SOLVED. Kids/ Middle Grade Sci-Fi series with 3 Kids and a Man Trapped in a Dog's Body Traversing Space on the Run. [s]

[Charlotte]

In elementary school probably around 2008 - 2010 (but I'm sure the book was probably older) I read a science fiction book series about a group of kids (I think 3 of them) that all lived on a military base and somehow make it to outer space. I don't remember any character names, but if I recall correctly, one of the main characters was a young black girl whose mother may have been a doctor on base and was the love interest of the young male protagonist.

I recall that they also befriend a talking dog (or one of the kids had a dog but in outer space and with access to certain technology, could communicate with the children) who turns out to be a man trapped in a dog's body and is looking for his missing partner in space and he basically guides and infodumps exposition to the children. Pretty sure the dog was described as a small shaggy mutt or something. These two men are also interstellar fugitives if I recall correctly. Weirdly, I remember in one of the last books I read from this series, the dog-man managed to meet briefly with his lost partner through some sort of portal at Stonehenge or something before they had to part ways again.

I'm fairly sure that the plot later develops into the group pissing off an intergalactic governing system somehow and for a good bit of a story I remember that they were on the run and trying to get back home. No superpowers, yes aliens, yes alien technology, don't remember if there were any spacecrafts, probably a little bit of dimensional ripping.

Each book was relatively thin (about a cm thick? give or take), and I never finished the series so I don't know how many books were in it. The only thing I can really remember about the cover was that it was sort of had the same vibe as Animorphs (but is not Animorphs) with a dark (almost black) background of space? and the further into the series (and space) you got, I think the chapters began with little section descriptions of the planet they were on. The general vibe was definitely of the 90's and early 2000's sci fi media. I feel like this series is so obscure I'm going insane thinking I hallucinated the entire thing but I clearly remember going to the library to find other installations of this series specifically because I loved it so (but not enough to remember the title I guess)

[Becca]

The Astrokids series by Robert Elmer has a talking dog. Not sure if the other details match - the kids seem to be based on a space station throughout the series rather than on the run. The first book is The Great Galaxy Goof.

[Charlotte]

Becca wrote: "The Astrokids series by Robert Elmer has a talking dog. Not sure if the other details match - the kids seem to be based on a space station throughout the series rather than on the run. The first bo..."

Very interesting! Thank you for the help! I don't think that's the book I'm looking for though, I clearly remember the series starting out with the kids being on planet earth in the current-ish day and The Astrokids series seems to have religious affiliation, which is not something I remember it having.

[Charlotte]

I FOUND IT! The series is called Outernet by Steve Barlow and Steve Skidmore! It is indeed about 3 kids on a military base who come across a piece of alien technology that allows them to not only communicate with the talking dog but access the intergalactic internet -- the outernet.

[Becca]

Ah, I'm glad you found it!

[Bargle]

Link for the first book in the series. Friend or Foe? by Steve Barlow and Steve Skidmore.