Something Queer in the Wild West - Softcover

Gr. 2^-5. The eleventh adventure in the Something Queer series finds sidekicks Gwen and Jill visiting Gwen's Uncle Dale on his New Mexico ranch. The girls discover an old barn rumored to be haunted by the ghosts of wild horses and notice that their dog Fletcher begins disappearing nearly every night--returning home the next morning completely exhausted. When they investigate further, they find that Fletcher has made friends with a lively white horse hidden in the barn. Later, they help a ranch hand set him free from his exploitative owner. As always, Levy offers a lighthearted mystery set in a novel locale that should satisfy emerging young readers. Gerstein's brightly colored gouache illustrations appear on every page, adding humorous details and helping to break up the text. The smaller format and use of chapters should also make the book more appealing to the intended audience. Kay Weisman

Grade 3-5. In this series entry, Gwen, her dog Fletcher, and her friend Jill are visiting Gwen's uncle's ranch in New Mexico, where they solve a mystery involving a valuable white stallion. Levy's plot provides enough suspense and humor to keep the pages turning. Gerstein's detailed black-line and gouache illustrations enhance the presentation with tidbits of information and a lighthearted tone. Fans of this unusual pair and their canine sidekick will appreciate this Wild West adventure; it may lead readers to seek out the earlier titles as well.?Sharon R. Pearce, San Antonio Public Library, TX
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