Fifth grader Amy Prochenko is wildly unpopular. Then one day Amy meets Sherlock, a dog on the run from a university lab. Sherlock is not like other dogs: He can talk, hes smarter than most of Amys classmates--and he needs Amys help. Suddenly Amys life is full of danger and excitement, and she finds she is becoming, of all things, popular. Best of all, she discovers in Sherlock the sort of friend shes always longed for--and one she must protect no matter what the cost.