Stella

By: McCall Hoyle

Narrated by: Rachel Jacobs

Length: 4 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

An uplifting and poignant story about a former service beagle named Stella who must find the courage to overcome her fears and use her special nose to save a girl’s life.

Ever since Stella was a puppy, she was trained to use her powerful beagle nose to sniff out chemicals used in explosives and warn her human handler in order to keep people safe.

But during a routine security inspection, Stella is distracted and misses the scent of an explosive chemical. The sound of the blast is loud and scary. Stella survives, but her handler - her best friend in the whole world - is gone. Stella blames herself, certain she’s a bad dog.

Scared of loud noises, especially thunder and fireworks, Stella struggles with her anxiety and must be retired from being a service animal. Several families try to foster her, but sometimes Stella is so scared she howls or digs or tears things up with her teeth. She wonders if anyone will want to adopt her.

An expert dog trainer, Esperanza, thinks she can help. It’s Stella’s last chance to prove she can be a good dog. Stella has every reason to love her new family, especially the young human named Cloe who smells like chocolate chip cookies, newly cut grass, the pages of books, and something else - a strange chemical she can’t quite identify.

Cloe has epilepsy, and a chemical inside her body surges just before she has a seizure. Stella’s nose makes the connection. But how can she warn Esperanza without her thinking it’s just Stella’s usual anxiety? How can she convince her new family that she can be a new kind of service dog and hopefully save Cloe’s life?

Told from Stella’s point of view, listeners will experience life through a dog’s eyes, ears, and, especially, her nose. Like Babe the pig or Ivan the gorilla, Stella the beagle is an extraordinary story for kids who love animals. An endearing novel of courage, compassion, friendship, and love.

©2021 McCall Hoyle (P)2021 Blackstone Publishing

Best book ever

I love this book so much it’s so sweet I wish would never end but you can always listen to it again! It had such a great story line and it was also very engaging. I just couldn’t put it down I just kept on listening. Thank you so much McCall Hoyle and Rachel Jacobs and every single person that helped make this story come alive!

Stella

Hayden’s Review (10years old)

I really enjoyed this book. It was sad at the beginning. It is told from Stella’s POV.

The narrator did a really good job.

stella the experience

i liked how it was the scribed to you the whole time I dislike nothing at all

Love it too much love it too the moon.

This is the best thing ever. I’m going to go share it with all my friends in the USA Today. I don’t think I need to say anything more about it

Love the happy ending ❤️❤️❤️

I love the fact that Stella shows you what a dog sees in a human and loves everyone!!! She is so cute and kind I hope there is a dog that is like Stella and if There is I hope she will pop up in my life and I will remember it forever ♾️ ❤️❤️❤️

Stella

A very good book, it was definitely worth the purchase. The second book is Just Gus and that was an amazing story too. I love how the dogs all get second chances.

Stella is amazing

I almost didn’t finish but then I realized, it’s only chapter 2 they can’t put the main character to sleep in chapter 2! So glad I keep going! Love the voice work and the brilliant writing from the beagle’s perspective! Now off to spend more time loving on my own beagle!!

Sweet story!

We loved this book!
Great narration and wonderful story and plot structure! Would recommend to grades 2+

More books!

If you guys remember one of the other sheep dogs, Gus , HE HAS A BOOK TOO :)

What stood out the most is the relationship between Stella and Cloie.

I loved everything there was nothing I disliked. I liked it because Stella reminded me of me by I lost someone I loved too but had to learn it wasn’t my fault I had to learn it’s ok that didn’t change who I CD am just like Stella.