"Ever since the letters from Mom stopped coming, Jessie has been afraid--afraid that something terrible has happened in the war where her mom is fighting. And afraid that her mom might never come back. Thinking a change of scenery might be a helpful distraction, Jessie's dad moves them to a small town in southern Minnesota. There, Jessie meets two new friends: Oscar, a thoughtful boy whose brother just returned from fighting in Afghanistan; and Nicky, a goofy theater kid who constantly cracks jokes. Together, the three kids stumble upon an old barn with the sound of terrified dogs coming from inside. Wanting to be brave like her mom, Jessie breaks into the barn and discovers a puppy mill where dozens of dogs are being neglected. While she can't save all the dogs, she can save one. She carts the dog home in a rickety red wheelbarrow. But hiding a stolen dog from Dad and Grandpa causes more problems than Jessie anticipated. As more time passes, keeping the dog hidden becomes increasingly difficult. In the end, Jessie learns what it means to be brave and that sometimes helping others is the best way to heal yourself"-- Provided by publisher