Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

Sarah L. Thomson's Two Friends, One Dog, and a Very Unusual Week is a delightful middle-grade novel that captures the essence of unexpected connections and the magic of breaking free from routine.

Emily, our rule-abiding protagonist, lives a predictable life in her urban apartment building. But everything changes when Rani, a girl with silver sequined sneakers and an irrepressible spirit, moves in with her dog, Otto. Rani's approach to life is as unconventional as her choice of footwear. She bungee jumps off their building, brings an ice cream truck to school, and challenges Emily's steady existence.

Thomson weaves a heartwarming tale of friendship against the backdrop of a 21st-century city. The chemistry between Emily and Rani is palpable—their differences creating a magnetic pull. Rani's joie de vivre is infectious, and soon Emily finds herself questioning her own boundaries. Can she embrace Rani's carefree attitude without losing herself?

The novel explores themes of empathy, independence, and the beauty of breaking free from societal norms. Rani's resilience and resourcefulness, despite her unconventional circumstances, inspire readers to see the world through a different lens. And Otto, the loyal dog, adds an endearing layer to their friendship.

Vin Vogel's illustrations enhance the narrative, capturing the whimsy and energy of the characters. The silver sequined sneakers become a symbol of possibility—a reminder that life is full of surprises.

Two Friends, One Dog, and a Very Unusual Week is a delightful read for young and old alike. It encourages us to embrace the unexpected, find joy in unlikely friendships, and dance to our own rhythm—even if it means wearing sequined sneakers on a Tuesday.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

Emily finds her life taken over by the new girl who has decided to live alone in the attic of their apartment building, Rani, in this short novel. Now, I had no idea before checking up on other reviews that this is a riff on Pippi Longstocking, but more importantly what it is is weak. It's delivered with an adult-proof exuberance, that sends the whole thing out on one note, and a high note from which the singer cannot progress. Everything about Rani, from her décor to her use of mountain climbing gear to her dog turned butler, is turned to eleven, and there's no relenting. Are we supposed to see a lesson in ignoring the rules and having fun now and again, or what are we even here for? I couldn't work it out, but what I could so obviously work out is that we are well over halfway before we've really found a plot. Apparently it involves the dog needing rescuing, and the winning-over of the snooty girl, but that was too little too late for me. Even the piss-take of the "Feelings Circle" club was a miss. This made Matilda the Musical the Movie seem subtle. Two and a smidge stars.

Emily lives in a building with four floors. Their landlord lives on the ground floor, and his chickens live in the backyard. Up one floor is Penelope from Emily’s class at school and her mother and younger brother Jonah. The third floor is where Emily lives with her parents. And then there is an attic, which is empty except for some dust.

And then Rani moves in.

Rani is about Emily’s age, and she moves in with an armchair and a backpack and a big black dog named Otto. Emily watches as Rani pulls out a hammock from her backpack and sets it up, so she has a place to sleep. Emily had brought her dad’s homemade cookies as a welcome gift, so Rani has something to eat. And she has Otto to watch over her.

Rani also has stories. She talks about orangutans and hippos and how her mother is in Patagonia. Emily can hardly wrap her head around all the words that Emily uses. And Rani doesn’t seem to stop moving. She does cartwheels and backbends and rappels down the side of the building.

But when Emily tries to take Rani to school, and tries to get her to follow the rules—or even to understand why the rules are important—Emily finds that her new friendship might not be as easy as she thought. Will Emily ever be able to teach Rani to follow the rules, or will she let her new friend get her in trouble with the grow-ups?

Two Friends, One Dog, and a Very Unusual Week is a powerhouse of a middle grade novel, filled with strong characters, lots of animals, a clown, plenty of cookies and ice cream, and lots of fun surprises. Rani is spirited and imaginative, and she takes the adults at their literal words. The contrast between free spirit Rani and rule follower Emily makes for an interesting play of opposites, and it’s nice to see them both experiencing life from a different point of view as their friendship grows.

Reading this book reminds me of being a kid reading about Pippi Longstocking. Rani has that same perspective on the world, where the rules don’t seem to work for her and she makes her own small miracles as the world seems to bend to her will. I loved the whimsy that underlined the character of Rani, and how she made things work out for her and her friends. She is incredibly caring and smart, and she makes Two Friends, One Dog, and a Very Unusual Week a beautiful song of friendship and discovery. I really loved it, and I think middle grade readers will jump on Rani’s bandwagon and run with her.

Egalleys for Two Friends, One Dog, and a Very Unusual Week were provided by Peachtree through NetGalley, with many thanks.

My 7 year old (advanced reader) was struggling to find something he wanted to read. He was flying throuhg age appropriate material and struggling with the mean of some words in reading level material. I saw this on netgalley and figured, why not try it. HE LOVED IT!! And he put up a fight to even start it... so I started reading it to him. He then took it from me and couldn't put it down. Such a fun story, loved the characters and very engaging for a 7 year old boy!

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. All opinions are my own.

I don't know what to write except I love this book. The characters had such distinct personalities, but they are all people we have met before. Especially Mrs.Pinkney

I think every person has met Rani in school. Either a child with a wild upbringing or imagination. She is delight and so much fun. Even Otto the cookie loving dog has his own personality.

Such a fun, funny, story, I can't praise it enough

Two Friends, One Dog, and a Very Unusual Week by Allysa De Los Santos is a heartwarming middle-grade novel about two very different girls, Emily and Rani, who become unlikely friends. The story is told from Emily's perspective, a girl who loves routine and order in her life, until Rani moves in with her dog, Otto, and turns her world upside down.

Rani is a free spirit who doesn't follow any rules and enjoys living life to the fullest. Emily is immediately drawn to Rani's carefree spirit, but she struggles to reconcile Rani's spontaneous and impulsive personality with her own need for structure and order. Despite their differences, the two girls bond over their shared love of Otto and their desire to solve the mystery of a missing dog in their apartment building.

What sets this book apart from others is the nuanced portrayal of friendship and the importance of being true to oneself. The author does an excellent job of capturing the essence of what it means to be a young person navigating the challenges of growing up, while still remaining true to oneself. Through their experiences together, Emily and Rani learn important lessons about themselves and each other, ultimately discovering that they are stronger together than apart.

Overall, Two Friends, One Dog, and a Very Unusual Week is a delightful and engaging read that will resonate with young readers who are looking for a story about friendship, self-discovery, and the importance of embracing life's unexpected twists and turns.

I received a copy of this in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley.

This was an adorable read! I read this with one of my kiddos, and it was so easy to get through. It was engaging, fun, and even had some great humor at times.
It has a great lesson in it about empathy as well.

Definitely worth the read!

Rule-abiding Emily is shocked when a new resident moves into the apartment building. Rani is alone, except for her dog Otto, and Emily can't understand how Rani can live by herself without at least one parent. Turns out, Rani's mother is a wildlife photographer on assignment; Rani knows the landlord of the apartment, quickly makes friends with various shopkeepers in the neighbourhood and manages to take care of herself quite well, if unconventionally.

Rani is ebullient, adventurous, fun, and has a different set of ideas and rules she lives by. Her dog Otto is enormously talented, and ensures Rani never goes hungry or into too much trouble. Emily has a hard time integrating Rani's perception of life with her own restrained one. Despite this, the two become friends.

When Emily's parents realize Rani is not in school (but don't yet realize Rani's mother is not present), Emily takes Rani to school with her, and chaos ensues, with parents and teachers concerned about Rani's status.

The story was fast and funny. I was entertained and frequently amused. I liked how though very different, the two girls became fast friends, and Rani's joy and open-mindedness opened Emily's eyes to all the wonderful people around her. And I loved Otto.

Thank you to Netgalley and to the Publisher for this ARC in exchange for my review.

I really loved this book and I think kids will love to read or listen to this book as well. It has a great theme of being yourself and also having empathy for people who are different from you, which I think is a really good theme for a book. The book is also very suitable for kids to read with their parents or other adults and have conversations about the theme. This book would also be very good to read at school. Loved it and will recommend!

This book has so many components that make the story fun to read. The characters are also funny and quirky which kept me entertained throughout the story. This book provides life values on how to be yourself and learn things from others.

This was a silly and also heartwarming title perfect for kids who are probably about 8. My almost 7 year old will probably love it as well. The theme of being yourself and also having empathy for those different than you is much appreciated.

I absolutely loved Two Friends, One Dog, and a Very Unusual Week. It had so many components that made the story enjoyable for me. One character is very relatable (Emily), one character is very entertaining (Rani), there is a dog, and lots of silliness. It kept me entertained throughout the story. I loved the themes of being yourself and learning from people who are different than you are. This book would be a great independent read for upper elementary students, or read-aloud for younger elementary students. As a second grade teacher, I would be happy to share this book with my students. I feel that they would greatly enjoy the story and the characters.

Overall, I would rate this book 5 out of 5 stars! Thank you NetGalley and Peachtree for this DRC! All opinions are my own.

This is such a fun story for young children to read or listen to! My young daughter enjoyed listening as I read it to her. It was neat for us to talk about the apartment building where Rani and Emily live since it is different from our home. My daughter giggled a lot at the things Rani did! There are a few illustrations throughout the book. The chapters are fairly short which I liked since we read it in parts. It is a bit long for young children to read in one sitting, but a great chapter book to read over time!

Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Illustrations: 5/5
Ending: 5/5
Overall 4/5
I recommend this book. 4 stars