"Charlie Campbell is twelve and his life is in tatters: his parents are splitting, he's quit soccer, he hasn't had a growth spurt yet and he wants a dog more than anything. He hatches a plan to volunteer at the vet's and prove to his mom that he can be responsible. That's how he meets Buster, the elderly chocolate Labrador retriever with magical powers who flies Charlie through a series of adventures in which he rescues others, and eventually, himself."--