This story introduces a detective dog named Upton Charles, usually referred to as "Upton" by his human family. He and the family's cat Watson use their amplified senses to contribute to investigations. Over the course of 22 chapters, they try to solve the mystery of a hundred-year-old sailboat in suspiciously excellent condition. Along the way, they end up uncovering a much larger mystery.
The main characters of this novel are Upton, Watson and the Charles family. The family consists of Mom, Dad and the twins Veronica and Alex. Dad is the main human detective, with the rest of the family playing minor roles. My favorite part is chapter six, when they utilize the Internet in order to help their investigation. It is a small detail, but it showcases their resourcefulness.
While Upton Charles-Dog Detective Time Tale does not have a single easily identifiable message, it contains several smaller messages. One of these is the importance of teamwork. Upton, Watson and Dad all contribute to the investigation in different ways. Instead of the typical rivalry between cats and dogs, Upton and Watson demonstrate their friendship through concern for each other.
I give Upton Charles-Dog Detective Time Tale 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 6 to 9. It is available as an e-book so, look for it.
Reviewed by Eden T., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 11
I like the e-book Upton Charles-Dog Detective Time Tale because it is very interesting and full of knowledge. I like how the narrator is a dog named Upton Charles, who is also the main character. I also like how easy it is to read this book and that you can either read or listen to it.
This book is about a Bichon Frise dog named Upton, his loyal assistant cat Watson and their owners The Charles family - Mom, Dad and twins Veronica and Alex. Upton and his family discover an old sailboat at the local shipyard. The father, Mr. Hank, and a friend named KJ try to find out who made the sailboat. A Navy Seal Admiral named Bill says he has an interest in the boat named Sweet Pea. They find out that the boat is over 100 years old, but still haven't found the person who made it. Upton and Watson team up to find the person who built the boat.
D. G. Stern is the author of the award-winning Upton Charles - Dog Detective series for younger readers as well as other children's books. He has also written four adult mysteries including Hot Tea & Cold Case, There's Always Tomorrow, Stabbing Along the Straightaway and Chaos at The Concourse, as well as numerous screenplays. Ginger Marks is the illustrator and Neptune Press is the publisher. I like how the text's font is a combination of Comic Sans MS font and the Georgia font. The book doesn't have that many pictures, but the few pictures it has are hand drawn looking pictures of the main idea in each chapter. This e-book has 102 pages and 22 chapters.
The moral of this story is "don't judge a book by its cover." Hank, Upton, Watson, KJ and Bill are mistaken in who they think is the person that made Sweet Pea and, through their detective work, they figure out who the actual builder is.
I give Upton Charles - Dog Detective Time Tale 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it to ages 7 to 18 plus adults. This e-book was released June 1, 2020, so hurry up and look for it!
Reviewed by Ethan P., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 11
I was thoroughly engrossed while reading Upton Charles-Dog Detective Time Tale. This book had me invested in the plot throughout the whole story! While reading this tale you experience mystery, comedy and fun along with our hero, detective Upton Charles.
Upton Charles-Dog Detective Time Tale is a mystery told from the perspective of a three-year-old Bichon Frise pup. The mystery revolves around a curious boat that was brought down to the old boatyard where Upton's human works with no sign of who made it or where it came from. Things get crazy when a Navy Admiral arrives and tells a story about the possible origin of the boat, but it doesn't seem so real as much as science fiction.
The message of this story is that little things can make all the difference when working on something. If Upton, his dad, the twins, KJ and the Navy Admiral (Bill) hadn't all worked together and followed the clues, they wouldn't have solved the mystery. If they hadn't paid attention to the little clues and listened to each other, they definitely wouldn't have solved the mystery.
In this tale, there are many great examples of descriptive writing such as when Upton describes the boat cabin - "The forward portion of the cabin forms a small v-shaped space in which anchors, ropes, and sails are stored. The sides of the cabin are lined with cabinets. A small sink is on the left as you enter the cabin, and a cooking stove is on the right." This type of writing makes it easy and paints a picture in your mind. Speaking of pictures, I especially enjoyed the illustrations throughout the book. The Illustrator, Ginger Marks, made them cartoonish, yet detailed. The only problem in the whole story is when the author, D.G. Stern, mentions Upton wanting to eat chocolate, "Chocolate chip cookies sound good to me." Dogs can't have chocolate. It is very bad for them, especially small dogs where, even a small amount of chocolate, could make them sick or possibly kill them.
I give Upton Charles-Dog Detective Time Tale 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it to ages 5 to 12. This book is available now, so look for it.
Reviewed by Allison B., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 13
Upton Charles Dog Detective Time Tale is a spectacular book for young readers. It's about a Bichon Frise dog named Upton as he uncovers a wild mystery. He is easy to connect to. His personality is amusing which children will love. Upton and Watson are polar opposites, yet make adorable siblings. Upton possesses human qualities which are perfect for the book. He is determined to uncover the case. He's a wonderful character. Throughout the book, when the going gets tough, he works through it and never gives up. The special part about this book is seeing how much he loves his family and how much he wishes to be like humans. By the end of the book, readers will see their pets or animals differently. The descriptions used to describe the boats, locations and setting are wonderful. They are thorough and paint a clear picture for younger readers.
The storyline follows Upton Charles, his owner Hank, and his cat companion, Watson, who find themselves in a mystery. New boats appear at the ship yard, but no one knows where they came from. However the boats seem to be about 100 years old. It is up to Upton to figure out what is going on.
I really like Upton's character. His humanlike mind is adorable as he states things he wishes to do, but being a dog, he cannot do. He wants to go to school, just like his human siblings do and he says, "it's not fair." He wants to do humanlike things but he cannot. So being a detective is difficult for him. Nevertheless, he works on uncovering the case. The moral of the story about working hard until the end. Being a dog never stops Upton from working on this case. I certainly recommend this e-book for families with young children since they will like the cute storyline.
As this is a children's book, no aggressive topics are handled. The characters treat each other kindly. There is no stereotyping, since the main character is a dog. It is unlike most detective stories in that way.
The cover illustration showcase little Upton with his big bushy white fur in full color. Inside the book, the illustrations are in sketch form. On the first page we see him sleeping with his friend Watson. The reader can immediately see the friendship and love which is definitely a positive attribute.
The message is about never giving up, as we see Upton doing. He does not give up, even when the circumstances become difficult.
My favorite parts in the book are in Chapter Four, when Upton describes the ship in perfect detail. It helps young readers easily visualize what kind of ship the characters are on.
I give this book 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 6 to 12. Reviewed by Heather S., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 14
In this well-paced chapter book, Upton finds himself in the middle of an odd mystery, pertaining to the idea of time travel. Upton and his human family discover a supposed century-old boat, named Sweet Pea, in new, pristine condition at his human father's (Hank Charles), friend's (KJ) boat slip. The characters are curious as to how the boat appeared, who the boat belongs to, and how the whole situation is plausible. The characters collaborate in order to unravel the mystery and encounter some peculiar people that help further their investigation along the way.
Not only is the action of the mystery, adventure and idea of teamwork wonderful for younger children, the underlying message of questioning and being curious is also another great additive of this book. It shows children that it is beneficial to be creative and use their imagination while learning. Other positive messages are sprinkled throughout the book as well which furthers children's thinking.
I recommend the Upton Charles Dog Detective: Time Tale to young readers, ages 7 to 10 and give it 4.5 out of 5 stars. Even though I am older than the targeted audience, I still found the tale intriguing.
Reviewed by Tor F., KIDS FIRST! Adult Reviewer.
Their efforts are interrupted by the appearance of a Navy admiral, who has a very curious interest in the sloop "Sweet Pea" and her builder, August Mayer, a brilliant, but reclusive scientist.
The mystery is intensified because the boat appears to be brand new, but almost 100 years old at the same time. Join Upton, Watson and the rest of the Charles family as they search for the answers in Time Tale.
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