Something Like Home - by Andrea Beatriz Arango

About the Book

"When a lost dog helps Laura find a way home to her family, they discover family in each other along the way."--

Book Synopsis

The Pura Belpré Honor winning novel in verse, in which a lost dog helps a lonely girl find a way home to her family . . . only for them to find family in each other along the way. From the Newbery Honor winning author of Iveliz Explains It All.

"Trust me: this book will touch your heart." --Barbara O'Connor, New York Times bestselling author of Wish

Titi Silvia leaves me by myself to unpack,
but it's not like I brought a bunch of stuff.
How do you prepare for the unpreparable?
How do you fit your whole life in one bag?
And how am I supposed to trust social services
when they won't trust me back?

Laura Rodríguez Colón has a plan: no matter what the grown-ups say, she will live with her parents again. Can you blame her? It's tough to make friends as the new kid at school. And while staying at her aunt's house is okay, it just isn't the same as being in her own space.

So when Laura finds a puppy, it seems like fate. If she can train the puppy to become a therapy dog, then maybe she'll be allowed to visit her parents. Maybe the dog will help them get better and things will finally go back to the way they should be.

After all, how do you explain to others that you're technically a foster kid, even though you live with your aunt? And most importantly . . . how do you explain that you're not where you belong, and you just want to go home?

Review Quotes

Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year

"Exquisitely written, Something Like Home touched my heart deeply. This beautiful story is destined to become a classic." --Holly Goldberg Sloan, New York Times bestselling author of Counting by 7s

"A sparkling gem of a book that will spring open the deepest places in your heart. I loved it, start to finish!" --Rebecca Balcárcel, Pura Belpré Honor-winning author of The Other Half of Happy

★ "Arango's writing is a joy to read, combining strong storytelling, compelling characters, and rich language....Beautifully executed." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review

★ "Abundant bird facts--which Laura learned on daily walks with her father--add sensitive insight into Laura's interpretation of family and loyalty." --Publishers Weekly, starred review

★ "Arango's writing is intimate and heartbreaking, tackling such hefty issues as cultural identity, addiction, the pain of displacement and the anxiety it causes, and the adulation and rationalization that a child in pain can offer to adults they love." --The Horn Book, starred review

★ "Extraordinarily honest and sensitive, this novel in verse tactfully and gracefully deals with foster and kinship care and some of the many emotions involved." --School Library Journal, starred review

"This story provides honest insight into the difficult subject matter of foster care, addiction, and finding identity." --The Bulletin

"Arango's follow-up to her Newbery Honor debut is a triumph for readers who need the hug without having to ask for it." --Booklist

About the Author

Andrea Beatriz Arango is the Newbery Honor-winning author of Iveliz Explains It All. She was born and raised in Puerto Rico, and is a former public school teacher with almost a decade of teaching experience. Andrea now writes the types of children's books she wishes students had more access to. She balances her life in Virginia with trips home to see her family and eat lots of tostones de pana. When she's not busy writing, you can find her enjoying nature in the nearest forest or body of water.