Nando

Hoyle, McCall. Nando
August 4, 2026 by Shadow Mountain
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Esperanza and her daughter Cloe. along with their dog, Stella, are preparing for a bad storm along the coast in North Carolina. They’ve got sheep that another dog, Nando, is trying to herd to safety after a neighbor, Vern, warns them how bad the storm might be. When Nando is left in the barn when Cloe and Stella take off without permission, he is frantic and wants to find them and bring them to safety. He manages to get out of the barn and locates them, only to see Cloe fall into rushing water and get carried away with her cat, Oscar. Stella jumps in as well, as does Nando, but he gets carried past the group. Luckily, he manages to make it to shore, and is helped by Levi, a new neighbor who is just moving in. He is Cloe’s age, and is trying to get home as well. The two find Oscar stuck in a crevice, and try to make their way across the perilous landscape. They are caught in a rock slide, but Nando is able to get them out. Levi cuts his hand on a branch, and Nando knows he must get this new human to safety… his access to beef jerky might rely on it. When the storm has passed, they do find Cloe, who is desperate to get home to get her medication. Oscar is located, but in a bad way, and they need to find Stella. The bridge they group needs to take is badly damaged, and getting across it almost ends in tragedy. After all of these adventures, Nando misses Levi, which strikes him as odd since Esperanza is his main human. Levi also misses Nando. Since Nando has some injuries and is getting older, he is allowed to recuperate at Levi’s house whil one of his puppies learns to herd the sheep.
Strengths: This is a solid outdoor adventure story that is a little different from Hoyle’s other work, which usually addresses some problems and showcases how service dogs can help humans. I had forgotten about Nando (from Stella), but it was interesting to see that readers requested a book about him. There are good details about the aftermath of a heavy storm, and we’ve certainly seen a lot of those lately. It was good to see how Nando worked with a new character, Levi, and how the two bonded. A refreshing, upbeat adventure surviving horrible conditions, if that can be a thing!
Weaknesses: It took me just a minute to remember what Esperanza’s household set up was, even though I did appreciate that we jumped right into the story.
What I really think: This is a great choice for readers who like outdoor survival adventures like Philbrick’s Wild Wave, Brockenbrough's  At the Edge of Lost, and Hashimoto’s Off the Map. I will definitely purchase. This will be even more popular with my students than this author's Stella, Just Gus, Millie,  and Forever Ripley.