Kat vs. Dogs

Gr 7 Up–Kat needs money for a car, so the 17-year-old is spending the summer working for her Aunt Grace, who owns a popular dog-supplies boutique named Best Friends. The only problem is that Kat has disliked dogs ever since she was attacked and bitten as a kid—the trauma of the incident still affects her. Nevertheless, she is making an effort at Best Friends because she really wants that car. Kat gets a little boost when she encounters Hiro (RoverDance on TikTok), an influencer who dances with dogs. He’s “supercute,” and it turns out he’s visiting from Los Angeles to help out his grandmother, who is having hip surgery. He is also taking the opportunity to decompress from the influencer life. A romance between Kat and Hiro heats up slowly, with Kat trying to pretend she loves dogs but unable to make anything but awkward conversation with Hiro. The day of his grandmother’s surgery, Hiro is in a bind and suddenly needs somebody to take care of his corgi. Kat resists, but when Aunt Grace forces the matter, Kat finds herself spending the day with a friendly dog and learning to get past her fear, even visiting an off-leash dog park. The drama ends with a kiss following Kat’s admission that she has watched every one of Hiro’s videos. The book is less than 100 pages long, and the text is written at a mid-first-grade level, which will appeal to hesitant readers. Kate is cued as white.