A dog called Homeless by Sarah Lean

Cally's mum has died in a car accident. Cally is having trouble at school. Trouble with her teachers. Trouble with her friends who treat Cally with such unkindness and she also has trouble at home with her father who has become withdrawn and quiet. 

Students at school join a fundraising challenge. Three children are selected from each class and the challenge is to stay silent for a whole school day. 

"The day had passed and I'd not been in trouble, not fallen out with anyone, nobody told me to be quiet. Nobody said anything to me at all."

Cally maintains her silence. She is certain she has seen her mum. She saw her when the extended family visited the cemetery on the anniversary of her death which is also her father's birthday. Then Cally saw her mum at school. On this second "visit" mum has a dog with her. This dog is real and he wants to be friends with Cally. The third time Cally sees the dog he is with a homeless man who is sitting outside a music shop juggling with a cap for coins on the footpath. The man has a sign that says homeless and Cally decides this will be the name for the dog.

Cally's father will not allow Cally to have a dog. Without telling Cally or her older brother he has sold their house. The family of three move into an upstairs flat. Living in the flat below, Cally meets Sam his mum. Sam is blind and deaf, Cally no longer talks, but somehow these two become the best of friends.

"Cally and me, one who feels and one who sees."

The pieces of this story are like a jigsaw puzzle but this is a puzzle where you don't have access to the full picture until the final piece is put in the right place. 

One of the best characters in this story is quite a minor one - Dr Colborn. She has been brought into the school to talk to Cally and to help her now that she has stopped talking. Cally is sure this Doctor will be terrible but actually she is wise and kind and wonderful. 

"I thought she could see right inside me , right into my heart. And I didn't mind. You could tell she was really nice."

Yes this is a book about a child and their love of a special dog but the dog is not the main focus of the story. The themes of grief, disabilities, communication, and healing are at the centre of this beautiful book. This will sound very odd but I just loved this sad story. It felt good to have a little cry at the end. Yes, this book does have a happy ending but Cally's life story and journey through grief is sure to touch your heart. In this story we walk hand in hand with Cally through the confusing and sad months following the accidental death of her mother. Cally just wants her father to talk about her mother, to share family memories, so she can keep the memory of her alive. Thank you Sarah Lean for this beautiful reading experience. 

Ever so gently, this fine debut effort explores the power of human kindness as Cally and her father find effective ways to cope with their loss . Kirkus Star

I'm still an emotional mess if I just think about the beautiful, spell-binding story I just had the pleasure of reading.  Bag of a Bookaholic

This is a moving story, which gently shows what it is like to grieve, and that no two people go through this process in the same way or at the same pace. It makes clear the fact that other people can do very little to help except be there for the person in pain, ready to offer support and a listening ear. The Book Bag

In 2013, A dog called Homeless won the Schneider Family Award (Middle Grade) recognising authors and illustrators for the excellence of portrayal of the disability experience in literature for youth. Some other winners include Rain Reign; Rules; Waiting for Normal; Wonderstruck; The war that saved my life; Fish in a tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt; and The truth as told to Mason Buttle. 

Companion reads to go with A dog called Homeless:

Because of Winn Dixie

Pieces of Georgia

My Father's Words

The remarkable journey of Coyote Sunrise