Janie thinks she and her friends in the city are all set with their plans for cell phones, tattoos, piercings, and smoking until her dad announces the family is moving to a small town with none of the big-city attractions. Despite her protests, she soon finds herself in a place that doesn't even have a mall, and on one of her first days there, the old lady next door yells at her for trying to pet the old lady's cat, and that makes things even worse. Janie convinces her dad that she's capable of caring for a dog since she has no other companions, but her secret intent is to have a big dog to terrify the old lady's cat. Janie gets the dog and that's only the beginning of the changes that come into her life because of the change of locale. She tells her own story and it's delightful to see how a nine-year-old looks at different situations. A Lot Like Joan of Arc is fun to read-no matter what your age-and you'll find several characters that will work their way into your heart.