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McCall Hoyle

McCall Hoyle is an award-winning author and teacher librarian. When she grows up, she’d also like to be a professional dog trainer. She writes heartfelt books for kids of all ages and believes one of the best ways to spread hope and share her heart is by writing about the special bond between dogs and their humans. When McCall isn’t writing or teaching, you can find her with one of her four-legged friends training for agility, obedience, or dock diving—or perhaps chasing make-believe bunnies with them at a lure coursing event in the foothills of the North Georgia Mountains she calls home. 

Stella

"This empathetic read is also full of important themes and lessons for young readers bravery, how to overcome fears, and that mistakes don't have to define us." --School Library Journal

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.

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 Stella 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?

Just Gus

"Delightful. I really liked the way this book dealt with the delicate subject of social anxiety and made it relatable."-- "Compass Book Ratings"

"Through Gus' lightly anthropomorphized thoughts (he carefully reports all human conversations he hears despite not necessarily understanding everything), Diego's overwhelming anxiety is apparent but is eased through his bond with Gus, and soon the dog realizes he has a new purpose as an emotional support animal for Diego. This is a comforting, quiet tale of a working dog slowly transitioning into a new life. Featuring a lovable animal protagonist, a relatable and persistent child trainer, and dog-training information, it's a compelling read. A gentle portrayal of a canine protagonist adjusting to a new role." -- "Kirkus"

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