By Jennifer Swanson, for The Children’s Book Review
Published: May 25, 2010
Children around the world will be delighted with the ingenuity of these two dogs as they solve mysteries and go on adventures right from their own backyard. Great for classrooms or home school, these award winning early chapter books will provide engaging entertainment while also creating exceptional learning opportunities.
Penny and Rio: The Mysterious Backyard Meeting
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Paperback: 44 pages
Publisher: Mirror Publishing (December 16, 2008)
Penny, a highly inquisitive young dog, discovers an unlikely group of animals having a late night meeting in her own backyard. Through an ingenious plan, Penny discovers their evil plot. She has to stop them! But will her “sister” dog, Rio, help or is she more concerned with sleeping?
With its surprise ending, this book teaches children that not all things are as they appear and that it is very important to take care of your pets. Early chapter book readers will love discovering how Penny and Rio, canine detectives, solve the first of their many cases.
Add this book to your collection: Penny and Rio: The Mysterious Backyard Meeting
bv Jennifer Swanson
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Paperback: 44 page
Publisher: Mirror Publishing (August 4, 2009)
In Penny and Rio: The Locked Doghouse Mystery, the intrepid dog detectives, Penny and Rio, are on the case again. Squeaky, the mouse, needs Penny’s help to get his precious belongings from a locked doghouse. Along with Hobbes, a massive Great Dane, Penny and Rio strive to complete this adventure. What are the dogs to do? Squeaky’s valuables seem lost forever. Can they open the doghouse in time?
Children will applaud the ingenious and hysterical attempts of the dog’s to open the house. They will love to guess what is inside, only to be utterly surprised at the result. Follow along as the dynamic detectives, Penny and Rio, discover that they can do anything, as long as they work together.
Add this book to your collection: Penny and Rio: The Locked Doghouse Mystery
Both books have been awarded the Mom’s Choice Award and the Dove Foundation’s Family Approved Seal!
About the author: A graduate of the U. S. Naval Academy, Jennifer Swanson’s lifelong interest in books led her to become a children’s author. Her award-winning books about Penny and Rio the dynamic canine detectives, have delighted children across the country. Both books have been awarded the prestigious Mom’s Choice Award for juvenile fiction and The Dove Foundation’s Family Approved Seal. Both awards indicate an excellence in family-friendly media.
Penny and Rio have gone international! You will soon be able to read the Thai version of both Penny and Rio books. In addition, Penny and Rio will be introduced to the French market in spring 2010.
Jennifer has her Masters of Education in K-8 science and is a graduate of three courses from the Institute of Children’s Literature. She is an active member of SCBWI and also a member of the Florida Writer’s Association. Currently, she is employed as a science instructor for Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Talented Youth.
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