Something like home
A moving novel in verse in which a lost dog helps a lonely girl find a way home to her family . . .
only for them to find family in each other along the way.
Titi Silvia leaves me by myself to unpack,
but it’s not like I brought a bunch of stuff.
How do you prepare for the unpreparable?
How do you fit your whole life in one bag?
And how am I supposed to trust social services
when they won’t trust me back?
Laura Rodríguez Colón has a plan: no matter what the grown-ups say, she will live with her parents again. Can you blame her? It’s tough to make friends as the new kid at school. And while staying at her aunt’s house is okay, it just isn’t the same as being in her own space.
So when Laura finds a puppy, it seems like fate. If she can train the puppy to become a therapy dog, then maybe she’ll be allowed to visit her parents. Maybe the dog will help them get better and things will finally go back to the way they should be.
After all, how do you explain to others that you’re technically a foster kid, even though you live with your aunt? And most importantly . . . how do you explain that you’re not where you belong, and you just want to go home?
Praise for something like home
*SOMETHING LIKE HOME is a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
★ “In moving, approachable verse, Arango (Iveliz Explains It All) thoughtfully portrays Laura’s guilt and the constant push-and-pull of her desire to be with her parents and her growing connection with Titi Sylvia. Abundant bird facts—which Laura learned on daily walks with her father—add sensitive insight into Laura’s interpretation of family and loyalty.” – Publishers Weekly, starred review
★ “So much affirmation, exploration, and positivity for those in similar situations are packed beautifully into these verses, making it a solid addition to collections.” – School Library Journal, starred review
★ “With the help of caring friends and adults, Laura learns that creating a new home doesn’t have to mean discarding the old. The short sections written in accessible free verse create a segmented structure that mirrors Laura’s experiences and drives the storyline. The clear narrative arc and strong symbolic system make the novel cohere, and Laura’s emotional landscape is realistically contradictory. Arango’s writing is a joy to read, combining strong storytelling, compelling characters, and rich language. Beautifully executed.” – Kirkus, starred review
★ “Arango’s writing is intimate and heartbreaking, tackling such hefty issues as cultural identity, addiction, the pain of displacement and the anxiety it causes, and the adulation and rationalization that a child in pain can offer to adults they love. Arango accomplishes this with the believable voice of a girl in crisis and by tapping into compassion for all the characters amidst moving scenes of joy and connection.” – The Horn Book, starred review
“Trust me: this book will touch your heart.” —Barbara O’Connor, New York Times bestselling author of Wish
“A sparkling gem of a book that will spring open the deepest places in your heart. I loved it, start to finish!” —Rebecca Balcárcel, Pura Belpré Honor-winning author of The Other Half of Happy
“Exquisitely written, Something Like Home touched my heart deeply. This beautiful story is destined to become a classic.” —Holly Goldberg Sloan, New York Times bestselling author of Counting By 7s
lists for something like home
Kirkus : Best Middle Grade Books of the Year
Texas Library Association : 2024-2025 Bluebonnet Master Reading List
something like home in the media
Latinx In Publishing: Andrea Beatriz Arango On Found Family