Strays

A Junior Library Guild Selection

“A heartbreaking, satisfying, ultimately uplifting story about a puppy in need of a home. Strays is perfection.”
–Barbara O’Connor, New York Times-bestselling author of Wish

“Funny. Touching. Empowering. A necessary read for anyone who’s ever felt like they didn’t belong. Every stray deserves a loving home.” –Ellen Hopkins, New York Times-bestselling author of What About Will and Closer to Nowhere

“With tenderness and luminous clarity, Gia Gordon delivers a middle-grade novel that honors the kids who feel lost, left behind, or unseen. Through Campbell’s fierce compassion for a frightened stray dog and her aching hope for connection, Strays explores friendship, family fractures, and the quiet bravery it takes to choose kindness in a world that doesn’t always return it. Gordon’s writing is effortless and intimate–funny one moment, heartbreaking the next–capturing the messy, resilient hearts of real tweens on the edge of change and the adults that learn to heal alongside them. A beautifully crafted story that will stay with readers long after the final page.” –David Bowles, award-winning author of They Call Me Güero and The Smoking Mirror

“One day, Campbell Cole’s life takes an unexpected turn when she sees a helpless dog being dropped out of a van window, like trash. She will not stand for this. Who would do such a thing? With the help of her best friend, Luz Bernal, the two girls embark on a mission to rescue the stray dog, before it’s too late. Readers will root for Campbell and Luz in this big-hearted, beautifully-told story about a young girl’s courage, the power of taking risks, the healing bonds of friendship and found community, and about finding purpose and joy in unexpected places. This story will make anyone want to take the risk…you never know what new purpose it will give you.” –Anna Lapera, author of Mani Semilla Finds Her Quetzal Voice, a Best Book of the Year (School Library Journal, Booklist, New York Public Library) and a 2025 International Literacy Association Honor Book

“Gordon writes with deep empathy for each character, and as Campbell recognizes ‘the way two people can experience the same thing but see it so differently, ’ she develops greater compassion for the relationship struggles of her parents, Luz’s parents, and even herself and [her friend] Luz. When Campbell and Luz eventually do catch Tater Tot, the pup becomes a catalyst for honest, open conversations within and between their families; what’s hard doesn’t become easy, but there’s more hope. An insightful, well-characterized exploration of love and trust.”–Kirkus Reviews

“While difficult goodbyes and sad truths abound, an ultimately hopeful ending (and a happy one for the stray pup) awaits readers. Have the tissues ready.” –Booklist

“Gordon (My So-Called Family) artfully balances weighty themes with gentle humor in this heartwarming story about a white-cued tween resolving to rescue a stray dog. Affable, accessible prose deftly addresses difficult realities surrounding peoples’ handling of unhoused animals and challenges faced by families coping with grief and mental health. It’s a compassionate narrative about responsibility, friendship, and empathy.”–Publishers Weekly

“While Campbell’s honest first-person narration conveys some of the realities for children whose parents are unable to care for them properly, the story is ultimately hopeful as Campbell and her father start speaking about the sad things that have happened. With the help of their school librarian, the girls learn of an organization that matches veterans with stray animals, and the little dog gets a loving new home. Readers will be drawn into this accessible, emotional story.” –The Horn Book

Gia Gordon is a disabled author, youth activist, and thirty-year veteran educator. She taught Spanish and ELD in northern California and helped establish the school’s first conflict resolution program. She is also a co-founder of the nonprofit Never Counted Out, which provides books to classrooms and community programs with limited access.

Gia is the author of the middle-grade novels My So-Called Family and Strays. Common themes in Gia’s work include chosen and found family, hidden identities, and living one’s truth.

When she’s not writing, Gia can be found thrifting or turning no-longer-wanted household goods into beautifully reimagined art.

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