This title is suitable for children of ages 9+. It's not easy having your own father for a teacher, but that's only one of twelve-year-old Nikki's problems. Her beloved dog has died, leaving a gaping hole in her life, which is thrown into further turmoil by the arrival of her long-lost eccentric grandmother from Australia. Life is pretty tense around the house, and Nikki relaxes by taking long rides and visiting a secluded pond inhabited by a rare species of turtle. Things do begin to get brighter when she receives a runt sheepdog as a birthday present, whom she names Lucky. The dog flourishes under her care, and she trains him to compete in agility trials. She eventually becomes friendly with her grandmother as they work together to prepare Lucky for the trials, and she begins to tell Nikki tales of her environmental activism. When Nikki finds out that developers are planning to fill in the pond to build a housing estate, wiping out the turtles' habitat. Nikki remembers her grandmother's stories and decides to take a dangerous stand on the animals' behalf. But will she have the support of her family? "Hubcaps and Puppies" is not only a story about the protection of the environment but also about a young girl learning to appreciate the lessons that her family can teach her.