Till Death Do Us Bark

The Klise sisters are back with the follow-up to 43 Old Cemetery Road: Dying to Meet You and 43 Old Cemetery Road: Over My Dead Body. Here we once again catch up with Ignatius B. Grumply, Seymour Hope and that wonderful ghost, Olive C. Spense - who have recently acquired a new pet, a dog named Secret.

When beloved town member Noah Breth dies, his children Kanine Breth and Kitty Breth head straight back to town in order to collect their father's fortune. But Noah had other plans... he realized his children were greedy, snobby and utterly rude to everyone, including each other. So in the hopes that he'd bring them together, he concocts a plan to hide his wealth - leaving a bunch of limericks and riddles behind as clues.

As the town gets show more involved in the mystery of Noah Breth's fortune, Seymour, Ignatius and Olive are having their own issues. For one, they can't seem to agree on what to do with Seymour's new dog, Secret. Iggy likes dogs, but for some reason he can't stop sneezing, not to mention he can't concentrate on this writing with Secret barking all night. Olive is a cat lover so she thinks the dog should go... and the cat, well Shadow is just missing.

In this third volume from 43 Old Cemetery Road, author Kate Klise and illustrator M. Sarah Klise deliver a runaway mystery. Heads or tails, it’s guaranteed to please cat and dog lovers alike—and anyone who’s ever tried to keep a secret.

Once again, this series is cleverly written in epistolary fashion. Mostly told through letters, e-mails, drawings, newspaper clippings, limericks and a Last Will. I have become quite the fan of the sisters' Klise witty writing and fun illustrations. I absolutely fell in love with the first book in the series and I have not been disappointed with any of the subsequent titles. These are fun, quick reads that are geared more for the middle-grade crowd but can definitely be enjoyed by adults as well *snickers*. My favorite part still remains the clever names of the characters who reside in the town of Ghastly, IL: Shirley U. Jest, Rita O'Bitt, Claire Voyant, Fay Tality, and of course M. Balm, the librarian! (which of course, all make the expected cameos).

As usual, the combination between the writing and illustrations are a treat. Full of great humor and a very sweet moral that you can devour in one sitting. show less

Have I mentioned my never-ending love for these sisters in a while? No? Well, it always needs repeated. I am a 20 year old senior in college. I was introduced to their books in the 5th grade. How is it that they are still two of my absolute favorite writers? I'm pretty sure I'm no longer in their target demographic. So, this particular series. You may recall I wasn't the greatest fan of the first book in the series. The second one was a huge improvement. And then came this. Seriously, Klise sisters, how do you do this? This surpassed any and all expectations. It's the same epistolary story pattern that the two of them have worked hard to perfect, and perfect it they have. We still have an abundance of plot twists, endearing characters show more with funny (and punny!) names, and in the end, a story that truly resonates with people of all ages and walks of life. Never stop, Klises, never stop. show less

Seymour, Iggy and Olive are writing the next three chapters of 43 Old Century Road when a canine named Secret shows up in the yard. Seymour takes ownership of the dog, even after several in the town of Ghastly, has told him where the dog belongs. Secret’s master, Noah Breth, has died and Seymour does not think Secret has anyone to love him (and feed or play). Olive sees this as a problem since she already has a pet cat, Shadow. Everyone knows cats and dogs do not get along. Soon Shadow disappears, then Seymour and Secret. Worried, Olive leaves to find her Shadow. Only Iggy is at home, and feeling quite alone.

In town, the big news is not the arrival of Noah Breth’s children, Kitty and Kanine, who have arrived to claim their deceased show more father’s money. No, the news is the appearance of valuable coins being found in the strangest places. One is worth 5 million dollars. The bickering bad Breth children find out, through the limericks Noah wrote for them, where their inheritance is located, they just need to decipher the poems to find the money. The two do not work together, just as Noah expected. Will they find their inheritance? Will Iggy and his family be reunited? What are those coins? Noah would want you to read and find out for yourself.

This is book three in the 43 Old Cemetery Road series by Kate Klise and her illustrator sister M. Sarah. It is a thoroughly delightful chapter book for middle graders. Lots of humor, word play and limericks fill the pages which are written mostly as letters. This unique format works amazingly well. The daily newspaper, The Ghastly Times, fills in the story these letters do not tell. The illustrations are delightfully detailed gems. Kids, of all ages, will love this book. This is the first book in the 43 Old Cemetery Road series I have read. Now I want to read the first two and any that follow. Simply genius!

I think this book is simply genius,
So let me say, just between us,
The letters are neat,
The humor’s a treat,
Your reading this book is a must.

(Sorry, the impulse is too strong. Go check it find out.)

Note: received from NetGalley show less

Fun-filled romp through Ghastly Illinois that had me laughing until my sides ached!

This was such a cute book. The main characters are Mr. Grumply (an aged, widowed writer), Olive (a ghost writer in the literal sense), and Seymour (a little boy that they adopted). The book is written in letters, newspaper articles, and limericks.

Olive & Grumply like the fine art of letter writing. So they insisted that ALL communication take the form of letters. So when Seymour finds a dog and wants to ask if he can keep it, he must write a letter to Olive & Grumply.

This book will have your kids rolling with laughter. If you have a reluctant reader, this should help get them interested in reading.

Well, I am off to buy the first two books in the series show more for my Godson, Ben. I know that he will love them!

In conjunction with the Wakela's World Disclosure Statement, I received a product in order to enable my review. No other compensation has been received. My statements are an honest account of my experience with the brand. The opinions stated here are mine alone. show less

Ghastly, Illinois is a place I would very much like to visit. It's as much a character in the 43rd Old Cemetery Road books as the old Mr. Grumply, the young Seymour, and resident ghost, Olive. Like the first two books, 'Till Death Do Us Bark' is told in newspapers articles, letters, and illustrations. While I prefer the first two books to this one, 'Till Death Do Us Bark' was still a fun read. The charm and style of these novels will never get old.

The story was more Seymour centered than past novels and the plot was somewhat easy to figure out, but even so, I loved the humorous elements of the story. This novel had some great one liners, especially in regards to the conversations had between human and ghost!

If you have a reluctant show more reader on your hands, this is the book series to get them. To quote Mary Poppins, it's practically perfect in every way! 'Till Death Do Us Bark' gets 4 out of 5 stars. show less

In this third installment of the 43 Old Cemetery Road series, the fate of Mr. Noah Breth is our main event. He has joined the ranks of Ms. Olive C Spence, that is to say he has passed on to a better place and now the fortune he left behind is left to be claimed by his two undeserving and spoiled children....Kitty Breth and Kanine Breth (I kid you not, those are their names). To make certain that only the best of these two non-optimal choices gets their hands on the dough, he's hidden it in a secret place. and left clever limericks all about the town to guide them to his most prized possession.

Mean while, the old homestead has a new arrival in the form of a beloved but lost dog named Secret. As all good people do, Seymour Hope (the show more young lad and illustrator residing at this house) is instructed to seek out the dog's owners but until claimed...he is there's. Seymour couldn't be more happy....though the neighbors may not be quite as thrilled with all the barking. It seems like everything is falling into place and another happy ending is in sight....at least until secrets of another sort start rearing their ugly head. Will Secret find his way to a happily ever after? What of Kitty and Kanine's fortune? My suggestion, find a quiet reading nook and settle in for a little mystery you'll want to read all about.....

I discovered this series a year or two ago thanks to NetGalley and wouldn't you know it...that's where I discovered the third installment in the series. Gotta love it, right? I have always been a fan of letter books such as The Jolly Postman ...you know, where you read the story but there are also fun pull outs along the way of actual letters written by the characters? Yeah, they are too much fun (and if you haven't seen them, I DEFINITELY suggest you do regardless of your age, they are a blast). This book series combines those elements into one with the actual STORY being told through people's letters, posts, menus, newspapers and the like. Any form of the written word is fair game and that's literally how the story progresses. Sound interesting? It is, trust me.

You see, the resident ghostly author of 43 Old Cemetery Road, one Olive C. Spence, has passed on and her preferred method of communication...you guessed it, writing. It's not only her authorial nature that makes this a natural choice but also her desire to preserve this art form that seems to be slipping by the wayside with the advancement of all forms of technology...and aids in creating a wonderful series. The author's (and illustrator's) way of sharing the details of the events happening keeps things fresh and creative inviting readers to use their imagination to fill in the blanks and showing you that pictures can speak a thousand words (because they are included as well from none other than the character by the name of Seymour Hope) but 1000 words sure go a long way too.

Despite having missed books one in the series, I continue to be right on top of the story as it progresses. I'm left neither lost nor disconnected from the events taking place, leading me to believe that no matter where you are when you start the series, you'll be just fine. Did I mention I love the word play employed throughout? Especially when it comes to the names! Seymour Hope....don't we all want to see that? Noah Breth....describes his current state quite well. Kitty and Kanine Breth....no comment. Just try not to laugh as you uncover each citizens name as well as their matching profession....good luck with that. ^_^

All in all, the story is simple enough, but not so much so that it's enjoyable to those outside the target age group. You'll laugh. You'll smile. You'll have a great time and be ready for more....I know I am. show less

Third in the 43 Cemetery Road series, this mystery is a fun one to solve. Old Noah Breth dies, leaving his fortune to his two bitter children IF they can solve his riddles and find the cash. Clues surface all over town, as reported in newspaper articles and relayed through various personal correspondence. The scrapbook format creates a tone of reader-as-detective as we piece together the solutions, most likely before the characters do. Another fun addition to a creative series.
Recommended for grades 3+