Four sixth graders, two adults, and six—or is it seven?—dogs are the focus of this waggish tale set in a Brooklyn neighborhood. Mei (Asian/Black), who lives with Panda (“corgi-adjacent”) and Paddington (Border collie), wonders if her friends find her too bold and bossy, especially after an interaction with Kaleb (white) at a rehearsal for the school play. Kaleb, whose family recently acquired big, energetic puppy Cup-Cup, is not only feeling bad about what happened with Mei, but struggling since falling out with his former best friend, Ezra. Ezra (white, Jewish) is a worrier who can’t stop the “What if” scenarios in his head. His dog Cash (Chow Chow) is a comfort, although Ezra worries about Cash too: What if he gets out of their yard? Jilly (white), new to the neighborhood, is living with her aunt Valeria while her mom is in rehab. Valeria is the owner of finicky terriers Lottie and Grover, dogs used to occupying the center of Valeria’s attention. Ruth fosters many dogs but doesn’t have a pet of her own. Her newest foster, Thunder, however, has her reconsidering. Deftly balancing the perspective of humans dealing with big issues—anxiety, uncertainty, change, and/or the challenges and rewards of friendship—with entertaining and sometimes hilarious dog thoughts, this delightful story is filled with warmth and many good dogs.