The Dog Snatcher by Phyllis Wheeler

Hey, everybody,

I met a fellow writer of middle-grade fiction books at a recent writers conference. We exchanged books, and each of us happily went home with a new book to read. I've visited with her by email and enjoy her insights into writing and particularly into the homeschooling community and how to help meet their reading needs, as these very focused people are ravenous for good literature for their children. Below, you will see the review that I posted on Amazon for her book, The Dog Snatcher:

A Fun and Imaginative Adventure for Young Readers

Twins Jake and Ava, through a series of unexpected events, find themselves traveling through time and space in search of their stolen dog. Using keys and other powerful devices left behind by the teen-aged alchemist who snatched their dog and then disappeared right before them, they travel to Italy, to France, and even to their previous home in California, three years prior to the current time.

They do eventually get their dog back, but in this process, Jake discovers he might be able to use these devices to absolve his guilt for having flooded the kitchen of his family's previous residence, causing them to have to move to a smaller house. You will have to read the book to find out how he changes these past events and frees himself from the guilt of having left the water on.

As a parent and grandparent, I would like to address the value of this book because I believe it is primarily conscientious parents who check out reviews such as this one. In terms of entertainment value, I give it a high score because it is absolutely the type of imaginative adventure that young readers love to experience. In terms of the character-building value and the spiritual value for those of us who believe in God, the issue of feeling guilty for our past mistakes is truly an important topic. I believe the author intended to approach this topic from a Christian viewpoint without being too direct about it, which is a very good thing to do in children's literature. However, the ability to undo our past mistakes is something we are not able to do, and, to some degree, to imply that we could do this seems an affront to the sacrifice Jesus made for us. I think a better end to the story would have been for Jake to attempt to change the past events but fail to do so, and upon returning home, discover that his family forgave him long ago and do not hold this against him at all.

Other symbolic references to Christianity are excellent. There is a force called the Guiding Hand (clearly God) and a Sixth Sense (being led by the Spirit).

On the back cover, the statement is made that Phyllis Wheeler "writes books for kids that feature strong families and a moral compass," and she does accomplish this, as this family is supportive of one another and do care about doing the right thing.

I highly recommend this book for its entertainment value and for its family values with only a gentle warning to parents that they might wish to discuss the topic of how we can receive forgiveness for our mistakes since we cannot go back and undo them.

So pick up a copy, and buckle your seatbelt. No telling where--or WHEN--you might find yourself. (To get your copy, just google The Dog Snatcher by Phyllis Wheeler.)

While you're at it, take a moment to check out my books, all of which promote Christian values. Here's the link to my website: https://hollifry.wixsite.com/books.

I would love to see your name on a review on my Amazon purchase page for one or more of my books. Until then...

Grace and peace to you,

Holli Fry