Beginning Readers’ favorite young pancake-eating detective is back with his latest case. Nate and his dog Sludge are a wonderful team—Nate depends on Sludge to help solve mysteries. But Nate is on his own this time, because Sludge is the case. When his trusty dog gets lost in the department store, Nate has to put the clues together by himself and try to think like a dog. With his friends Annie, Fang, and Rosamond telling him about the latest sightings of Sludge, Nate starts out on a search through the store. But each clue is a dead end . . . until Nate realizes he has to stop thinking like a dog, and start thinking like Sludge—the best detective dog in the business. Nate, Sludge, and all their friends have been delighting beginning readers for years. The familiar characters, basic plot, and illustrated pages of these simple chapter books build confidence in children who are just starting to read and who look forward to a new mystery. (Easy reader. 6-9)
