The Case of the Rock 'N' Roll Dog

November 1, 2010

Gr 3-5-Numerous items, including Colonel Michael's baton, are missing from the White House so Cammie and her younger sister, Tessa, decide to investigate. Their mother is the first female president of the United States. Their dog, Hooligan, is a suspect because of his tendency to hide objects, and their cousin Nate because he doesn't like the Song Boys, "the best boy band in America," who are performing at the White House. He believes the myth about the U.S. Marine Band leader not being able to perform without his baton. The mystery has to be solved before the performance because Aunt Jen, White House Hostess and the president's sister, invited all of Cammie's classmates. ("Dad would never make it as a First Lady.") The characters seem loosely based on the current First Daughters and their dog, in addition to a popular band made up of three brothers. An afterword on the life and work of John Philip Sousa is included, as well as sheet music for two original Song Boys numbers. Bits of information about the White House are sprinkled throughout. The mystery is lightweight, but readers new to the genre will enjoy the story.-Lori A. Guenthner, Baltimore County Public Library, Randallstown, MD

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2010
Grades 2-4 History and mystery collide in this first volume in a series based at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Cammie Parks sometimes yearns for the normalcy of life before her mother became president of the U.S. While there are some perks to being a First Kidsuch as being on hand when teen sensation the Song Boys are scheduled to play a literacy eventthere are plenty of drawbacks to life in the White House, as when bloggers write mean things about your mom or dog! After items of various degrees of importance start to disappear, Cammie and her younger sister, Tessa, try to crack the case, and theyre doubly motivated after the Song Boys concert falls under threat of cancellation. The title of the book provides a clue as to the culprit, but there are still some unexpected twists in this lively story. The fact that two little girls actually do live in the White House gives the story a current feel, and trivia facts casually dropped throughout make it educational. Recommend this First Kids Mystery debut to readers who have outgrown Ron Roy but still enjoy series, as opposed to serious, capers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)