The Underdogs (Summer Reading)

From the writer of the bestselling Dragon Masters series and the illustrator of the bestselling Diary of a Pug series comes a high-energy, illustrated chapter book series about four dogs who learn that being yourself is much more fun than being Best in Show.

Get ready for summer reading with a special edition of The Underdogs!

Welcome to the town of Barksdale, where the canine residents strive for perfection. Every shopkeeper claims to be the "best groomer" or sell the "best biscuits." And at Barksdale Academy, the pressure is on every year for one pup to be named Best in Show.

Nova, Duke, Harley, and Peanut have never won Best in Show... which is okay with them! But they have to work together to pass their Agility Exam, because either the whole pack passes or the whole pack fails.

Nova has convinced her pals to train, but on her practice course, Duke is afraid to climb the high ramp, Harley keeps chasing squirrels, and Peanut can't make it through the hoops. Nova's not doing much better -- she's so excited she keeps knocking the whole course over!

Will the pups make the grade, or are they doomed to be Underdogs forever?

With black-and-white illustrations on every page and hilarious antics throughout, this series is perfect for readers who are just starting to read chapter books on their own, or for anyone who loves a good underdog story!

TRACEY WEST has written more than two hundred books for children and young adults, including the Pixie Tricks and Hiro’s Quest series. She has appeared on the New York Times bestseller list as author of the Pokémon chapter book adaptations. Tracey currently lives in New York State’s Hudson Valley.

Kyla May is an Australian illustrator, writer, and designer. She is the creator and illustrator of two early chapter book series: Lotus Lane (Chemin du Lotus) and Diary of a Pug (Journal d’un carlin). She is also the illustrator of The Sloth Life and The Underdogs series. In addition to books, Kyla creates animation. She lives by the beach in Victoria, Australia, with her three daughters.