The Case Of The Diamond Dog Collar
By Martha Freeman
Why a dog would have a diamond-studded collar is a mystery in itself. But then this is not just any dog. Hooligan is the First Dog. The pet dog of the President of a “certain nearby nation” sends it as a gift, dog to dog. A canine gift exchange — what a fun idea.
From there the story takes off. First daughters Cammie and Tessa have already solved one mystery. They have the procedure down pat and second grade readers would enjoy becoming amateur sleuths along with them. Search for evidence, take detailed notes and interview witnesses and suspects.One of the ‘diamonds’ in the collar goes missing. El Brilliante, the large very valuable diamond in the “certain nearby nation” is also reported missing. What if…..Tessa imagines different scenarios. What if the diamonds on Hooligan’s collar are real? What if they fell and got ground to dust along with the compost? What if one of the visitors to the White House is a thief? Cammie follows along with her own suggestions.The author leaves a liberal sprinkling of clues, sure to elicit a groan when the reader realizes the missed suggestions. Cammie, Tessa and Nate learn about the Hope diamond, and the qualities of diamonds in general. One test of a real diamond is that it does not fog up when you breathe on it. Young readers learn along with them. Older readers might comprehend Cammie’s desire to sometimes go out without the security service following, and Tessa’s longing to have their Mom spend more time with them..
Interwoven are facts about the White House and a map of the grounds. A sharp detective story for young readers.
Additional Resources:
Author Biography: http://marthafreeman.com/meet-martha
How To Write A Mystery: http://teacher.scholastic.com/writewit/mystery/read.htm
Title: The Case Of The Diamond Dog Collar- Author: Martha Freeman
- Publisher: Holiday House
- Reviewer: Anjali Amit
- Hardback: 136 pages
- ISBN: 978-0-8234-2337-8
- Genre: Fiction/Mystery
