Fourth grader Mavis Jeeter is fearless and bold but she has never lived in one place long enough to have a real best friend. When her flighty mother decides they’ll move to Landry, Alabama where she will be the housekeeper for the well-to-do Tully family, Mavis hopes this will be where she finds that friend. The Tully family has a daughter just Mavis’s age, but Rose is shy and afraid of breaking any of her mother’s strict rules. She is a worrier who feels like she doesn’t fit in with the other girls in her neighborhood. Her closest friend is Mr. Duffy, the gatekeeper for the neighborhood, but since his dog Queenie died, he has been sad and forgetful. Mavis convinces Rose that if they can find a new dog for Mr. Duffy, he’ll be his old self soon. Their mission, however, may involve some rule-breaking and test the budding friendship of these very different girls. A sweet story of human and canine friendship from a favorite author, Barbara O’Connor!
