The Endling by Katherine Applegate

Byx is dairne, a species of intelligent dog-like animals that are near extinction. When Byx's family is discovered and killed, Byx goes on a quest to discover if there are any more of his kind or if he is, indeed, the endling, the last of his species.  On the way he meets a strange array of creatures who come to form a kind of family, and who are willing to risk their lives to help Byx reach his goal.

This is another book that is getting a lot of critical acclaim this year. Applegate won the Newbery with The One and Only Ivan, and will certainly be a contender for the Newbery with this one.  Byx's quest feels like an epic action adventure, with fully developed (if a little stereotypical) characters. The political message (that Human greed is harmful to other species) is not subtle but that did not get in the way of my enjoyment of the book. This is the first of a series, and if Applegate does as well with the sequels as she has with this first one it could become a classic. (2018, 383 p.)