Millie by McCall Hoyle is about a stray that is found living on the streets after being dumped. She is scared and snappy but she remembers one kind human that gave her food before she is picked up by animal control. Lee rescues Millie to see if she can train her to help kids at her school. Millie is able to find her person by the end of the story. I read this book with my girls, ages 8 and 11 and we all enjoyed the story. Millie is part of a series about dogs that include Stella and Just Gus. It is a standalone but I recommend reading the others since they are good stories too.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book for my honest opinion.

Any kid (or kid at heart) who loves dogs needs to read these books. Millie is yet another great addition to McCall Hoyle’s dog books. They are so sweet and have a great start to go along with them. This time, Lee, a teacher and dog rescuer/trainer, has taken in a shy unsure dog named Millie. Millie has lived on the streets after her human family abandoned her a few years before. She doesn’t think she can trust humans again, that they will always leave her. Tori is a sweet girl who is a student in Lee’s class. She has to get extra help with her reading after school and has a soft spot for Millie. Tori lives with her Pops while her mom is in a treatment center. Millie might be just what Tori needs if they can both learn to trust again. And if they can get Pops to agree!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this book. It was different than anything else I've read recently. I couldn't put it down! I will keep an eye out for this author's future work!

I absolutely loved this book told from the dog's point of view. The book follows Millie's journey from a young dog surviving on the streets, to going to the animal shelter, to being fostered. This book does an excellent job of explaining how and why dogs sometimes behave the way they do and relates that to humans as well as Millie learns to fit in in a world of humans. This is such a great book and I highly recommend it for middle grades readers. This could also be read aloud to younger readers as well. This book also includes excellent discussion questions at the end.

I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

“Is that another dog book by McCall Hoyle?” That’s the first thing my 10-year-old said when she saw the cover of Millie, and as I write this, said kid is in the other room voraciously reading it.

“I like that they’re from the dog’s point of view and not the person’s.” my daughter said of Hoyle’s books. “And how they’re (the dog) not used to something and then they get used to it. They have big and little adventures.”

My daughter’s not wrong. Hoyle is great at capturing a dog’s spirit without over personifying it. She maintains a dog’s nature but amps it up a little for the audience. It’s a great hook and it really helps push the story forward.

In Millie, Hoyle explores how trust can be both broken and built, and by doing it from a dog’s point of view, it becomes simplified and quickly relatable to the reader.

Hoyle’s writing is warm and accessible. And her pacing is spot on. At just over 200 pages, it’s more accessible to less confident readers. It would also be an excellent classroom read aloud.

Millie by McCall Hoyle may be a middle grade book but I’m a grandmother who enjoyed this story as much as the grandkids. It just goes to show that an excellent story extends past age or time. Millie’s perspective is one thing that made this story such a great one. We all really loved seeing life through her eyes. Of course, she was a lovable main character along with Tori so seeing the growth in the dog and the young girl was heartwarming.

While in reality not every dog has a happy conclusion of finding their forever home, we were thrilled to see those that Millie knew as well as herself finding what they needed in the story. Now we look at our dogs wishes they could talk and share their life story before they became rescue dogs. Millie may be the first middle grade story we have read by McCall Hoyle. but it won’t be the last one we read by this exceptional children’s author. Highly recommend to dog lovers both young and older.

The publisher through Net Galley provided a complimentary digital copy. I have voluntarily decided to read and review, my personal opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

I have been enchanted by the Best Friends Dog Tales series starting with the first book, Stella, and the second book, Gus. Millie, a spirited Border Terrier left by her family to fend for herself on the streets, has also captured my heart. Millie becomes a caregiver to Little Pup, but their bond is shattered when she is snatched by a man in a van and sent to the pound. Fortunately, dog trainer Lee recognizes Millie's potential and takes her in. Under Lee's guidance and alongside another dog, Belle, Millie learns about obedience, trust, and overcoming her difficult past. When Millie crosses paths with Tori, a young girl struggling with her own challenges, a special bond forms. Tori is allowed to train Millie, leading to a transformative journey for both. This aspect of the story showcases how they help each other heal and regain trust.

The Best Friends Dog Tales not only entertain but also impart valuable lessons to children about responsibility, kindness to all beings, and the importance of friendship. As an educator, I have enjoyed sharing these stories with my students and am eager to introduce them to Millie's tale. Through Millie's narrative, children will be engrossed in her journey of finding her human companion.

Another winner from this author!
It’s truly amazing how McCall Hoyle can “get into” a dog’s mind, and show the reader every emotion
that it feels. Some people call this anthropomorphism; it can also magical art to a dog-lover. “Millie” will grab any reader’s heart, of any age.

Written from Millie's point of view, this book really connected with what dogs feel and experience. I really loved Millie's transition from stray to family that loves her. I kept wanting to read more with short engaging chapters. A kid that loves dogs would devour this one.

Meet Millie, the lovable border terrier with a story of resilience and belonging. This delightful tale, perfect for young readers who adore dogs, follows Millie’s journey from the streets to finding her forever home with a special education teacher and her students. Tori, a struggling reader with her own abandonment issues, discovers a natural gift for training and connecting with fearful dogs, leading to a unique bond with Millie. As they navigate trust and belonging, this empathy-building novel beautifully explores the importance of emotional safety. Get ready for an emotional yet uplifting adventure that captures the essence of true companionship!

Another fantastic children’s book by McCall Hoyle. This is the 3rd book I’ve read of hers. Each one deals with deep issues from the perspective of dogs that children can relate. Highly recommend.
Will definitely purchase when it’s released for my 3rd-5th graders.

Millie is a border terrier who was abandoned by his human owners and that causes her to be aggressive but she finds Lee and Bella who teach her that some people and dogs care.

This was a cute and engaging story of a border terrier who gets a second chance at a forever home. I liked how we get an inside look into Millie’s mind what she thinks and wants, and how important it is to gain trust with both humans and animals. It is a gentle story of trust, friendship, and healing to go forward. I liked it very much!

My gratitude to Netgalley and Shadow Mountain. All opinions expressed are mine.

This book is for dog lovers!! Millie is adorable, she projects aggression, but is really just scared. She connects with Tori, someone who understands what Millie is going through. The book truly teaches emotional resilience.

Millie is a stray dog who lives on the street after a disastrous home experience where messing up the carpet and nipping at a young boy who was poking her with a stick got her driven out to the country and abandoned. She was befriended by Big Guy, who has disappeared, but has a companion in Little Pup, whom she is helping in the same way that Big Guy helped her; finding food and shelter for the younger dog. There is one alley near a bakery that is particularly nice, and Millie cautiously connects with a young girl, Tori. Sadly, Millie and the smaller dog are separated when Millie ends up in a shelter. She is very cautious, and the shelter despairs of placing her with a family. Luckily, Lee, who trains dogs and takes them to the local elementary school, sees the good in Millie and decides to take her home. She trains her along with another dog, Bella, and finally takes her on a visit to a school. Lee warns the students that this is Millie's first time, so they shouldn't approach her, but when Millie sees Tori and smells Little Pup on her, she is drawn to the little girl. Tori has problems of her own; she is living with her grandfather, who owns the bakery, because her mother is in rehab for a drug addiction brought on by a back injury. The grandfather doesn't want a dog, but Lee asks Tori to help train Millie. When another dog is brought into the shelter who needs help, Lee asks Tori's grandfather to take care of Millie for a few days. It goes fairly well, and Millie is glad that these new people are kind when she makes a small mess on the carpet. Little Pup lives not far away, and Millie sometimes sees her young friend. When Tori leaves one day, Millie follows her, and ends up having a terrible adventure after Tori shoos her away from the bakery. Eventually, Millie makes it back home. The two are so good for each other, and when Tori's poem wins a competition at an adoption event, her grandfather reluctantly agrees to adopt the dog.
Strengths: I liked how Tori's mother's addiction was in the background, important, but not the point of the story. The grandfather was appealing; I wouldn't have minded seeing more of him and the bakery! Millie has a similar background to Tori, with humans who have done them wrong, but they are both resilient and learn to go on and to befriend new people. The tips on dog training are good, and the notes at the back with further information are a good addition. The cover is adorable, and I know this one will be picked up quickly. I appreciate that this is not connected to the author's other two dog books, so can be read in any order.
Weaknesses: I would have preferred this more if it weren't written from Millie's point of view (why does Millie understand what bells are, but not what cell phones are?), but this won't bother my students at all.
What I really think: Stella and Just Gus both circulate well in my library, and I like this one a bit better than the other two, so I will buy it. It's always a good idea to buy a couple of dog books and a couple of horse books every year. Even if I don't currently have as many readers who want books about dogs, there will be some in the future, and need to keep the collection fresh. (Just realized that Ibbotson's One Dog and His Boy is now as old as most of my students! Twelve years is a long time for a book to survive in a middle school library.)

This was a really sweet children’s novel, it had a great overall feel and I enjoyed Millie and her owner. It really had a great overall feel to it and helped deal with hard topics overall. McCall Hoyle does a great job writing this and left me wanting to read more.

This darling story about "growing up" from a dog's point of view is wonderful. Millie is a stray and a blizzard is coming. Along the way on her journey, she learns to to trust and find her family. Be warned, this story will leave you misty eyed. This was a fast read. It also has some training tips at the end after the story.

MILLIE by MC CALL HOYLE is a real gem. It is the heartwarming story of the relationship between a street dog and a troubled child. Although it is a children’s book it is also suitable for adults like me who love dogs and books. I love the way the book is written from Millie’s standpoint, as we see how she gradually lets down her guard. We see that it is fear that causes her to react badly to the unknown, and how she loves her “family”, both canine and human. We also see how Lee, the teacher and dog trainer, uses books and therspy dogs with her special needs class.
I highly recommend this beautifully written book which I found both inspirational and refreshing.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Shadow Mountain Publishing. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

3rd in the Best Friends dog series, Millie will warm your heart just as much as Stella and Gus did (or will). This sweet border terrier has lived much of her life on the streets, first as sidekick to protector and pit bull Big Guy and as the book begins, as a protector himself to a young pup who wouldn’t survive the harsh realities in the life of a stray. Told from the perspective of Millie, chance puts her into the home of Lee, the dog trainer/owner/lover from the first two books in the series and sets her on the path to adoption. Included in the main story is Tori, a struggling reader who makes great strides while in Lee’s classroom and with a dog in her lap. Tori’s story, as well as Millie’s, contains themes of trusting again and hope in the future.The formula of the three books is the same-dog without a home or much training finds love and fills a niche in the life of a child-but the execution is unique and wonderful in all of them! Animal lovers will be thrilled to see a new McCall Hoyle book. Perfect for readers in grades 3-6 and free of profanity and sexual content. There is some “violence” of a sort with some animals being mistreated or hurt but Hoyle does not get graphic in her descriptions of these events. Page count is low enough to feel approachable to struggling readers but characterization is deep enough to appeal to strong readers, as well. Highly recommended series and I hope for even more in the future.

Ich fand dieses Cover so niedlich, so das sich mich für dieses Buch entschieden habe.
Millie handelt von einem Strassenhund, der sich zwar von der Essensresten ernähren kann, jedoch jegliches Vertrauen verloren hat.
Eines Tages kommt Tori in Millies Leben. Werden die beiden es schaffen eine Freundschaft und gegenseitiges Vertrauen aufzubauen?
Eine wunderschöne Geschichte über das Lernen von Freundschaft und Vertrauen. Mal lustig, mal sehr traurig.
Das relativ einfache Englisch macht es auch für Schüler interessant, die noch nicht perfekt in dieser Sprache sind.

After Millie, a Border Terrier, was abandoned by the family she had been living with, her only recourse is living on the streets, hiding from the humans after the family she’d been with made her distrust humans, and she has no idea where her mother or brother and sister are, of how to find them.

Once, she had a friend, Big Guy, that protected her and taught her some of the ways of living on the streets. She has found a new friend, a tiny puppy, so she now needs to find food for both of them, as well as shelter. As this story begins, it is snowing, which adds another element that she needs to consider.

The place they find shelter in is near a bakery, and the man who owns it and his granddaughter, Tory, who discovers Millie one day, and wants to keep her, but her grandfather says no.

One morning, as Millie is scavenging for food near the trash cans, she is caught, and ends up in a shelter, where she cowers in a corner most of the time, and worries about what will happen to the puppy.

When a friend of the woman that runs the shelter comes to visit, she is drawn to Millie, and even when the woman who runs it tells her that she wouldn’t want her, Lee decides that she is trainable, and brings her home.

A wonderful story of reconnecting with those you love, for both Tori and Millie. The feeling of being abandoned connects Tori and Millie even when they don’t know each other’s stories, but they can sense each other’s need for connection, for someone who will listen to their stories, always.



Pub Date: 05 Mar 2024

Many thanks for the ARC provided by Shadow Mountain Publishing, Shadow Mountain