• Age: 8 to 12
• Grade: 3 to 7

For Coop, adjusting to a new home after being adopted by Zach, Emma and their mother, Jess, is not easy. It's hard enough being a lowly dachshund, but it's even harder when your home is a financially unstable guesthouse with smelly strangers drifting in and out. Worse still, the unhappy teenager in charge of Coop is steaming mad much of the time. On top of that, Lucinda, the annoying cat, likes to tease and torment. It's no wonder Coop wishes he could have his old life back.
Enter a murder of crows, a stranger with a mysterious past, two bullies bent on making Zach's life miserable, and a vicious dog with a grudge against Coop. As the risks and challenges mount, Coop's wish only grows stronger. Will he ever find the forever home he so desperately wants?
A follow-up to Coop The Great !
- MYRCA Sundog Nominee
- Best Books for Kids and Teens
- Highly Recommended, CM Magazine

Writer and educator Larry Verstraete is the award-winning author of 13 books of non-fiction, many of which focus on scientific or historical themes. An active promoter of literacy, Larry is a frequent visitor to schools and libraries where he shares his enthusiasm for science, history, and writing with students, teachers and parents.

Larry Verstraete lives and writes in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Larry Verstraete's profile page

A 2024 Best Books for Kids and Teens selection

"Coop for Keeps is a wonderful story about family, love and growing together through life's challenges. Award-winning author Larry Verstraete does a fantastic job of weaving the themes of loss and grief, bullying, and knowledge of crows into a moving yet oftentimes funny story."- CM Magazine, Highly Recommended

"For those of us who fell in love with Coop the Great, this follow up novel is everything we had hoped for… and more! For readers new to Coop — you're in for a treat! Coop may be a senior dachshund, with short legs and a squat body, but his heart is bigger than a St. Bernard's. As Coop struggles to adjust to his life with a new family, he discovers he's not too old to find joy and belongingness once more. Coop for Keeps is a spellbinding story of finding family, surviving loss, and standing up to bullies. A highly recommended, five star read." - Jodi Carmichael, author of The U-nique Lou Fox and Family of Spies

"With elegance and grace, Larry Verstraete teaches young readers that no problem is insurmountable – especially when they have a spunky dachshund to show them what’s important. Addressing real-world issues, Coop’s solution and example stand the test of time." - Harriet Zaidman, author of Second Chances and City on Strike

"With a plot full of adventure, conflict and intriguing characters Larry Verstraete has penned another appealing novel in Coop For Keeps. Young readers will identify with the problems and insecurities fourteen-year-old Zach faces and animal lovers will delight in the way a loyal dog, a temperamental cat, and a flock of fascinating crows figure into the captivating story." - MaryLou Driedger, author of Sixties Girl and Lost on the Prairie

"Loved the book! Larry Verstraete captures the voice of the underdog in this heart-warming sequel to Coop the Great. A book sure to appeal to dog-lovers and kids of all ages." - Gabriele Goldstone, author of Crow Stone and Tainted Amber