“Luna Howls at the Moon” by Kristin O’Donnell Tubb is a new addition to  her canine working dog collection. It is written from the viewpoint of Luna, a therapy dog certified through Therapy Dogs Worldwide. Therapy sessions are held in a church basement alongside her handler, Tessa, a seasoned therapist who works with tweens that suffer from mental health and emotional issues. The story starts by showing how Luna reacts differently for each of the clients in a new group: Amelia (the Shadow), Beatrice (the Knot), Caleb (the Waterfall), and Hector (the River Rock). The tweens resist bonding until one afternoon when Hector does not show up for the group therapy session. When Tessa leaves the room for a moment to handle a parental conflict upstairs, Beatrice impulsively leads Amelia, Caleb, and Luna out the basement window and through the streets of Austin, Texas to find the missing Hector.

What ensues is an epic adventure where the reader learns the ways that Luna protects her clients. As the story unfolds we watch the tweens face their fears, learn how to trust each other, and find value in themselves with Luna’s persistent presence.

The story also features a stray cat named Sandpaper, who attaches himself to the group and becomes the self-proclaimed narrator. “Luna Howls at the Moon” deals with real-life issues that middle-grade readers will relate to. Its slow pace at the start requires a couple of chapters to become engaged in the story. Recommended for ages 8 and up. 

Reviewed by Liz Davis, Children’s Librarian, Waterville Public Library