Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of animal cruelty and death.

New York Times best-selling children’s authors Katherine Applegate and Gennifer Choldenko teamed up to pen Dogtown in an effort to bring attention to animal welfare in the United States. Like the members of the different teams in Dogtown, each author brings a unique voice, style, and passion to the project to create a novel that teaches readers about the importance of all beings, regardless of their background.

Newbery Medalist Applegate got her start ghostwriting the Sweet Valley books and later began penning middle grade tales of fantasy. She is also known for novels that center the experiences of animals in a world controlled by humans. Among these is the One and Only series, comprised of The One and Only Ivan, The One and Only Bob, The One and Only Ruby, and The One and Only Family. This series follows Ivan (a gorilla), Bob (a dog), and Ruby (an elephant) as each deals with surviving trauma and making peace with the role that humans play both in harming and helping animals.