In Ivar's Mackinac Weekend by Meg Welch Dendler, Ivar the dog tells the story. He's a psychiatric service dog who helps his owner, Mama Mindy, with bad anxiety and panic attacks. When he finds out they're going to Michigan to see family, he's curious but also a little nervous about everything. The trip includes his first plane ride, meeting relatives and other animals, exploring by the lake, and getting used to busy public places. A stressful encounter in a candy store causes Mindy to have a panic attack, reminding Ivar how important his role truly is. Soon after, the family travels by ferry to Mackinac Island, where there are no cars and transportation is by horse carriage or bicycle. As Ivar supports Mindy through each challenge, he also discovers the excitement of adventure and his new surroundings. Will he handle everything the journey throws at him?

Ivar's Mackinac Weekend by Meg Welch Dendler captures the excitement and charm of a family adventure through Ivar's eyes. From the ferry ride across the lake to the horse-drawn carriages on the old streets, you feel like you're on Mackinac Island with the family. There's a mix of challenges, surprises, and discoveries, and seeing it all through Ivar's eyes makes it funny and heartwarming. You see him helping Mindy through tough moments while dealing with his own nerves. The story blends humor and some loving moments with relatives. The island itself is playful with its sights, sounds, and local customs. Overall, it's an uplifting story about teamwork, learning a lot about service dogs, and going to new, interesting places—especially with a loyal buddy like Ivar.

Ivar is a very special dog. A cross between a Golden Retriever and an Australian Shepherd, Ivar is a fun, playful, and energetic dog. But in Meg Welch Dendler’s Ivar’s Mackinac Weekend, readers learn of another side of Ivar’s life. He’s also a service dog. His role is to keep his Mama Mindy calm when her anxiety spikes. When Mama Mindy and Ivar take the plane to visit her family in Michigan, there are lots of adventures, strange people, different sights, unexpected smells and sounds, rushing crowds, and unexpected events to challenge even Ivar. But he knows what to do, and he senses Mama Mindy’s distress in many ways, particularly through her heart rate.

Meg Welch Dendler’s Ivar’s Mackinac Weekend is Ivar’s memoir of an exciting event in his life as a service dog. Told in the first-person from Ivar’s point of view, this story will warm the hearts of dog lovers as Ivar speaks personally about his challenges, tasks, and experiences. The language is relatively simple, as this story is intended for young readers who are just beginning their reading adventures in chapter books. There are lots of photographs of Ivar and his family, which add an interesting dimension to the story. The author weaves in some history of Mackinac Island, told from Ivar’s perspective as he visits many of the historic sites for the first time. This is the third companion book in the author’s Cats in the Mirror series. It’s another heartfelt story of empowerment that teaches young readers about service dogs and mental health while instilling the importance of partnerships and working together.