Mountain Dog

After his mother is sent to jail, Tony goes to live with a great uncle in Sierra Nevada. Against a remote backdrop, the scars from Tony's troubled past begin to heal. And through a search-and-rescue dog named Gabe, Tony discovers unconditional love for the first time. A "Kirkus Reviews" Best Book of 2013. Illustrations.

When Tony's mother is sent to jail, he is sent to stay with a great uncle he has never met in Sierra Nevada. It is a daunting move--Tony's new world bears no semblance to his previous one. But slowly, against a remote and remarkable backdrop, the scars from Tony's troubled past begin to heal.
With his Tio and a search-and-rescue dog named Gabe by his side, he learns how to track wild animals, is welcomed to the Cowboy Church, and makes new friends at the Mountain School. Most importantly though, it is through Gabe that Tony discovers unconditional love for the first time, in Mountain Dog by Margarita Engle.
A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2013