They had me at Dogs & Books: Read, Rescue and Repeat! the name of the publishing group for a series of books inspiring us to adopt from shelters.

Second-Chance Sam: King of the Junkyard by JoAnn Sky and illustrated by John Tatulli is the story of an older dog, Sam, who finally gets adopted from the shelter. All the families want puppies and seemingly perfect pets, and they are adopted quickly, while Sam dreams of life on the outside.

Then when an elderly man decides that Sam, despite his age and crooked leg, is the right fit for him, they set off on a bonding journey. All Sam needed was a second chance and he proves to his new owner that he was worth the risk.

What a lesson for all of us. We all deserve a second chance from time to time. This is especially true for all the shelter pets just waiting for their forever homes. I was honored to connect with Dogs & Books and learn about their mission: We believe books have the power to build connections… And animals do, too!  And that’s exactly why a portion of their profits go towards animal rescue causes.

Second-Chance Sam was named a Kirkus Reviews BEST BOOK OF 2019!