gio is struggling, they take it upon themselves to teach him everything they know. Sure, they’re lessons from dog school, but some of these skills are useful in any context. Take Fetch, for instance. It’s a game of give and take – perfect skills to practice if Gio wants to make the soccer team or find a human friend!