The Ethan and Rusty Series

The Ethan and Rusty Series is a heartfelt middle-grade and young adult coming-of-age series about growing up, starting over, and the quiet ways love helps us heal.

Centered on Ethan and Rusty, the loyal dog who refuses to give up on him, the series follows their journey through change—new towns, shifting friendships, family challenges, and the complicated emotions that come with finding your place in the world. Each book explores a different step in that journey, showing how resilience is built not through grand gestures, but through everyday moments of courage, connection, and care.

With warmth, honesty, and emotional depth, the series gently explores themes of belonging, mental health, family bonds, loyalty, and personal growth, making space for feelings that are often hard to name, especially for young readers.

Perfect for middle-grade and teen readers who love character-driven stories, dog companionship narratives, and emotionally meaningful fiction, The Ethan and Rusty Series offers hope without pretending life is easy and reminds readers that even when everything changes, the right kind of love stays

The dog who found me (The Ethan and Rusty Series Book 1)

From the series: The Ethan and Rusty Series

Sometimes, the friend who changes your life is the one you never expected to find.

Ethan is struggling.

School feels overwhelming. Fitting in seems impossible. And when you're already trying to understand where you belong, facing bullies and everyday challenges can make even an ordinary day feel like too much.

Then Rusty finds him.

Scrappy, loyal,...

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The Dog Who Stayed: A Heartwarming Coming-of-Age Story for Middle-Grade and Teen Readers (The Ethan and Rusty Series Book 2)

From the series: The Ethan and Rusty Series

The Dog Who Stayed is the second book in The Ethan and Rusty Series — a heartwarming, character-driven journey about a boy, his loyal dog, and the family they learn to become together.

Life is finally looking up for Ethan.

He’s got his best friend, his loyal dog Rusty, and a sense that maybe — just maybe — things are starting to fall into place.

...

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Pawprints Toward Tomorrow (The Ethan and Rusty Series Book 3)

From the series: The Ethan and Rusty Series

The final chapter of The Ethan & Rusty Trilogy begins with a quiet truth: growing up means facing what scares us and choosing to move forward anyway.
Two years later, Ethan is stepping into high school and into a future filled with choices he isn’t sure he’s ready to make. Classes. Careers. Expectations. Everything feels uncertain… except...

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