Spying on Dracula (Sam: Dog Detective) - Softcover

Mary Labatt is an editor and writer. She is the author of the Dog Detective Sam mystery series, the Sam and Friends graphic mystery novels, the Puppy Sam level one early readers and a novel called A Puppy is for Loving. With all these dog books you can guess what Mary does on her Clear Creek, Ontario farm. She breeds and raises Rough Collies and Welsh Springer Spaniels. In the picture you can see Mary with two of her collie mothers, Annabel and Chloe.

Grade 3-5-A series featuring a mystery-solving sheepdog. Samantha moves to a new town, and she's sure there's not going to be any excitement. The pup mopes around the house until a neighbor, 10-year-old Jennie Levinsky, is hired to walk her. A partnership is formed, and Jennie discovers that she can hear Sam's thoughts in her head. Jennie's friend Beth joins them, and the excitement begins. Sam becomes convinced that a spooky house owned by a man named McIver is haunted, and they discover the root of the unusual happenings at his home. Luckily for Sam, McIver likes dogs more than he likes people. The second mystery takes place while Jennie and her family are vacationing on Lake Ontario. Once again, Sam's (somewhat unfounded) suspicions lead Beth and Jennie to discover a hidden tunnel beneath the Levinskys' rented house. Additionally, they want to know what a mysterious boy is searching for on the beach, as well as the reason behind the housekeeper's grouchy behavior. As in the previous book, all of the answers are discovered fairly easily. The level of spookiness is just right for young mystery readers. These books do not replace James Howe's "Bunnicula" (S & S) or Mary Christian's "Sebastian" series (Macmillan), but children will enjoy Sam and her adventures.
Julie Shatterly, York County Public Library, Rock Hill, SC
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