A smart balance of suspense, social issues, cultural diversity, and canine companionship.
Looking for a fun afternoon at the river with a friend, 12-year-old Mia Mancinelli instead finds an animal in distress. Obviously neglected and certainly unloved, the miserable golden retriever is pregnant, scared, and alone, though not for long. Mia is an animal lover and yearns to help, and the dog’s handler soon comes looking for her. But this isn’t good news for the dog known only as 647. Mia can immediately tell that 647 doesn’t want to return to Pine Valley Puppies, the kennel where her puppies will soon be born. She tries diplomacy first, but the kennel won’t let Mia visit, nor will they allow 647 to be adopted. So Mia and her best friend, Cassie, take more drastic measures. They break into the kennel late one night to visit 647, but are horrified at their discovery. Rather than a small dog-breeder’s home, this is a filthy puppy mill, a place of cruelty, neglect, and human greed. Determined to save the suffering dogs, the girls realize they can’t simply unlock the cages and free the animals. But even with the help of some sympathetic individuals, however, getting the puppy mill shut down isn’t going to be easy, especially when complicated relationships increase the stakes. Even if they can help 647, being in seventh grade offers its own challenges for a girl pulled between divorced parents and a friend struggling with her Jewish heritage.
While we want to protect our children, it’s neither possible nor prudent to shield them from every harsh truth about the world. A Dog Named 647 is a powerful novel that tactfully exposes middle-grade readers to uncomfortable realities about puppy mills, antisemitism, and the courage needed to stand up for what is right. Mia is the perfect pre-teen protagonist, a hearty jumble of passion, empathy, enthusiasm, innocence, impetuousness, and growth. Her actions and eye-opening experiences will resonate with the hearts of impressionable young audiences, delivering timely messages in a novel that is engaging and enjoyable for all ages. Whether Jewish traditions at Cassie’s dinner table or moments connecting with four-legged friends, the richly descriptive writing pulls readers into the scenes. There are elements of nail-biting drama, but also a pure love for dogs that jumps off the page. It’s impossible not to feel the strong bonds of friendship and emotional maturation as Cassie struggles with an identity Mia would love to possess. A smart balance of suspense, social issues, cultural diversity, and canine companionship, A Dog Named 647 is a stirring call to action wrapped in a tender coming-of-age tale.
