Percival's Dogs

"Percival's dogs howled all night, howled like pain itself coming in over the hills." So begins twelve-year-old Madeline Ellis's journey to save Percival Parrant's dogs from the horrible abuse--dog fights staged in his barn, leaving his poor pit bulls, Blackie and Red, battered and bloody and trapped in a cage on Percival's farm. Madeline and her best friend, Larue, sneak out at midnight to find out why the dogs cry all night and discover the dog fight in progress. Madeline intervenes, trying to save the dogs, but is chased from the farm with the dogs still in danger. Madeline and her father report the crime to the sheriff of their small Arkansas town, only to find the sheriff is in cahoots with Percival. The Humane Society calls in the State Police. The dogs are rescued and given to Madeline to care for, but she finds that Percival is involved with even worse crimes, and she vows to stop him. Percival's Dogs is a coming-of-age story full of action, chases, and the bravery and determination of a young woman.