Sheep

Written by Valerie Hobbs in 2006, Sheep is a middle grade novel about a border collie who searches for his purpose after his home is destroyed. The book was nominated for several awards, including the California Young Reader Medal (2009), the Sequoyah Book Award (2009), and the Kentucky Bluegrass Award (2008); it also received glowing reviews from sources such as Kirkus Reviews and the School Library Journal.

Hobbs is the author of several books for young readers and is known for her ability to weave realism into fantastic tales. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English from the University of California at Santa Barbara, where she has also taught academic writing. In 1999, Hobbs won the PEN/Norma Klein Award in recognition of her status as an emerging voice of literary merit among American writers of children’s fiction, and in 2003, she became the Arizona Library Association Young Adult Author of the Year.

This guide refers to the first hardcover edition published in 2006 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Content Warning: The source text and this guide discuss animal cruelty and death.

Plot Summary

Sheep is narrated by Jack, a border collie who tells of his adventures and the people he meets while seeking his life’s purpose.