Woof by Spencer Quinn

Summary:   11 year old Birdie Gaux lives with her Grandmother in Louisiana.  Her father passed away and her mother works off shore.  She finally convinces her grandmother to let her adopt a dog for her birthday.  Upon returning to her grandmother's bait shop after adopting Bowser, they discover that her prize fish has been stolen.  Birdie and Bowser are determined to solve this mystery with or without help from the authorities.  Will they be able to safely solve this mystery?  Read to find out.

Impression: Readers will love that this book is told through the dog's point of view, and what kid doesn't love a good mystery?  The dog narrating can be confusing at times but I think this book will definitely appeal to kids who love a good dog book! (3rd grade +)

Recommendations: How to Steal a Dog by Barbara O'Connor, Rain Reign by Ann Martin

Reviews:

Grades 3-5. Since Birdie’s dad died and her mom is often gone working on an oil rig, she lives with her grandmother, who operates Gaux Family Fish and Bait. For her birthday, Birdie gets to adopt slobbery, distractible mutt Bowser, but when they bring him home from the pound, they discover her grandmother’s prized stuffed marlin has been stolen from the wall of their store. After Bowser discovers a cigar butt by the boat dock, Birdie starts investigating the theft. Her prime suspect is Old Man Straker, their family’s archrival, but the sheriff brushes off her concerns. Undeterred, she keeps sleuthing and uncovers stories of a treasure map hidden in the marlin. Narrated by the flighty and unreliable Bowser, much of the book’s humor and foreshadowing comes thorough the dog’s flawed retelling of events. Quinn’s sense of place and cast of eccentric characters really shine through from Bowser’s perspective, and though the dog’s relentlessly poor memory wears thin at times, overall, the story is an engaging, promising start to a new middle-grade mystery series.

"Woof." Rev. of Woof by Spencer Quinn. Booklist. 1 June 2015. Web. 28 June 2016.

As in Quinn's Chet and Bernie mystery series for adults, Woof is written from a dog's point of view. Bowser, a big, lovable mutt, adores Birdie, his new owner, and is determined to help her solve the mystery of her grandmother's missing stuffed marlin. A possible hidden treasure, family secrets, and a hilarious dog combine to make this an entertaining Louisiana-bayou-set mystery.

"Woof." Rev. of Woof by Spencer Quinn. Booklist. Fall 2015. Web. 28 June 2015.

In a Louisiana bayou town, a girl and her dog set out to solve a mystery, battling bad guys and big gators along the way.This original whodunit is narrated by an exuberant dog named Bowser, who has just been adopted by 11-year-old Birdie Gaux. Birdie and her grandmother are shocked to discover that a prized stuffed fish, Black Jack, has just been stolen from the family's fish-and-bait store. How could a stuffed fish be worth stealing? Maybe if there's a treasure map hidden inside. Birdie and Bowser begin to investigate in earnest, their sleuthing involving everything from breaking into rival establishment Straker's World Famous Fishing Emporium, gathering clues at the library and the local assisted living facility, and traipsing through the bayou at night in search of the treasure that Birdie's grandfather supposedly hid there so many years ago. Although it's Birdie and Bowser who keep the plot zipping along, the unlikely detectives are surrounded by memorable characters both good and bad. And despite the villains, silliness and humor are paramount here, thanks to Bowser's playful narration. Utterly charmed by a spunky girl and her charismatic canine, mystery fans will find themselves looking forward to a return to the little bayou town of St. Roch. (Mystery. 8-12)

"Woof." Rev. of Woof by Spencer Quinn.  15 February 2015. Web. 28 June 2016.