Barker’s Doghouse 2: Leave It!

The second book in a charming and funny early middle grade series about a boy finding his way in a new place with the help of some talking dogs. A little bit New Kid, a little bit Secret Life of Pets.

The doghouse dogs are NOT happy when they hear that Gio’s mom is taking in a foster puppy. Puppies destroy everything. Their tiny teeth are deadly!

Luckily, Gio has a special power to help Bean feel at home--he can talk to puppies! Pretty soon, Gio’s mom thinks he’s some kind of genius dog trainer. Gio’s sure this means he’ll get everything he wants for his birthday this year.

But what happens when the puppy chews up Gio’s perfect birthday plans?

None of the daycare dogs are happy when they hear that Julie, Gio’s mom, will be taking in a foster puppy. Puppies destroy everything, the older dogs tell Gio. Their tiny teeth are lethal!

But Gio, of course, has a special power to help Bean, the pup, get acclimated. He can talk her through everything! Soon his mom thinks he’s a genius with the pup, and his reward will be a special birthday trip back to his old neighborhood.

The only thing is that Gio’s new friends are planning a party for him at the same time. So, just as Bean must learn to leave things alone, Gio must think about learning to leave some parts of his past behind. Maybe this year is a good time to start some new birthday traditions?

Maria Bea Alfano is a freelance writer, artist, and sometimes educator. She has written how-to-draw books for major licensed brands such as Pokémon, Dragonball Z, and Trollz. She has taught art and soccer to preschoolers in NYC, English to middle-schoolers in Spain, reading to first-graders via an online tutoring platform, and writing workshops to adults via SCBWI. When she’s not working to inspire curiosity in kids, she can be found in the pottery studio and on the soccer field. She lives in New York City with her doggie BFF who loves to hike, train in agility, and befriend strangers. This is Maria’s first fiction series.