Betty Levin

A simple story with complex themes. A young boy, Jody, who has self esteem issues and is a misfit at school, is used by his mother and her extremist friends to help "rescue" animals they perceive as being abused. Moss, a well trained sheepdog becomes injured after the group tries to free the sheep at a sheep dog trial. Jody still innocently believes that his mother will give Moss back to his rightful owners, but when he sees this will never happen, he hatches a plan of his own to see Moss show more returned home. The arguments used on Jody as to whether an animal is really being abused could be easily confused in a young child's mind. The reader will come to love Moss and want to see him a happy working dog again. show less

Introduced the concept of people, both Lena and Dr. Hogg, living on “The Edge” and having special understanding with animals. Well, this is a sequel, so it probably started in the first book.
Lena seems to have a potent ability to imagine in this world. But she lacks restraint of her tongue. She does mature in the story.
Nicely rendered line drawings by Marian Perry.

Duncan is trying to be neighborly, actually forced by his parents, when he begins to care for his neighbors dog after she becomes ill. The neighbor goes from being interesting to paranoid to withdraw, depending on the day.
The book seems to be a set-up for some kind of a crime from the beginning, leaving the reader until nearly the end of the book to find out what is really going on and who is responsible for the wrongdoing.

Reviewed by Grandma Bev for TeensReadToo.com

Astrid Valentine was Duncan's neighbor, but he had mostly avoided her until that day when she hollered at Duncan and begged him to catch her little ratty dog for her. She was afraid he was going to get hit by a car. A few days later, he crawled through the doggy door in the back of the house, because Mrs. Valentine had locked herself out. Then she had a stroke, and Duncan's parents coerced him into feeding and watering the little dog, Mo, and show more letting him out into the back yard after school...just until Astrid was able to take care of him herself.

Duncan had no idea how complicated his life was about to become, because Astrid didn't bounce right back like Duncan thought she would. She was in the hospital for quite a while, and then when she did come home, she was still not able to take care of Mo, and Duncan agreed to keep doing it. Gradually, his feelings change for the crazy old lady, and he finds himself helping her more and more.

Mr. Valentine had been a junk dealer before he died, and the Valentine house was still literally a junkyard. There were some treasures in there, too, and Astrid's nephew, Eddie, is planning to sell off the collection. Duncan takes on the job of sorting the antiques, artifacts, and usable items from the huge shed at the back of the house. Then he discovers the mummy that is hidden in the basement.

Astrid begins to think that Eddie is stealing from her, and begs Duncan to help her hide some of her rare treasures, and that's when things start to go bad. Duncan hauls the mummy to the shed in back, buries some treasures, and takes some to his house to hide. Then there is a fire and the shed and mummy burn, and when the police enter the picture, everyone is looking at Duncan as a suspect in the thefts.

Betty Levin has created a compelling, sympathetic character in Duncan Veerick with a plot that is nonstop action. The suspense builds relentlessly right up to the ending in this novel that is a good choice for tweens that are looking for an exciting story. show less