The Dog-Gone Mystery (Boxcar Children Series #119)

by Gertrude Chandler Warner, Robert Papp (Illustrator)

Overview

When a new dog obedience business opens in Greenfield, the Aldens decide to enroll Watch for a refresher course. At the first class a Dalmatian goes missing, and everyone wonders if the dog ran away or was stolen. But when a malamute disappears at the second class, Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny know they have a mystery on their hands. Could the thief be the class's instructor, the Dalmatian's owner, the dog groomer, or the owner with the very obedient dog?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780807516584
Publisher:	Whitman, Albert & Company
Publication date:	05/01/2009
Series:	Boxcar Children Series
Pages:	128
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 8.10(h) x 0.60(d)
Lexile:	520L (what's this?)
Age Range:	7 - 10 Years

About the Author

Gertrude Chandler Warner was born in 1890 in Putnam, Connecticut, where she taught school and wrote The Boxcar Children because she had often imagined how delightful it would be to live in a caboose or freight car. Encouraged by the book's success, she went on to write eighteen more stories about the Alden children.

Editorial Reviews

The four Alden children are back in this 119th book in "The Boxcar Children Mysteries" series. When their dog, Watch, ignores their commands to stop barking and come, Jessie, Violet, Benny, and Henry decide it is time to enroll him in a new dog obedience school that just opened in their town of Greenfield. Immediately after the first class, a Dalmatian in the class mysteriously disappears, and the children offer to help the owner, Mr. Brooks, find him. When, however, a second dog, a purebred Malamute, goes missing after the second class, the children discover that a dog-napper may be the culprit. A stealthy visit to the "Clip and Yip" grooming parlor and an overheard conversation do not provide all the clues, though. There is a valuable lesson to be learned about jumping to conclusions. As in previous books in this series, the author deftly re-introduces the children, their grandfather, and the reason that they are his wards in the first chapter, and so it is not necessary for the reader to have been acquainted with previous books in this series to enjoy this easy-to-read, chapter book. Reviewer: Jacquie Skurla

Children's Literature - Jacquie Skurla

Gr 2–5—The four Alden children have a knack for finding mysteries wherever they go, and their dog's obedience class is no exception. When two dogs disappear from the class, suspicions abound. First, a man in the class is caught not telling the truth. Oddly, the teacher won't help look for the missing animals. Finally, there's the groomer, who happens to be present at each theft. The kids ask questions, take notes, and break down the list of suspects in a practiced, familiar style. Readers of the series should enjoy this addition.—Kelly Roth, Bartow County Public Library, Cartersville, GA

School Library Journal