My rating: 4 of 5 stars
There are times when I want to read something different from my usual favorites (dystopian novels, thrillers, and science fiction) which allows me to relax and just read a light yet entertaining story. Dognapped? is one such entertaining book.
The story revolves around 12-year old Kitty Walker who feels so lost after moving to a new village with her family. Her mother seems to always be so busy with her books -- she writes books on grooming dogs. And her little brother seems to be the family favorite. She loves dogs and agrees to enter a dog show upon the urging of her mother. Luckily, even though her dog is one very uncooperative pooch, she managed to win a ribbon.However, before the show was to begin, Kitty decided to walk her beloved dog to ease both their nerves. It was her very first show and she was afraid of being watched by so many people. During her walk, she finds a sick dog who appears to be lost. She tries to find the dog's owner. Most of the other people within the dog show believes the lost dog to be the famous Ozzie, but her owner seems to be unsure. The dog was very sick and one of the ladies participating in the show decided to take the poor dog to the vet.
Kitty gets invited to Ozzie's home by his grateful owner. She takes up the invitation and is escorted by her mother (though she had to take her pesky little brother along). It is there that they learn Ozzie is not really Ozzie. The real Ozzie has been dognapped and there is even a ransom note.
But something is very wrong as Kitty and her family comes home one day to find that someone has broken into their home. Although nothing of value was taken, the break-in has shaken the whole family. Kitty insists the whole thing is related to the missing border collie, but no one believes her.
To make things more complicated, a vet says that the border collie they thought was Ozzie but was not Ozzie has Ozzie's microchip! The puzzle is simply getting more and more difficult to understand. Kitty is determined to solve the mystery but she needs help.
What follows is a very entertaining series of events that leads the curious 12-year old to play investigator and crime-solver. Together with her friend, Jessica and a boy named Jack, Kitty learns that being curious can sometimes lead to being in danger.
Charmaine Clancy -- who is a dog-lover in real life -- is able to write a wonderful book that is both exciting and a pleasure to read. I truly enjoyed reading Dognapped? (maybe being a dog-lover helped with that). It is a great book for children, young teens and even adults.
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