A quirky mystery/adventure, so of course I'm in. Homer lives on a goat farm and his father expects him to take over when the time comes. Homer dreams of following in his uncle Drake's footsteps - treasure hunter. When Uncle Drake dies under mysterious circumstances, and Homer is left with a worthless dog and a potentially valuable coin, Homer sets off with the dog and his sister (she has her own reasons for taking off) for the City to find some answers and hopefully treasure. For fans of Facttracker, Mysterious Benedict Society, and the like. I don't know about you, but when someone says "smells like dog" to me, I think YUCK! (And I have two dogs, whose smell ranges from traditional doggie odor to a Frito-like scent to an aroma close to dead fish. None of them fantastic smells.)Fortunately, the title of this book is deceiving. "Smells Like Dog", another middle grade Golden Sower nominee my daughter and I read together, is really the story of young Homer Winslow Pudding, the middle child of a family living outside a teeny town (in Great Britain?) on a goat farm. Dear Homer idolizes his uncle, who roams the world searching for treasure, returning to the goat farm to regale his nephew with amazing stories and rare gifts. An unexpected death is the catalyst for a chain of events that set Homer on his own quest -- not only for treasure, but also for truth.Smells is fairly well-written. There are a lot of word-plays (like the Snooty-and-Snooty lawyers), which were at first cute, but then annoying for this adult reader. (My daughter barely noticed them.) The book was well-paced, although it felt a little long-winded here and there. Still, there is quite a bit of adventure and excitement, and there were a few nights when my daughter and I ended up reading much longer than we had intended. Which is nice.
What do You think about Smells Like Dog (2010)?
Kids will love this. I certainly did and I'm no kid, but just read it no matter how old you are.
—Zerah
I loved this book because of dog and all the other crazy characters. It was full of adventure!
—menhim
This book was amazing!!!! It is the best book I have ever read!
—dianakean
A really fun, exciting adventure between a boy and his dog.
—dispatchrs1
Cute book. good for lit circle for my high fourth graders
—MikaylaH83
