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Woof

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Woof: A Bowser and Birdie Novel
Written by Spencer Quinn
Read by James Frangione
Scholastic Press, 2015. 293 pgs or 7 hrs.

In review a of Woof, Stephen King said that "Spencer Quinn speaks two languages—suspense and dog—fluently." 

 This is a story best told by a dog, and there's no dog better to tell it than Bowser, the city mutt who finds a new home in the Louisiana swamp with 11-yr-old Birdie. The day that Birdie saves Bowser from the the local shelter happens to be the same day that her grammy's prize stuffed marlin is stolen from their small bait and tackle store. The theft sets off a chain of events that turn the fun-loving duo into a pair of amateur sleuths, ultimately confronting a crime much bigger than a stolen fish. 

 Quinn will have you falling in love with Bowser's loyalty, optimism, and short attention span. If we could hear the thoughts of dogs, I'm pretty sure they'd sound a lot like Bowser. This book frequently caught me off guard, causing me to burst out laughing at Bowser's happy confusion, related in a sincere and straightforward manner that I couldn't help but adore. I usually like to read rather than listen to my books, but this is a great story to digest in audio version. James Frangione brings Bowser's personality to life more successfully than I ever could on my own. 
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