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Reviewer's Bookwatch: November 2009
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane C. Donovan, Editor
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive, Oregon, WI 53575

Logan's Bookshelf

"A dog's home is it's dog castle. "The Mystery of the Spaniel Family's Dog House" tells the story of the Spaniel family, a family of dogs who are curious about the events of their doghouse. With the help of their friends they investigate what hides deeper in this story of a man's best friend, making "The Mystery of the Spaniel Family's Dog House" a collection any dog lover will relish."



The Mystery of the Spaniel Family’s Dog House
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"Kids looking for a mystery will love Sharon Ellsberry’s latest Spaniel Family book, The Mystery of the Spaniel Family’s Dog House. You won’t need to have read the first two books to jump into this one, but readers who have enjoyed the previous two picture books, The Spaniel Family Goes to the State Fair and The Spaniel Family’s Pen Pal Adventure will be pleased to see that this book is a chapter book, perfect for growing reading skills.

When the Spaniel family moves to East Texas they fear that their dog house is haunted. Strange noises come from the house, causing them to recruit the services of Jaba the Mutt, a bulldog ghost hunter. With humor and common sense, the mystery is solved, but another mystery unfolds. There’s just the right amount of spooky fun to keep kids reading, and the large font and short chapters are perfect for young readers. This is another great Texas tale from Texas author Sharon Ellsberry! "



The Mystery of the Spaniel Family’s Dog House
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"This is a clever, well-written story with an engaging mystery and a surprising, yet pleasing resolution. A great deal of attention has been paid to making the prose lyrical and appealing to young readers – and older readers. Kids of all ages will absolutely love Jaba the Mutt, and the similarity with the Star Wars character is unmistakable. The pencil illustrations by Amy Fox are detailed and delightful, pulling the reader deeper into the story and bringing it to life.

The Spaniel Family books are noted for the engaging characters, delightful prose, as well as poems and songs that young readers can enjoy. Even though the books are geared toward readers age 5-10, they are also the kind of books that parents and grandparents can enjoy reading to young people."