I love Dawn Pisturino‘s poetry and when I saw she’d written a middle grade book for children, I knew I wanted to read it. The cover certainly caught my eye, as did the blurb:
Alina has a big problem. Her father is a popular mystery writer. Her mother is a glamorous movie star. Left in the care of the housekeeper, Alina feels neglected and unloved. But a summer trip to a living ghost town in Arizona turns a hot, boring summer into an exciting, intriguing mystery.
Who’s the crazy old lady upstairs? Why is she always crying about a missing pink poodle? Why is she a prisoner in her own home? And why won’t anybody help her?
When Hollywood meets the Wild, Wild West, a mystery unfolds that will change Alina’s life forever. With the aid of two wannabe cowgirls, Alina follows the trail of an ancient puzzle to discover the answer to the mystery of the pink poodle.
My review
Poor Alina has had a trying time with her parents, and feels lonely and neglected. But when she accompanies her father to an eerie town in Arizona, things swiftly change. There’s a mysterious old movie star who has a secret, a crabby nurse who thwarts Alina at every turn and two new friends to take along on her adventure. Suddenly life isn’t so dull.
I found myself pulled into The Mystery of the Pink Poodle and didn’t want to put it down. It’s ideal for the age group, but also for adults. It reminded me of the Nancy Drew mysteries I loved as a child.
Five stars from me.
Esther Chilton 
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