Following Baxter

by Barbara Kerley

Overview

This heartwarming adventure for dog lovers everywhere is a great match for fans of books such as The Fourteenth Goldfish and A Snicker of Magic.

Eleven-year-old Jordie Marie Wallace has been waiting forever for someone to move in next door, so she is thrilled when Professor Reece arrives: she has a laboratory in her basement and an extraordinary dog named Baxter—who seems to understand everything Jordie says.

Jordie and her younger brother T.J. begin walking Baxter and helping Professor Reece in the lab. But being lab assistants ends up being more than Jordie and T.J. bargained for and leads them to a secret neither of them expected.

When Professor Reece goes missing, it's up to Jordie and T.J. to use their smarts and Baxter’s magical powers to find her. Will they be able to save Professor Reece before it’s too late?

From award-winning author Barbara Kerley comes a sweet and funny story about a young girl, a quirky professor, and a magical dog. A Bank Street Book of the Year!

Praise for the award-winning Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins by Barbara Kerley:

“Marvelous.” —New York Times

“Stunning.” —Kirkus (starred review)

“[Kerley] suffuses her text with a contagious sense of wonder and amazement.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062499790
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	01/04/2022
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	1,113,407
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.50(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

When she was a baby, Barbara Kerley shared nap time and her crib with a cat named Mrs. Hancock. Barbara now lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband, Scott, and their dog, Seamus—who, she is pretty sure, understands everything she says. Barbara is the award-winning author of numerous books for kids, including Following Baxter, The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins, What to Do about Alice?, A Home for Mr. Emerson, and A Cool Drink of Water. You can learn more about her pets and her books at www.barbarakerley.com.

Editorial Reviews

Kerley has written a dog book like no other...Readers will want more adventures with these kooky characters.” 

Booklist

Kerley has written a dog book like no other...Readers will want more adventures with these kooky characters.” 

Booklist

Kerley has written a dog book like no other...Readers will want more adventures with these kooky characters.”  — Booklist

“[Kerley] writes with warmth and thoughtfulness in her first work of middle grade fiction...Relatable and compelling...Fans of realistic and science fiction will find a lot to enjoy.” — School Library Journal

“A highly readable story that pairs a rapid-fire plot with a likable progragonist.” — Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

12/01/2017
Gr 4–6—Jordie Marie Wallace is thrilled when she sees that a new neighbor is moving next door. She's even more excited when she sees that her new neighbor, Professor Reese, has a dog named Baxter. When Jordie helps Professor Reese take care of Baxter, she starts to notice strange things happening in Professor Reese's basement. The professor reveals that she is attempting to move things from one place to another through teleportation. When Dr. Reese goes missing and Jordie figures out that she tried to teleport herself, Baxter becomes the key to finding where Professor Reese went. Kerley, known for her picture book biographies and nonfiction, writes with warmth and thoughtfulness in her first work of middle grade fiction. The characters Kerley introduces are fully realized and compelling. Jordie, whose parents are separated, lives primarily with her mom, but often visits her dad, who lives in a studio apartment connected to the family's house. There is enough mystery and science fiction to draw in lovers of those genres, but it is balanced with a realistic portrayal of family and school life that many readers may identify with. A subplot in which Jordie starts to realize she misjudged a classmate who she previously deemed a "bad" kid is particularly compelling. Fans of Rebecca Stead's When You Reach Me and Jennifer Holm's The Fourteenth Goldfish, where characters learn real-life lessons about friendship and compassion through the medium of science fiction, will find similar themes here. VERDICT Relatable and compelling. Fans of realistic and science fiction will find a lot to enjoy.—Celia Dillon, The Brearley School, New York

School Library Journal

2018-01-22
There is a lot going on in this mystery/sci-fi/coming-of-age adventure about a girl and the charismatic dog next door.When Professor Reese moves in with her giant, gray, shaggy dog, Baxter, next door to 11-year-old Jordie Marie Wallace, Jordie's life changes in a number of ways: she's always wanted a dog; she awakens to the lure of scientific discovery; and she experiences a number of "opportunities to be more dependable." Dense plotlines weave together many intertwining threads, but it all fits together. A subplot about Jordie's participation in a "Study Buddies" project and one about her circle of friends' plan to open a hairdresser/vet/day care both turn out to be key to the development of her self-awareness. This is all back story to the main storyline: Jordie volunteers to walk Baxter while Professor Reese works on her research into the possibility of teleportation. When Professor Reese disappears, Jordie, her brother, and "magical" Baxter work together to solve the case. Clues to Jordie's strengths and challenges are not explicitly articulated but are aptly shown through other characters' reactions. Her relationships with friends and family are realistic, which juxtaposes cleverly with the speculative aspect of the plot. The book subscribes to the white default, with racial diversity hinted at in supporting characters' names.Happily, Kerley's execution matches her ambition, resulting in a highly readable story that pairs a rapid-fire plot with a likable protagonist. (Science fiction. 9-12)

Kirkus Reviews