Series: Just Like Home, Book 1
Published: 2026
Author: Erin Soderberg Downing
Genre: Elementary Chapter Book / Realistic Fiction
Audience: Grades 3–7
Number of Stars: ★★★★★ (5/5)
Goodreads Link: Just Like Home: Love Rolls In
Themes: Empathy, Resilience, Animal Rescue, Disability, Anxiety.
Publisher’s Summary
The Babysitters Club meets Puppy Place in this heartwarming and fun middle grade series about a unique animal sanctuary, the full-time family (of both human and animal variety) who live there, and the rotating stable of animal guests who will come to the farm with an injury or challenge but will leave knowing what it really feels like to be loved and cared for.
Siblings Ruby and Henry have an unusual kind of home life compared to their friends. At their house on the outskirts of town, their family operates an animal sanctuary with a unique collection of full-time pet residents living on the two pigs, three chickens, a dog, two cats, and a goat who thinks he’s a human. Not to mention, Ruby and Henry’s mom is also a vet at the animal clinic in town.
Let’s just say, when it comes to animals, it’s hard for Ruby and Henry’s family to say no. But a couple months ago, their parents decided that the farm is full. No additional resident farm animals. No more fosters. Of course, rules are meant to be broken…
When a scared puppy arrives at their mom’s clinic, they soon discover that he’s lost mobility in his front legs because of an injury. What worse, is that newy named Arlo clearly knows he’s been abandoned. The puppy has hardly eaten since their mom brought him home, retreating to a dark corner of the barn where even Herbert the goat, try as he might, can’t seem to cheer him up. But with Ruby’s builder brain, Henry’s heart, and a little bit of kindness from their ragtag group of animals on the sanctuary, they might just be able to teach Arlo how to trust again.
Review
Erin Soderberg Downing’s Love Rolls In is a heartwarming novel that tackles the joys and chaos of family, animal rescue, and disability. The story centers on fifth-grade twins Ruby and Henry as they help Arlo, a paralyzed puppy, adjust to life.
The author beautifully handles themes of empathy and resilience. Because the twins are fifth graders, students in that age group will find them highly relatable. Ruby struggles with focusing in school and feeling like she doesn’t fit in, while Henry deals with significant anxiety. His anxiety focuses on the upcoming school year and the painful reality that, as a foster family, they will one day have to say goodbye to Arlo.
I highly recommend this for anyone who loves animals and stories about overcoming obstacles. While there are no interior illustrations, the adorable cover featuring a dog in a wheelchair is enough to tug at anyone’s heartstrings. Readers who fall in love with Arlo will be thrilled to know this is the start of a four-book series!
🛠️ Assistive Technology: How Animal Wheelchairs Work
Arlo’s journey involves learning to use a “mobility cart” or wheelchair. These devices are life-changing for animals with spinal injuries or hip dysplasia.
- The Frame: Usually made of lightweight aluminum to allow the dog to move without being weighed down.
- The Saddle: A harness system that supports the dog’s pelvic area so their back legs don’t drag on the ground.
- Front-Wheel vs. Rear-Wheel: Arlo uses a rear-wheel cart, which is for dogs who still have full use of their front legs but need help with their back half.
- Adaptability: Just like humans, animals like Arlo undergo “physical therapy” to build muscle in their front legs to compensate for the change in their center of gravity.
🎒 Classroom & Curricular Connections
- STEM Design Challenge (Engineering):
- Activity Idea: Provide students with everyday materials (string, straws, rubber bands, cardboard, pipe cleaners, Legos, tape). Challenge them to design and build a functional “toy wheelchair” for a stuffed animal. Students must test if the wheels turn and if the “pet” stays securely in the harness.
- Science (Biology & Adaptation):
- Activity Idea: Research how real animals adapt after an injury or losing a limb. Look up “Tripawds” or animals with prosthetic limbs. How does the animal’s brain relearn how to balance?
- ELA (Character Comparison):
- Activity Idea: Ruby and Henry each bring a different strength to Arlo’s care (Ruby’s “builder brain” vs. Henry’s “emotional heart”). Have students write a paragraph about which twin they relate to more and why.
- SEL (Managing Anxiety & Transitions):
- Activity Idea: Henry worries about saying goodbye to fosters. Discuss the concept of “fostering”—whether for animals or people. How do we handle the “sadness of goodbye” when we know we’ve done something good for someone we care about?
