Meet the students at Puppy Academy―a team of plucky puppies learning to be working dogs. Scout wants nothing more than to be a police dog, just like her mom and dad. But when she fails her test, Scout isn't sure she'll ever earn her badge―until, that is, a sausage thief strikes. It's up to Scout to catch the culprit and save the day. Gr 2–4—Scout, a German shepherd, wants to be a police dog, just like his mom and dad. They are working on a big case, trying to catch Frank Furter, an ex-police dog who turned to a life of stealing sausages. But on her way to Puppy Academy to test for her Care in the Community badge, Scout finds several sources of distraction, including the owner of a lost teddy bear and a mud puddle. She is then accused of stealing the bag of Crunchie Munchies she was tasked with guarding. Even with the threat of dismissal from Puppy Academy looming, Scout continues her hunt for Frank Furter and saves a large family of mice. Predictably, the story ends well. Entertaining black ink illustrations appear on most spreads, helping to move the narrative along and provide depictions of the emotions expressed by this mostly animal cast. Photos and facts about real police dogs at the end of the book bring an informational element to this fictional tale. VERDICT Fans of animal heroes and K-9 underdogs may enjoy Scout's lighthearted misadventures.—Lindsay Persohn, University of South Florida, Tampa "Scout's good-humored, kidlike adventures are . . . an accessible read." ― Kirkus Reviews "Although the easy language puts it into the 'beginner chapter book' category, the ideas are complex enough to keep a young reader stimulated." ― The Pigeon Pair and Me blog Gill Lewis spent much of her childhood in the garden, where she ran a small zoo and a veterinary hospital for creepy-crawlies, mice, and birds. When she grew up, she became a real vet and a writer for children. She lives in Somerset, England, and writes from a tree house in the company of squirrels. She is the author of the Puppy Academy books. Sarah Horne is a versatile illustrator whose work has appeared in children's books, advertisements, and newspapers throughout the UK. She has also written and illustrated two books in her original series Molly & Mimi. Sarah lives in London. Scout and the Sausage Thief By Gill Lewis, Sarah Horne Henry Holt and Company Copyright © 2015 Gill Lewis All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-62779-794-8 CHAPTER 1 Scout hid behind the stack of baked-bean cans and waited. The supermarket was busy with Saturday morning shoppers. She knew this was the moment when Frank Furter, the notorious sausage thief, would strike again. He could steal a salami from a sandwich or a hot dog from a hot-dog stand without ever being seen. No police dog had caught him in action yet. No one knew just how Frank Furter stole the sausages. But Scout thought she knew. She'd worked it out and now she was ready. She looked up at the ceiling of the supermarket and waited for Frank's next move. High above people's heads, one white ceiling tile slid slowly sideways. Frank's face appeared in the gap, spying down on the fresh-meat counter. Scout could see the bungee cord tied around his chest. She'd have to be quick on her feet to catch him. Down came Frank. "Gotcha!" shouted Scout. She pounced, wrapping the string of sausages around and around him, tying him up in a big sausage knot. Everyone cheered. Frank Furter had been caught at last, and Scout was their hero. * * * "Scout!" "Scout!" Scout woke up from her daydream. "Come on, Scout," said her mom. "Finish your breakfast. You can't be late for school today." "Do you think Frank Furter will ever be caught?" said Scout. Scout's dad put down his paper. "He's very clever. No one has worked out just how he steals the sausages." "But how do you know it's him?" asked Scout. "Frank's pawprints are found all over the crime scenes," said Scout's dad. He shook his head. "Your mom and I have been working on this investigation for months. If we don't catch him before the weekend, the village sausage festival will have to be canceled." "Canceled?" said Scout. "But it's the most famous sausage festival in the world." "I know," said Mom. "But unless Frank is caught, no one's sausages are safe. These are dark times. There hasn't been a case like this since Peppa Roni the Italian Spinoni hijacked Burt the Butcher's truck." Scout frowned. "If anyone can catch Frank, you and Dad can." Scout's mom sighed. "I hope so, Scout. I hope so." Scout's mom and dad were well-known police dogs. They were loved by the villagers and feared by burglars. Until the recent spate of sausage robberies, there hadn't been a crime in Little Barking for three years. "Frank trained to be a police dog with us when we were at Puppy Academy," said Scout's mom. "He had a thing about sausages even back then." "Frank Furter was a police dog?!" said Scout. "But he should know not to break the law." Scout's dad looked across at her.