Maxi's Secrets (or, What You Can Learn From a Dog)

When fifth-grader Timminy moves to a new town with his family, his parents let him get a dog to help him cope, and he chooses Maxi, a Great Pyrenees puppy, who they discover is deaf. While Timminy must try to fit in to a new school, he learns to adapt to Maxi’s challenges, and works on developing new relationships with his classmates and his blind neighbour. This engaging story, with relatable characters, uses humour and drama to raise topics of ability and disability, caring for a pet, building relationships, and self-identity. Suitable as a read-aloud, classroom novel, literature circle, or class library.