With my mile-wide independent streak, I'm more of a "cat person" than a "dog person," so I didn't expect to enjoy a book written from the point of view of a Border collie.  But, good writing is good writing, whether one barks or meows I guess.  I picked this up because I heard Val speak at a local writer's event, and admired her wisdom and perspective on writing.

The dog with many names has one thing on his mind -- sheep.  They are his calling, and he spends the entire novel trying to get back to the farm where he was born so he can herd the wooly beasts.  Along his journey he meets a variety of characters playing stock roles: the kind old man, the mean circus owner, the thieving hobo and the "slow" hobo, and the strict matron of the orphanage. With enough tension to move the plot along and some philosophy thrown in for good measure, Sheep is a fast-paced and memorable story about the realities of relationships and making choices -- even when one is a dog.

Sheep is a good selection for those in-between readers who may not be old enough for the gritty young adult scene but are ready for some deeper concepts.  As a warning, there is some animal cruelty in the plot, which is upsetting but nothing overly graphic, in my opinion.

Sit. Stay. Read.