Name: Legend of the Ghost Dog
ISBN: 9780545469999

Elizabeth Cody Kimmel

A thrilling mystery set against a stark landscape and the inspiration of Nome's real-life dog hero, Balto. Twelve-year-old Tee has just moved to Nome, Alaska, with her writer father and sullen little brother, Jack. Jack isn't happy about the idea of living in the middle of nowhere, but Tee and her dog Henry are thrilled -- so much open space to run around and sniff! But on a walk near their new house, Henry spots something that has him seriously spooked. Tee sees a mysterious shadow, and it seems to be following them. Have they disturbed a restless spirit? And what other secrets might this dark place be holding?

Legend of the Ghost Dog

Moving to Alaska with her father and sullen younger brother, 12-year-old Tee happily explores her new home's open spaces with her dog, Henry, who is seriously alarmed by a menacing shadow with links to dark local secrets. By the author of the Suddenly Supernatural series.

Sarah Sammis

Set in Nome, Alaska both in the present and in the 1920s, Legend of the Ghost Dog by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel is inspired by the serum run to stop a diphtheria outbreak. The two real life heros were Balto and Gunner Kaasen. Here, though, the ghost dog isn't Balto (who is stuffed and on display in Chicago), but a littermate.

Most of the story is set in the present day, with Anita (Tee), her younger brother, Jack, their father and dog, Henry. While Tee is making friends with the only nearby kid, Quin, something in the forest is spooking Henry. Quin through his knowledge of local legends and history helps Tee solve a decades old mystery and save her life.

Too much effort, though, is spent on the flashbacks, leaving holes in character development for Tee and her family. We're mostly told what they are like without the benefit of seeing them in action.

With her beagle Henry and her new friend Quin, twelve-year-old Tee is determined to solve the mystery of "the Shadow", the ghostly animal that is believed to haunt the Alaskan wilderness near her new home in Nome.

Legend of the Ghost Dog

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