HOUSE OF SECRETS by TRACIE PETERSON

"I checked the clock on the wall. They would arrive in a matter of minutes. Not only would we face an alteration to our family in the form of a new stepmother, but we would confront the past head-on. We would ask the question that had consumed us since our mother died. Were we strong enough to hear the answer?"shouldbereading/2012/01/24/

HUCK by JANET ELDER

This is a heartwarming true story about a family and a new, Red Poodle pup. There are the parents and Michael, their son. Michael has wanted a pup it seems like forever. After his mother is diagnosed with cancer, she spends more time thinking of what will keep Rich, her husband, and especially, Michael, her son, less consumed by her chemotherapy and radiation treatment. In other words, she becomes totally selfless. It's not difficult to decide a pup would make the best addition to the family because from day one Michael has begged and begged for a puppy. With new and uncomfortable challenges becoming a part of the family it seems the perfect time to add a Huck to the family.

When Huck gets lost during a family visit to the sister and brother-in-law's home in New Jersey, the long and involved search begins for a pup who is loved so much. This is the part of the book, Huck by JANET ELDER, I loved so much. While the family and neighbors look for Huck, new friends are met. These new acquaintances made me realize how much people really want to help one another in times of distress. Janet Elder is totally honest. Just when I began to make a small town into a glorified heaven on earth she showed small towns are just like bigger towns and cities in some ways. There is always a grumpy person who can't be pleased. Also, there is the secret of domestic violence everywhere. Still, the romp along the hills in the mornings and evenings is fun and adventurous. Best of all is finding out whether Huck finds his way home.(free book for review from BROADWAY PAPERBACKS)huckthebook

"I knew Rich was wrestling with the impossible--figuring out how we were going to set out to find a tiny dog in an unfamiliar wooded mountainous area. He had already decided on a $1000 reward."