Elvis and the Underdogs Hardcover - 2013

From the rear cover

Benji Wendell Barnsworth is a small ten-year-old boy with a big personality. Born premature, Benji is sickly and accident prone and has a tendency to faint--a lot. He's at the hospital so often, he even has his own punch card. That is, until the day Benji wakes up from a particularly bad spell. Concerned for Benji's health, the doctor offers him two options: wear the world's ugliest padded helmet or get a therapy dog.

Benji chooses the dog, of course. But when a massive crate arrives at Benji's house, out walks a two hundred-pound Newfoundland. And that isn't even the strangest thing about the dog. He announces that his name is Parker Elvis Pembroke IV. That's right, this dog can talk! And boy, is he bossy. Having a bossy dog can come in handy, though. Elvis brings out the dog lover in the most surprising people and shows Benji that making new friends may not be as scary as he once thought.

From a fresh new voice comes the hilarious and poignant story about the importance of finding your own pack.

Media reviews

Citations

• Booklist, 04/01/2013, Page 46
• Booklist Ed Choice Youth, 01/01/2014, Page 15
• Hornbook Guide to Children, 07/01/2013, Page 84
• Kirkus Reviews, 03/15/2013, Page 0
• Publishers Weekly, 04/01/2013, Page 0
• School Library Journal, 06/01/2013, Page 131