Module Five: Smells like Dog by Suzanne Selflors

Summary: Homer Pudding wants to a famous treasure hunter just like his uncle and not live on the goat farm forever. One day, his uncle Drake disappears and he, his sister Gwendolyn and Dog are left to solve the mystery. Together they search the world away from their farm and find an unexpected treasure. They all discover that their Dog has a secret talent.
 
Citation: Selfors, S. (2010). Smells like dog. New York, NY: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.

Impressions: This is an adorable book. Homer is a great character who is a bit shy. This book is also hilarious. I was literally laughing out loud while I was reading it! I love how the kids went to the city called simply City. This is a great book to read to a group aloud. Though it is for younger readers I definitely think anyone would love this book. It also a great way to introduce kids into mystery books.

Reviews:
“Full of fantasy, fun, and humorous dialogue, this will attract dog lovers, mystery enthusiasts, adventure addicts, and reluctant readers. A thoroughly enjoyable read.”- Susan Allen

Allen, S.(2010). Smells like dog (book review). VOYA, 33(2). Retrieved from Children’s Literature Comprehensive Database.

"Starting with an author’s note featuring a “no dead dogs” guarantee, this tale opens with 12-year-old Homer Winslow Pudding receiving a basset hound with a special coin hiding in his collar. Bequeathed by the boy’s uncle Drake, a famous treasure hunter who was killed by a man-eating tortoise, Dog accompanies Homer as he leaves his family’s goat farm in Milkydale and begins an odyssey into the city to find the real cause of his uncle’s demise, solve the mystery of his uncle’s most prized possession, and locate a missing pirate’s map. While the momentum begins to slow toward the end, a cast of eccentric characters—including a budding taxidermist sister, an evil museum director, a pink-haired orphan, and a cloud-copter pilot with Indian roots—continue the fun as the boy battles his way through an evil lair and discovers a secret society of lost treasure hunters.”- Angela Leeper

Leeper, A. (2010). Smells like dog (book review). Booklist, 106(17). Retrieved from Children’s Literature Comprehensive Database.

Library Setting: In the library, a programmer could have a treasure hunt. The programmer would create several clues that the patrons would have to follow. Of course, the group would do the task, working together, to find the treasure. This would assist with reasoning skills and the young patrons would really enjoy it. Different clues could be hidden in shelves, books or under chairs.