New Kids and Underdogs

By Margaret Finnegan

New kid Robyn's dog training plan leads to unexpected friendships and broken rules.

4.3/5 Goodreads · 61 ratings

288 pages

$17.99Save 6%

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Bookroo's summary

Robyn, the perpetual new kid, has rules to survive school: blend in and move on. But when her special needs dogs are rejected from agility class, she strikes a deal with Nestor, a school legend, to train them. Needing math help, she enlists Alejandra, the class outcast. As Robyn navigates this new world of unlikely friendships, she discovers that some rules are meant to be broken. Can she adapt and find her place, or will her old habits hold her back?

From the publisher

When perpetual new kid Robyn signs up her special needs dogs for agility training, she gets an unexpected lesson in friendship in this “well-paced…thoughtful” (Kirkus Reviews) novel from the author of We Could Be Heroes and Susie B. Won’t Back Down. Robyn Kellen has been the new kid six times. She’s practically an expert on the subject and has developed foolproof rules to help her get by: Blend in, don’t go looking for trouble, and move on. Unfortunately, Robyn’s mom has a rule, too: Robyn must do an after-school activity. When Robyn discovers a dog agility class, she thinks she’s found the perfect thing–but then her dogs, Sundae and Fudge, are rejected from the class. Sundae won’t do anything without Fudge, and Fudge is deaf and blind, and the instructor refuses to change the rules to fit their needs. Luckily, the instructor’s grandson, Nestor–a legend at Robyn’s new school–offers Robyn a deal: If she helps him with math, he’ll train Sundae and Fudge. Problem is, Robyn isn’t so great at math herself, so she’s forced to recruit the class outcast, Alejandra, to help. Suddenly, Robyn finds herself surrounded by people who do anything but blend in–and sticking to her rules becomes harder than ever. But as Robyn learns how to adapt the rules of agility for Sundae and Fudge, she will find that some rules are worth breaking altogether.

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