The Rough Patch (Brian Lies)

 

This wasn't what I expected, but it struck a chord. It's hard to lose your best friend. Things do get better...even if there is a hole in your heart. Books about losing dogs always make me cry. Have to be careful if I read this one aloud in class.

Good reads says:

Evan and his dog do everything together, from eating ice cream to caring for their award-winning garden, which grows big and beautiful. One day the unthinkable happens: Evan’s dog dies. Heartbroken, Evan destroys the garden and everything in it. The ground becomes overgrown with prickles and thorns, and Evan embraces the chaos.

But beauty grows in the darkest of places, and when a twisting vine turns into an immense pumpkin, Evan is drawn out of his misery and back to the county fair, where friendships—old and new—await.