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Finding Caleb
Caleb's finest hour is his deepest secret. Not even his parents knew what really happened after three nights in the wilderness. Now another school, another class, and another group of kids who were not his friends.
Finding Caleb is the story of the new kid with a secret. The brutal summer storm, in the dark, in the Wyoming wilderness, hungry and alone, Caleb hears an animal approaching his survival shelter. Does anyone know or care that he has been missing for three days? In a flash of lightning, his fears come alive in the dark form of a creature. He feels the warm breath on his hand, his face. Then the animal turns and vaults into the dark. When it returns, Caleb is no longer afraid.
Now, in a new school, he is lost again... friendless. When he boldly tells his story of survival to a group of elite students who have never been out of walking distance of a McDonalds, friendships form and even romance blooms.
Author, and rescue-dog handler, Scott Hammond's Finding Caleb , Book 1 in the Search and Rescue Dog Series is a story of hope about a loyal dog whose mission is to bring people home. It is a must-read for any wandering teen wondering how to connect with the real world.
Finding Caleb is the story of the new kid with a secret. The brutal summer storm, in the dark, in the Wyoming wilderness, hungry and alone, Caleb hears an animal approaching his survival shelter. Does anyone know or care that he has been missing for three days? In a flash of lightning, his fears come alive in the dark form of a creature. He feels the warm breath on his hand, his face. Then the animal turns and vaults into the dark. When it returns, Caleb is no longer afraid.
Now, in a new school, he is lost again... friendless. When he boldly tells his story of survival to a group of elite students who have never been out of walking distance of a McDonalds, friendships form and even romance blooms.
Author, and rescue-dog handler, Scott Hammond's Finding Caleb , Book 1 in the Search and Rescue Dog Series is a story of hope about a loyal dog whose mission is to bring people home. It is a must-read for any wandering teen wondering how to connect with the real world.
- GenresFictionYoung Adult
155 pages, Paperback
Published May 10, 2023
135 people are currently reading
1839 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
May 8, 2023
This is an oh-so-sweet story of Caleb who's the new kid in school. And if that's ever been you, it's a tough experience to crack solid friendships and feel like you "belong" as the newcomer. For young Caleb it's even more emotional as he remembers how a potentially-horrific experience turned amazing when he met Boo, the rescue dog who saved him. And this is the beginning of a series that is sure to warm your heart as you fall in love with both boy and dog! So heartwarming and lovely!
Thanks to Goodreads and Hammond for this beautiful copy! Can't wait for the rest!
Thanks to Goodreads and Hammond for this beautiful copy! Can't wait for the rest!
May 22, 2023
Thanks to NetGalley and Black Rose Writing for an early copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.
As a true dog lover I knew I needed to read this book the instant I saw the cover. I also guessed (correctly) I was going to cry.
This story reads a bit more like a combination of fiction and memoir. Caleb, a new student at a high school picks up a newspaper for a school presentation and reads about the death of a beloved search and rescue dog. Not just any dog, but the one that saved him. His story is sweet and Boo the golden retriever made me hug my own golden as I read this book.
As a true dog lover I knew I needed to read this book the instant I saw the cover. I also guessed (correctly) I was going to cry.
This story reads a bit more like a combination of fiction and memoir. Caleb, a new student at a high school picks up a newspaper for a school presentation and reads about the death of a beloved search and rescue dog. Not just any dog, but the one that saved him. His story is sweet and Boo the golden retriever made me hug my own golden as I read this book.
April 8, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
I was immediately interested in this book after seeing the cover. After reading the description, I knew I wanted to read this. I love books about search and rescue dogs and their handlers. Even though this is fiction, it is a very realistic story. I'm looking forward to the next book in this series.
I was immediately interested in this book after seeing the cover. After reading the description, I knew I wanted to read this. I love books about search and rescue dogs and their handlers. Even though this is fiction, it is a very realistic story. I'm looking forward to the next book in this series.
April 22, 2023
Caleb has never really fit in with other kids. He’s the new kid at a large high school when he’s told to present “How this current event affects my life”. He spots an article in the Denver Post about the death of Boo, a beloved search dog from Wyoming. Horrified, he bursts into tears while standing in front of his new class. Horror turns to surprised relief when he sees nothing but kindness and support from his classmates, even the cool guy and the coolest girl offer empathy. Caleb’s class wants to hear the entire story, so his 10 minute current events presentation turns into three entire class periods of Caleb telling the story of how Boo saved his life, twice. He also tells of how Boo changed his life forever by bringing Boo’s owners Nate and Marie into his life.
The story is 100% believable. Caleb’s misadventure in the Wyoming wilderness (a when he decides at age 9 to walk from Wyoming to Iowa) is interesting and believable. The thoughts in his head, the ways he survives those long days and nights, his realization that he was silly to think he could walk to Iowa with nothing but a bottle of water, a bag of Oreos and a plastic tablecloth for shelter, his hunger, thirst and exhaustion…these are all so genuine.
While this is written for younger readers I enjoyed this myself. I live in Wyoming, worked law enforcement in Wyoming for 22 years and my best friends have been my golden retrievers. I can vouch for the realism in the story. I recommend this to any reader who loves a survival/adventure tale, especially the dog loving reader. Thank you #netgalley for the opportunity to read and review #FindingCaleb
The story is 100% believable. Caleb’s misadventure in the Wyoming wilderness (a when he decides at age 9 to walk from Wyoming to Iowa) is interesting and believable. The thoughts in his head, the ways he survives those long days and nights, his realization that he was silly to think he could walk to Iowa with nothing but a bottle of water, a bag of Oreos and a plastic tablecloth for shelter, his hunger, thirst and exhaustion…these are all so genuine.
While this is written for younger readers I enjoyed this myself. I live in Wyoming, worked law enforcement in Wyoming for 22 years and my best friends have been my golden retrievers. I can vouch for the realism in the story. I recommend this to any reader who loves a survival/adventure tale, especially the dog loving reader. Thank you #netgalley for the opportunity to read and review #FindingCaleb
January 7, 2024
Caleb has never truly fitted in and when he gets lost its up to the search and rescue dog to find him. I enjoy reading about search and rescue and the fact that it's about dogs sold it for me.
May 12, 2023
Caleb is a teenage boy who wishes he had the power of invisibility when it is his turn to give a presentation in his modern events class he he is already saddled with the unwanted nickname of cowboy in at a time when any small slight can be a major event and embarrassment he stands up to read a newspaper article about a rescue dog named boo. Unfortunately he cannot get the first senates out before starting to cry but what he thought was going to turn out to be the most embarrassing moment of his life turns out to be one of the most profound and as he tells his story of how he met the admitting to his whole class about his family issues his trek back to Iowa and meeting an awesome Labrador name boo ultimately changes everything. I really really enjoyed this book I did not read full summaries because they tell too much of the story so going into this I thought it was a teen horror story didn’t know it turned out to be so much more and everything I love about books. There is nothing sappy about the story of a teenage boy Caleb who cries in front of his ninth grade class it is smartly written has intelligent dialogue in his neck and talents at nine to stay alive was just amazing I love this story and found it so plausible and so worth reading a total five star read and one I highly recommend. Just another reason why I love the authors in the books created by black rose writing. Scott Hammond has written a wonderful heartwarming book you don’t always see in the team yeah genre and I am so glad I decided to read it. I received this book from NetGalley and black rose writing but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.
April 13, 2023
Finding Caleb is a charming book about a boy and his dog. Well, actually about a boy and a rescue dog named Boo who saved his life not once, but three times. Caleb, a sixteen-year-old high school student struggles to fit in as the new kid at school. But on the day that he is called upon to give a short presentation in a class, his eyes fall upon a newspaper article that causes him to have an emotional breakdown in front of his classmates. Instead of being ridiculed for crying, his classmates are full of compassion. As he recounts what had happened to him as a child, he not only discovers who he is, but also how to fit in with this new group of people.
This wonderful, heartwarming story by Scott Hammond drew me in immediately, and I could barely put it down. It offers hope and inspiration for anyone who struggles to belong, and I think it should be in the library of every secondary school. I’m looking forward to reading more books by this author.
This wonderful, heartwarming story by Scott Hammond drew me in immediately, and I could barely put it down. It offers hope and inspiration for anyone who struggles to belong, and I think it should be in the library of every secondary school. I’m looking forward to reading more books by this author.
September 29, 2023
Scott Hammond has deftly woven three narratives into one in his debut novel Finding Caleb. First: a troubled teen, stranded between a broken home and a small town reluctant to accept newcomers. Then Hammond illuminates the heroic exploits of our small-town first responders, from the police to search & rescue volunteers. Finally, he tells a story about a dog. Not just any dog, but a superhero dog named Boo who lives for the chance to use his scent superpower to save the lost.
This book resulted in an afternoon of one missed meeting, and two missed chores for me. But it was time well spent. Can't wait for Book 2 in November!
Note: Didn't get in trouble for the chores because I gave my would-be scolder Finding Caleb to read next!
This book resulted in an afternoon of one missed meeting, and two missed chores for me. But it was time well spent. Can't wait for Book 2 in November!
Note: Didn't get in trouble for the chores because I gave my would-be scolder Finding Caleb to read next!
May 17, 2023
"Superheroes do for us what we cannot do for ourselves .... Real superheroes weigh under one hundred pounds, have a wet nose, big hearts, four paws, and often a busy tail" (Finding Caleb, Scott Hammond, 2023, page ). I love to hear about Scott's unique experiences finding lost people and how he has blessed others in service. Boo plays an unimaginable role in Search and Rescue and supports Find the one lost !! A unique and touching story of how humans and dogs can be one in service, love and compassion. I enjoyed reading amazing stories of BOO, a must-read for dog lovers and their companionship and service.
January 18, 2024
I read this novel on my wife's Kindle Unlimited family account. I recommend this novel. While I think it is categorized as YA, it is a good adult read. I'll admit a bias: I love dog books.
This one takes readers into the world of search and rescue dogs by a writer who is an expert in the subject. The technical details of the novel ring true, though my work in search and rescue is very limited (as a firefighter and MD/EMT).
The only thing keeping it from 5 stars for me is that it needs and editorial run-through; there are some "typos" that were a bit distracting to me as a fellow writer. Other than those: well done!
This one takes readers into the world of search and rescue dogs by a writer who is an expert in the subject. The technical details of the novel ring true, though my work in search and rescue is very limited (as a firefighter and MD/EMT).
The only thing keeping it from 5 stars for me is that it needs and editorial run-through; there are some "typos" that were a bit distracting to me as a fellow writer. Other than those: well done!
May 23, 2023
What a Beautiful and Lovely Story!
What a beautiful and loving story about an amazing rescue dog named Boo and one of his rescued victims. Caleb was blessed by angels who kept him safe in the wilderness of Wyoming. The story had me hooked from the very first words that came out of Caleb's mouth during his current event class. His words, "Boo saved my life twice" had me anxious to read his story and what a story he told. I loved all the characters especially, Boo, Caleb, his classmates, Nate, and Marie. I did not put it down until I was finished!
Truly beautiful!!
What a beautiful and loving story about an amazing rescue dog named Boo and one of his rescued victims. Caleb was blessed by angels who kept him safe in the wilderness of Wyoming. The story had me hooked from the very first words that came out of Caleb's mouth during his current event class. His words, "Boo saved my life twice" had me anxious to read his story and what a story he told. I loved all the characters especially, Boo, Caleb, his classmates, Nate, and Marie. I did not put it down until I was finished!
Truly beautiful!!
June 29, 2023
loved, loved, loved this book
The only part that didn’t make sense to me was, as close as Caleb was to Nate and Marie, why wouldn’t they have told him about Boo dying and when they adopted their first child and when Marie was pregnant and gave birth. I thought Caleb was a part of their family and that they loved him and he loved them, how did they not stay in touch?? That part was so disappointing in an otherwise wonderful, emotional story.
The only part that didn’t make sense to me was, as close as Caleb was to Nate and Marie, why wouldn’t they have told him about Boo dying and when they adopted their first child and when Marie was pregnant and gave birth. I thought Caleb was a part of their family and that they loved him and he loved them, how did they not stay in touch?? That part was so disappointing in an otherwise wonderful, emotional story.
January 22, 2024
loved it!
As a retired high school teacher and a dog handler (my yellow lab and I visit schools and libraries) I really related to Caleb’s classroom experiences as a high school student, about which the author wrote with both insight and humor. And of course I loved Boo, the dog, and the search for Caleb kept me on the edge of my seat. I read the whole book on one rainy day and both laughed and cried.
As a retired high school teacher and a dog handler (my yellow lab and I visit schools and libraries) I really related to Caleb’s classroom experiences as a high school student, about which the author wrote with both insight and humor. And of course I loved Boo, the dog, and the search for Caleb kept me on the edge of my seat. I read the whole book on one rainy day and both laughed and cried.
January 28, 2024
Beautiful, dedicated, intelligent, and loving - just a few adjectives to describe a search and rescue animal. Boo shows all these qualities. Weave in a story of a nine-year-old boy struggling with his life choices, who finds himself in need of a rescue. Boo rises to the rescue in more than one way. The human part of the partnership always has to remember to trust the dog. Glad I found the series, am looking forward to more and highly recommend it.
March 8, 2025
I have been a sucker for dog stories since I first read Old Yeller when I was a kid. And including that book and everyone since, I have cried and had some sort of emotional reaction. No exception to Finding Caleb.
I found this book well written with a lot of detail. I liked that it was written from a kid's point of view. It was a quick read and quite predictable, but for an afternoon read, just what I needed.
I found this book well written with a lot of detail. I liked that it was written from a kid's point of view. It was a quick read and quite predictable, but for an afternoon read, just what I needed.
May 25, 2023
Heartwarming and Heartbreaking
This book is the first in a series but is a complete story in itself. If you love working dogs, you will love this story. This Golden Retriever finds much more than just a lost boy. And the boy, he has been found by a best friend. It is a very good story about the strength and goodness of dogs, and how much people need them.
This book is the first in a series but is a complete story in itself. If you love working dogs, you will love this story. This Golden Retriever finds much more than just a lost boy. And the boy, he has been found by a best friend. It is a very good story about the strength and goodness of dogs, and how much people need them.
June 7, 2023
This was an amazing story! I loved the characters, they were like getting a big hug from your grandmother. Of course, I adored Boo because I love dogs but also because it was a story of how hard rescue dogs and their handlers work hard every day to train and rescue people. I will be looking to read more stories about search and rescue dogs from Scott Hammond.
July 2, 2023
A Book for all Readers
Don't pass this one by because it is marked for young adults or you will miss out on a real treasure. If you've ever been a new kid or loved a dog or even had a great dog as a friend, this book is for you. If you're a teacher or remember a special teacher, this one's for you. I'm buying copies for my grandchildren and fellow dog lovers.
Don't pass this one by because it is marked for young adults or you will miss out on a real treasure. If you've ever been a new kid or loved a dog or even had a great dog as a friend, this book is for you. If you're a teacher or remember a special teacher, this one's for you. I'm buying copies for my grandchildren and fellow dog lovers.
May 22, 2023
Amazed Myself!
I thoroughly enjoyed the book and I am not a dog person. That amazed me. I am looking forward to the 2nd book and have read the first chapter. I recommend the book to everyone!
I thoroughly enjoyed the book and I am not a dog person. That amazed me. I am looking forward to the 2nd book and have read the first chapter. I recommend the book to everyone!
May 24, 2023
A different type story but you won't want to put it down.
A boy and a dog but mostly a boy. He recounts to his class the story of a search and rescue dog and how this dog not only saved his life but changed it for the better.
A boy and a dog but mostly a boy. He recounts to his class the story of a search and rescue dog and how this dog not only saved his life but changed it for the better.
November 6, 2023
excellent story!!
Excellent story about a “ hero” dog. If you love animals and know dogs are smarter than people give them credit for,this series is for you! Only bad thing is I have to wait for book 2 to be published!
Excellent story about a “ hero” dog. If you love animals and know dogs are smarter than people give them credit for,this series is for you! Only bad thing is I have to wait for book 2 to be published!
December 24, 2023
Nice heartwarming story
Nice heartwarming story about a search and rescue dog and a boy that he rescued twice. I loved it and highly recommend this if you like stories about animals.
Nice heartwarming story about a search and rescue dog and a boy that he rescued twice. I loved it and highly recommend this if you like stories about animals.
March 31, 2025
Happy Story
This was a very compelling story I read the whole book in just 1 day and can't wait to start the next book of the series A lot of happiness as well as suspense In this tale of search and rescue
This was a very compelling story I read the whole book in just 1 day and can't wait to start the next book of the series A lot of happiness as well as suspense In this tale of search and rescue
June 9, 2025
Well written fantastic account of a search and rescue K=9 hero
Heartwarming story of a true K=9 hero. A search and rescue dog whose finds were extraordinary and this one everlasting.
A great read for everyone who likes dogs , happy endings, and stories about people.
Heartwarming story of a true K=9 hero. A search and rescue dog whose finds were extraordinary and this one everlasting.
A great read for everyone who likes dogs , happy endings, and stories about people.
August 5, 2025
Love this series
Beautiful touching story of Search and Rescue. Boo the golden retriever is fantastic. Great storyline and characters. Have already purchased next two in this series!
Beautiful touching story of Search and Rescue. Boo the golden retriever is fantastic. Great storyline and characters. Have already purchased next two in this series!
October 9, 2025
I enjoyed this book very much but the punctuation and grammar were absolutely terrible. Quotation marks when no one was “talking” and words in places that didn’t make sense. It was s bit of a distraction.
May 26, 2023
Heartwarming
Such a special book. Rescue Dogs are superhero’s in every sense of the word. I loved this book & highly recommend this series.
Such a special book. Rescue Dogs are superhero’s in every sense of the word. I loved this book & highly recommend this series.
April 24, 2025
I don't read books where a dog is killed. I quit reading this one and have no desire to read any more of these books.
October 8, 2025
Why
It was not as good as I thought it would be. It seemed more like a kids book to read.
It was not as good as I thought it would be. It seemed more like a kids book to read.
July 5, 2025
Great story
Loved the story, but there were so many errors it was distracting. I sometimes wondered if anyone had proofread it.
Loved the story, but there were so many errors it was distracting. I sometimes wondered if anyone had proofread it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews