Hush, Puppy: Charlie's Rules #3

By Sigmund Brouwer and Sabrina Gendron

Eleven-year-old Charlie Dembinski lives by the rules he writes down in his notebook.

He knows that animals behave in predictable ways and it's easy for him to understand them. What Charlie doesn’t understand is why people aren’t the same way. Faced with a swarm of bees attached to a car, a cat with an unusual lump, a large dog who eats jewelry, a little dog who’s lost his confidence, and a best friend who’s upset for reasons he doesn’t understand, Charlie is put to the test. Can his rules help solve these problems?

The third book in the Charlie's Rules series from bestselling author Sigmund Brouwer, Hush, Puppy is sure to delight young animal lovers. The straightforward plot, black-and-white illustrations and unique animal stories make this the perfect chapter book for early readers.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Orca Book Publishers
• Release date: May 17, 2022
• ISBN: 9781459810587

Sigmund Brouwer

Sigmund Brouwer is the award-winning author of over 100 books for young readers, with close to 4 million books in print. He has won the Christy Book of the Year and an Arthur Ellis Award, as well as being nominated for two TD Canadian Children’s Literature Awards and the Red Maple Award. For years, Sigmund has captivated students with his Rock & Roll Literacy Show and Story Ninja program during his school visits, reaching up to 80,000 students per year. His many books in the Orca Sports and Orca Currents lines have changed the lives of countless striving readers. Sigmund lives in Red Deer, Alberta.

Book preview

Chapter One

Charlie Dembinski looked up from the counter as the door opened into the waiting area of the veterinary clinic.

It was Amy Ma. Five minutes late, as usual. Charlie’s mother, Selena, was a veterinarian. Amy’s mom was the clinic’s bookkeeper, and she and Amy lived in the guesthouse on Charlie’s family’s ranch.

Amy smiled at the only other person in the room—a tall man sitting in the corner, holding a gray cat.

Hi, she said to the man. Do you happen to have a dog? I’m starting a new business. Dog walking. I need to earn money for my mom’s birthday present.

Just this cat, he said with a tight, sad smile. He rubbed the cat’s head. I think she has a tumor.

I’m so sorry to hear that, Amy said. Dr. Dembinski is the best. You and your cat are in good hands.

She marched over to where Charlie sat behind the counter. The clinic had just opened for the day, and Selena was already in surgery at the back of the building, doing a hip replacement for a German shepherd.

Since it was summer break, Charlie and Amy worked mornings in the clinic, answering the phone and taking questions from anyone who came in with a sick animal. In the afternoons Charlie built doghouses to sell on the clinic’s website. Amy’s doghouses didn’t look quite good enough to sell.

Amy dropped a sheet of paper on the counter and pointed. What do you think?

Instead of answering, Charlie stood and walked to the window that overlooked the small parking lot. Beside it was a driveway that led past the vet clinic to the ranch where he lived with his mom and dad and his baby sister. Behind the house were three red barns, and behind that was a long view to faraway hills. Charlie loved living here.

From his spot at the window, he could see the sign at the road.

DEMBINSKI VETERINARY CLINIC

DR. SELENA DEMBINSKI, DVM

(Open weekends)

DVM stood for Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. Charlie was proud of his mom for that. It took a lot of work and dedication to become a veterinarian.

The top half of the sign always stayed the same. It was one of Charlie’s jobs to change the letters on the bottom half once per week. With a new animal pun. His mom liked puns. Charlie, not so much.

What he saw now was this: What do you call 100 rabbits walking backward? A receding hare line!

For a few more moments, Charlie pretended he was looking for something outside.

Was it a car or a cat I saw? he finally