Glory Be

A search for a missing dog reveals hard truths about family in this contemplative verse novel by Sumner (Please Pay Attention). Upon learning that her beloved dog Roux has “disappeared/ vanished/ vamoosed,” nine-year-old Glory flees from the drudgery of school and takes to the memorably described streets of New Orleans to search for him. Seven—an unhoused resident of Audubon Park—hasn’t seen him, and neither have other locals. Glory’s Daddy is missing, too, which isn’t unusual, as he’s often found “drunk/ at noon/ on a weekday/... (losing all our money).” Suspecting Roux was involved in a terrible accident or—worse to Glory—either kidnapped for ransom or on the run “because of the thing that Daddy did/ that hurts too much to think about,” the child redoubles her efforts to find the pup. Hard-hitting lines (“Because I am nine/ and don’t have time for make-believe/ no more”) viscerally convey the pain Glory carries, stemming from her tumultuous homelife. Realistic grayscale images by Monnin (Dreams Take Flight) depict the youth’s grim determination and her pup’s buoyant spirit. The protagonist reads as white; supporting characters are racially diverse. Ages 8–12. Author’s agent: Keely Boeving, WordServe Literary. (Mar.)