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Table of Contents
About The Book
In this heartwarming companion to Sparrow Being Sparrow and Sparrow Spreads Her Wings, Sparrow wants to help the guide-dog-in-training next door pass his test but soon finds she may be the one in need of help when she has difficulty staying on task in school.
Yellow daffodils and dandelions are blooming, and a new neighbor is moving into the unit next door to Sparrow’s, along with a service-dog-in-training named Toby. Sparrow soon falls in love with Toby and gets involved with helping him pass his service dog test. In fact, she gets so obsessed with learning about service dogs that she can’t focus on what she’s supposed to be doing in school, and soon Toby’s not the only one who needs to worry about getting tested.
Now Sparrow has to meet with the school social worker alongside some kids in “friendship group,” even though she doesn’t need any new friends. Sparrow is used to being the one to help others, but she’s having more and more trouble staying on task in class; and if she messes up too many times in school, she won’t be able to walk Toby anymore. Can she be the Sparrow she’s always been if she’s not the helper but the one being helped?
Yellow daffodils and dandelions are blooming, and a new neighbor is moving into the unit next door to Sparrow’s, along with a service-dog-in-training named Toby. Sparrow soon falls in love with Toby and gets involved with helping him pass his service dog test. In fact, she gets so obsessed with learning about service dogs that she can’t focus on what she’s supposed to be doing in school, and soon Toby’s not the only one who needs to worry about getting tested.
Now Sparrow has to meet with the school social worker alongside some kids in “friendship group,” even though she doesn’t need any new friends. Sparrow is used to being the one to help others, but she’s having more and more trouble staying on task in class; and if she messes up too many times in school, she won’t be able to walk Toby anymore. Can she be the Sparrow she’s always been if she’s not the helper but the one being helped?
About The Author
Photograph by Elizabeth Campbell
Gail Donovan was fired from her first job in an ice cream shop for making the sundaes too big. She now works in a library and writes middle grade novels, including Sparrow Being Sparrow, a Junior Library Guild Selection; Finchosaurus, a Moonbeam Children’s Book Award winner; and In Memory of Gorfman T. Frog, named to the New York Public Library’s 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing list. She has also written for the Rainbow Fish & Friends picture book series based on the bestselling work of Marcus Pfister. Donovan lives on the coast of Maine, where she jumps in the ocean all year round. She has shared her home with a dozen birds, a few dogs, a rat, and a cat named Cookie. Visit her at GailDonovan.com.
About The Illustrator
Elysia Case is an illustrator from the Finger Lakes region of New York. When she’s not making things, she can be found spoiling her pets with too many treats and annoying them with too many kisses. Follow her on Instagram @Elyvescent.
Why We Love It
“Sparrow is such a charming, relatable character, and this book—as the first two in the Sparrow Being Sparrow series do—perfectly captures the thoughts and feelings of a child at her age. The lovely descriptions of small-town Maine are as cozy as ever, and reading this just feels like a warm, gentle hug—with cats and now an adorable guide-dog-in-training named Toby!”
—Kristie C., Associate Editor, on Sparrow, Always
Product Details
- Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers (November 4, 2025)
- Length: 192 pages
- ISBN13: 9781665963312
- Ages: 7 - 10
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High Resolution Images
- Book Cover Image (jpg): Sparrow, Always eBook 9781665963312
- Author Photo (jpg): Gail Donovan Photograph by Elizabeth Campbell(0.1 MB)
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