Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Scholastic Inc.
Pages
184
Description
Sixth-grader Rusty, determined to help an injured dog that is chained outdoors in frigid weather, calls animal control then takes matters into his own hands, aided by his best friend and a ghost collie that leads Rusty to an even deeper secret. Includes instructions for knitting cat blankets.
Description
Each day, sixth-grader Rusty feeds a dog that's left chained in the frigid weather with no shelter, food, or water. When he realizes the dog has been injured, he tries to have Animal Control help - but when that fails, Rusty and his friend Andrew unchain the dog and take it. With the dog in their hideout, the boys face multiple challenges, including Andrew's snoopy sister and the escalating threats of the dog's abusive owner. Even more challenging? The appearance of a ghost dog that appears in Rusty's room, and is trying to lead him to an even deeper secret. . . .
Peg Kehret delivers another fast-paced story with lots of heart, which will leave young readers cheering for Rusty and the dogs.
Peg Kehret delivers another fast-paced story with lots of heart, which will leave young readers cheering for Rusty and the dogs.
Collection
Language
Original language
English
Physical description
184 p.; 7.5 inches
ISBN
9780545441810
Other editions
Ghost Dog Secrets by Peg Kehret (Paperback)
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Lexile
730L
User reviews
LibraryThing member TimBazzett
Hmm ... How to deal with this book? I liked it - enjoyed it even. But it's kinda outside what I usually read. It's a kid's book, see? And If I were eleven or twelve I probably woulda loved it. My problem is I'm nearly 67 years old, so I felt a little strange reading it. A story about a "ghost dog,"
Peg Kehret knows how to spin a story about boys and dogs, and this one about Rusty and Ra is a good one. She also knows how to use rising and falling actions and how to leave you hanging at the end of a chapter so that you have no choice but to start the next one even if Mom is calling you for supper, or telling you to go outside and play, it's a beautiful day, getcher nose outa that book ferachange, fercripesake. Those cliffhanger endings were typical to all those Hardy Boys books my brothers and I devoured back in the fifties, and yeah, the same kinda hook worked for Nancy Drew and Cherry Ames. (Oops, I'm a guy, I'm not supposed to know that, am I? Too late.)
Besides being a pretty gripping story, there's lots of 'redeeming social value stuff' in here too, about how awful cruelty to animals can be, how to be a good son, having a social conscience and doing some community service, good vs evil. Hey, there're even some sure enought 'bad guys' in here running a meth lab and abusing their guard dogs. And this is real life kinda stuff too. I know, because there was a meth lab discovered just a couple blocks from my house a year or two ago and guess what? There was a huge bull mastiff chained to the garage outside, who looked awful darn skinny. The meth guys kept him lean and mean. This Peg Kehret knows what she's writing about. But you can tell too just how much she loves dogs - and understands pretty well that most kids do too. All these things together, well, they make for a pretty good book.
Enough said, I suppose. I liked this book. I'd give it five stars, but I'm too old. If you're under twelve and love dogs though, you'd better give it five stars. It deserves it.
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I mean. I kept thinking of my 3 year-old grandson who has a collection of trains by GeoTrax and has a video about the trains he watches, one of which is about a 'ghoooooost train,' which causes him to shiver deliciously everytime he says it. Little kids like ghosts, like to be frightened - at least a little, in a safe setting, anyway. So I suspect young kids would like GHOST DOG SECRETS in the same way, and in the same way teenagers and young adults like vampire and werewolf and slasher films. Me I don't like any of those kinds of films anymore. I prefer my books and films to be more adult in nature. But that doesn't mean I don't remember being of an age when I loved books that were about dogs and horses. All those Albert Payson Terhune collie books? Read 'em. The Jim Kjelgaard Irish Setter books? Read 'em. The Silver Chief Dog of the North Books? Them too. The Wild Dog of Edmonton? Valiant Dog of the Timberline? Lassie Come Home? Call of the Wild? White Fang? Juneau the Sleigh Dog? Kazan the Wolf Dog? Beautiful Joe? Read 'em all, and a lot of other dog books I can't even remember anymore. I gobbled 'em down like tater chips. Peg Kehret knows how to spin a story about boys and dogs, and this one about Rusty and Ra is a good one. She also knows how to use rising and falling actions and how to leave you hanging at the end of a chapter so that you have no choice but to start the next one even if Mom is calling you for supper, or telling you to go outside and play, it's a beautiful day, getcher nose outa that book ferachange, fercripesake. Those cliffhanger endings were typical to all those Hardy Boys books my brothers and I devoured back in the fifties, and yeah, the same kinda hook worked for Nancy Drew and Cherry Ames. (Oops, I'm a guy, I'm not supposed to know that, am I? Too late.)
Besides being a pretty gripping story, there's lots of 'redeeming social value stuff' in here too, about how awful cruelty to animals can be, how to be a good son, having a social conscience and doing some community service, good vs evil. Hey, there're even some sure enought 'bad guys' in here running a meth lab and abusing their guard dogs. And this is real life kinda stuff too. I know, because there was a meth lab discovered just a couple blocks from my house a year or two ago and guess what? There was a huge bull mastiff chained to the garage outside, who looked awful darn skinny. The meth guys kept him lean and mean. This Peg Kehret knows what she's writing about. But you can tell too just how much she loves dogs - and understands pretty well that most kids do too. All these things together, well, they make for a pretty good book.
Enough said, I suppose. I liked this book. I'd give it five stars, but I'm too old. If you're under twelve and love dogs though, you'd better give it five stars. It deserves it.
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LibraryThing member bookmolady
Do you believe in ghosts? How about ghost dogs? When Rusty's mom took a different route to drop him off at school, he saw a dog chained in a yard with no food, water, or shelter. He checked on the dog after school to see if anything had changed - the dog was still there, laying in the dirt with no
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food or water, but now it wasn't alone. Another dog stood next to it, not a real dog, a see through dog made up of cloud wisps, a ghost dog. Rusty and his friend Andrew bring food and water to the dog, taking pictures to document its mistreatment. When the ghost dog visits Rusty in his room at night, Rusty finally knows it is time for him to take matters into his own hands and rescue the mistreated dog - or is he stealing him? Show Less
LibraryThing member Munsterella
This book was amazing, and heart stopping at the same time. It was a real sad,funny, outstanding, and amazing. it is awesome how a little boy saves a 2 year-old dog!
LibraryThing member Sullywriter
A good ghost story with a generous helping of mystery and suspense and an animal welfare message.
Awards
Great Stone Face Book Award (Nominee — 2012)
William Allen White Children's Book Award (Nominee — Grades 6-8 — 2013)
Mark Twain Readers Award (Winner — 3rd Place — 2013)
Nēnē Award (Nominee — 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016)
Iowa Children's Choice Award (Nominee — 2014)
Call number
J3G.Keh