Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 03/01/2026 In this spoofy new offering, Gardner (the Horace and Bunwinkle series) pulls readers into the goofy underworld of the Furetto family—a ferret crime family that controls the doings at their local events arena. Fil Furetto would rather be in the kitchen cooking than working in the family biz, but when he stumbles on a plan to undermine the outcome of the upcoming dog show on his family’s turf, he has no choice but to get involved. While trying to discover who is behind the plot, he befriends Dot, the sassy corgi being targeted, and they team up to solve the mystery, even as a rival gang moves in on Furetto territory. Gardner’s style is wacky with lots of heart, and she creates characters with fleshed out personalities that go beyond stereotypes. The situations themselves nicely balance elements of comedy, mystery, and adventure, all of which get an extra layer of charm from Jessell’s sweet graphite illustrations. With loads of laughs and a satisfying conclusion, this unconventional caper will have readers howling for more. - Copyright 2026 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 03/20/2026 Gr 3–7—Ferret Fil Furetto cannot believe he has lowered himself to lubing his body so he can shimmy through underground grates just to get rid of some rotten meat. But he knows it's the price he pays for having earned the ire of Uncle Giuseppe, and that he must accept his punishment of keeping the Jon Bon Jovi Arena in Hackensack, NJ, safe. He accidentally discovers a nefarious plan to ruin the upcoming dog show at the arena: someone is plotting to take out the main competition, corgi Dorotea (Dot) Gabriella Trujillo Hernandez, who has plans of taking her dog-show winnings to launch her own fashion line. Fil knows he must figure out a way to thwart the plot and hopefully return to Uncle Giuseppe's good graces. The ensuing friendship between Dot and Fil starts caustic but quickly warms to esteem for each other's ambitions. Young readers might not clue into the personification of the animals; Uncle Giuseppe and Fil's close-knit family definitely reads as an Italian crime family. Nevertheless, there is humor, suspense, and spunk in abundance with such quirky characters in attendance. Fans of upbeat animal fiction such as Kate DiCamillo's Flora and Ulysses or James Patterson and Steven Butler's "Dog Diaries" series will soak this furry tale up. The weasels in the story are Scandinavian, Dot, as well as another character, appear to be Latine, while Fil and his family are Italian. VERDICT Readers will be entertained by Fil's suspenseful, humorous adventure and unlikely friendship as he races to stop the scheme and protect his family.—Julie Shatterly - Copyright 2026 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.