My Never Ending List

Sam is no ordinary dog, he’s a detective dog who goes looking for adventure if nothing is happening. By looking at Sam, you would think he was a regular dog but Sam can also talk to ten-year-old Jennie. Sam is full of funny remarks and sarcasm, and is one dog, you will come to love. Using their creative and imitative minds, Sam and Jennie can make a mundane thing something extravagate.

 

I thought this child’s graphic novel was funny and mysterious. I liked the relationship that Sam has with Jennie, they seem to feed off each other. Jennie’s friends know that Sam can talk to her so Jennie relays Sam’s comments to her friends which allow Sam to be part of the conversation. The storyline is full of possibilities and imagination and I enjoyed how their imaginations grow with every new possibility. As new neighbors move in, Jennie, Sam and her friend Beth question the neighbor’s possessions and actions. With all the critters that moved in with them, they come to the conclusion that they are witches and now, the threesome has to do some investigative work to prove their point. It’s comical at times as their quizzical minds go wild looking for answers.

 

I think these are great mysteries for young readers as they consist of simple questions that they investigate and the team uses clues and their imagination to pursue their quest. The text is comical, fast-paced and easy to follow. The mysteries are solved at the end of the novel and Sam is ready for another adventure. I liked the black-and-white illustrations as they follow the easy-to-read storyline. These are great graphic novels for young children and would make a great bedtime story for some children. This novel is part of a series yet I read this one out of order in the series and I had no problem following the storyline.