First sentence: Something was happening to my puppy family.

Premise/plot: Zeus is chosen as a puppy to be trained for water rescue. He bonds with the son (Kimo) of the man who chose him to train. When his initial training fails to thrive--he doesn't seem to understand basic commands--Kimo takes over his training "secretly." He doesn't want Zeus to be sold. But he does want Zeus to succeed as a water rescue dog (and/or search and rescue).

The book is set, I believe, in Hawaii. Zeus will have an opportunity to prove himself by the end of the novel.

My thoughts: I had a hard time connecting with this one. I'm not sure if this is because a) my expectations were so high b) my attention span was malfunctioning when I sat down to read it c) I wasn't expecting it to be for a slightly older audience.

I like it well enough to do a general recommendation. It is not 'cutesy' like some of his earlier dog books--like the Lily series. It is more serious-minded than cutesy. ( )