The Mummy Lives! (Sam, Dog Detective). Mary Labatt. Toronto, ON: Kids Can Press, 2002. 114 pp., pbk. & cl., $4.95 (pbk.), $16.95 (cl.). ISBN 1-55337-042-2 (pbk.), ISBN 1-55337-023-6 (cl.). Grades 3-5 / Ages 8-10. Review by Meredith MacKeen. *** /4

exerpt:

That night Sam found another piece of beef jerky on the porch. Love that mailman! While she watched the cars wind their way through the wintry streets, she sat down on the cold cement and chomped happily.
The night was icy dark, and the wind howled. The wind seemed to speak of the ancients priests and the magic of Menospharsib. Sam shuddered. Jennie should listen to me. Everyone knows you can't escape a mummy.
Just then Sam's ears pricked up. She heard a sound from the street.
Mmmmmm....
She listened.

Sam, the detective dog whose thoughts can be understood by Jennie, her neighbour, is looking for excitement during the winter. Jennie and her friend Beth are researching mummies from Ancient Egypt in preparation for a class trip to the museum. They learn about Pharaoh Menopharsib and his mummified dog, Akasheput, who was later stolen from the tomb. Immediately Sam begins to imagine that Menopharsib wants to capture her to replace Akasheput and suspects a jogger as the pharaoh in disguise. The two girls turn their research into a hunt for a potion that will keep Menopharsib asleep. They do find a recipe, and, after much scheming and some interference, they get the recipe made and return to the museum with their potion. Meanwhile, Sam speculates about who is leaving the beef jerky on her porch and concludes that it must be Menospharsib trying to lure her outside. All these fantasies come to an end went the mummy turns out to be a well protected jogger.

     Young readers who identify with dogs will empathize with Sam, the junk food loving bored dog, and enjoy her wisecracks. This simple detective story is a pleasant read and will satisfy readers' needs for a chapter book. The additional advantage is that there are at least six other "Sam, Dog Detective" books available, and these follow a very similar pattern with Sam's imagination causing trouble for her friends and the threat of Sam's being sent to obedience school.

Recommended

Meredith MacKeen is the teacher-librarian at Glen Stewart Elementary School in Stratford, PEI.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without permission.

Published by
The Manitoba Library Association
ISSN 1201-9364

NEXT REVIEW |TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR THIS ISSUE - May 24, 2002.

AUTHORS | TITLES | MEDIA REVIEWS | PROFILES | BACK ISSUES | SEARCH | CMARCHIVE | HOME