  | Glory be Author: Sumner, Jamie | |
| Price: $22.58 | ||
Summary:
Nine-year-old Glory searches the city of New Orleans for her missing dog, Roux, while navigating a difficult relationship with father, who may have something to do with her pup's disappearance.
| Illustrator: | Monnin, Alisha |
| Accelerated Reader Information: Interest Level: MG Reading Level: 5.00 Points: 3.0 Quiz: 557480 |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (01/01/26)
Booklist (02/01/26)
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (00/02/26)
The Hornbook (00/03/26)
Full Text Reviews:
Other - 11/24/2025 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.) - Copyright 2025
Booklist - 02/01/2026 Glory is a nine-year-old living in New Orleans with her overworked mother; her unemployed father, who struggles with alcoholism; and her plump, short-legged dog, Roux. At the story’s outset, Roux goes missing, and Glory is determined to get him back, whether that means trekking to dangerous parts of town, going places her mother forbids, or fighting with kids at school who make fun of her or otherwise stand in her way. The story is told in verse and divided into four parts, one for each day the beloved pet is missing. The grayscale illustrations do a nice job of enhancing the narrative. While often dark, the story offers a realistic portrait of life for a kid who has a mostly absent father and a mother burning a near-wickless candle. Even so, Sumner folds brightness into the plot through the joy pets can bring as well as in the new friends Glory makes during her search for Roux. Try this with realistic-fiction readers or fans of stories that center animals, such as Robin Gow’s Gooseberry (2024). - Copyright 2026 Booklist.
