Things seemed to be going fine with the PAWS dog walking group. Mindy, Gabby, Priya have been best friends for years and have now welcomed another friend into their group – a girl in their class named Hazel. Hazel uses a wheelchair to get around, but she is still willing and able to help walk the dogs and be friends with the girls. Christmas is coming and it looks like it’s going to be a wonderful holiday for the friends.
Suddenly Priya finds out that her family is being evicted from the only home Priya can remember – their apartment. Right after Christmas her family finds a lovely house. The problem is the house is not in the right neighbourhood. It is fair away from her friends, the dogs they walk daily, and the school they all attend. Priya insists to her parents that she is not changing schools, and that she will continue with PAWS and her sports teams, even if it means she must take the bus everywhere. Can Priya keep up with everything?
This is another wonderful graphic novel for middle school readers, especially girls. The story is sweet and heart-warming and there are many life lessons learned along the way. Discrimination and racism are openly discussed, and this can lead to great conversations with readers and their families. With the girls coming from such diverse backgrounds, it makes sense that they notice and talk about the racism they encounter in their daily lives.
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