About the Book
AWARD WINNING
Hound Dogs Series
SIX BOOKFEST HONORS
Five friends.One basement band.A changing America.
Set in 1958, Rebecca Hendricks’s Hound Dogs novels blend music, friendship, first love, and the growing pains of a world on the brink of change.
THE BOOKS
The Hound Dogs Series
Three novels. One unforgettable band. Select a cover to explore the story.
THE BOOKFEST
Six Honors
Hound Dogged
Fall 2023
Gold
YA Historical Fiction
Silver
YA Men and Boys’ Stories
Hard Dog’s Night
Fall 2024
Gold
YA Historical Fiction
Silver
YA Men and Boys’ Stories
Doggie B. Goode
Fall 2026
First Place
Literary — Coming of Age
First Place
Literary — Historical
INTERNATIONAL IMPACT BOOK AWARDS
Hound Dogged
2025 Winner · Young Adult Fiction — Coming-of-Age Stories
January 2025
THE HOUND DOGS
Meet the Characters
James — “The Professor”
James
The stabilizing force of the group: thoughtful, reliable, intelligent, and quietly brave. The only one who can read music, he often ends up teaching the others whether they realize it or not. He studies hard, dresses neatly, and is training to be an accountant.
While the others wear torn jackets and untucked shirts, James looks composed — yet he becomes one of the band’s most important emotional anchors. John respects him because James will stand up to him and have the hard conversations no one else will.
J
John
John
Coming Soon
D
Danny
Danny
Coming Soon
Jerry — the backbone
Jerry
The emotional backbone of the Hound Dogs — grounded, dependable, deeply trusted, and John’s best friend. Life at home is hard, and his self-esteem is low early on, but it grows over the series. Jerry is, simply, a good guy.
He dresses like someone who lives life rather than curates it. He’s one of the few willing to be completely honest with John, even when it’s uncomfortable — and John supports him fiercely in return.
Stu — the heart on his sleeve
Stu
The most emotionally vulnerable member of the group — funny, messy, insecure, and trying a little too hard. Brought into the band through Patrick, he has always felt like an outsider looking in, and wants desperately to matter, especially to John.
His jokes come fast; humor is part defense, part survival. Stu isn’t malicious — he’s hurt, lonely, and trying to belong. James is the friend who steadies him when he spirals.
P
Patrick
Patrick
Coming Soon
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A READER FAVORITE
Ask Edna
Pull up a chair and a cup of coffee. Edna answers your letters with the plain-spoken wit of a 1950s advice column — a little side of fun that runs alongside the Hound Dogs.
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LATEST & UPCOMING
News & Appearances
Announcements, events, and current updates from Rebecca Hendricks.
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