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Sixth grader Riley Abercrombie is on a mission to get her Grandma Suzie a perfect pooch in Friends in Strange Places.
Friends in Strange Places (Heroes on the Home Front Mysteries #2) by Nell Barnum. Moody Publishers, 2025. 208 pages.
- Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12
- Recommended For: ages 8-12
Grandma Suzie is going to get a dog! And Riley and Noah are all set to help. Grandma Suzie finds one in a town a couple of hours away that sounds like the Perfect Pooch: mission accepted. The three head off on their adventure, planning to confirm the dog is as perfect as it sounds and be home by the end of the day.
Not so fast! This is a mystery after all, and Riley notices someone suspicious at their diner stop. Who is that sketchy man? When they arrive at the town, everyone is preparing for a big festival to honor the German POWs housed there during World War II. Both prisoners and wardens are gathering, some from as far away as Germany. But someone is sabotaging the festival plans. Even worse: someone has already claimed the perfect pooch!
Riley is on the case. Together, she and Noah make many snap judgments that, um, get corrected. Grandma Suzie is a trooper, and all three learn a lot about the POWs and their treatment on U.S. soil during the war. (Like the first Heroes on the Home Front Mystery, Riley’s notes are sprinkled throughout the book, adding much interesting historical fact to the surface-level mystery.) Riley, Noah, and Grandma Suzie find their faith tested as they await the resolution to Operation Perfect Pooch. They also learn that people are not always what they seem.
Bottom Line: Another winning middle grades mystery for those who enjoy learning historical tidbits along the way.
Related Reading From Redeemed Reader
- Review: Don’t miss the first Heroes on the Home Front mystery: Keep ‘Em Flying.
- Review: The Candymakers and The Candymakers and the Great Chocolate Chase are more fun mysteries for this age group.
- A Resource: Our Mystery Booklist is our number one booklist!
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