Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 02/01/2021 Gr 2–4—Dog and girl detective duo King and Kayla are playing in the snow with friend Mason building a snow fort when they are joined by Asia, who shows the group her newly acquired gold ring, a family heirloom she prizes. After a snowball fight, the group goes inside to warm up and drink cocoa, and Mom tosses their wet things in the dryer. When Asia realizes her precious ring is missing, the friends search everywhere. Did King eat the ring? Did it go down the drain? Is it outside buried in the snow? The trio list facts, then make an action plan, even going so far as to have Mom take apart the sink. Meanwhile, King interrogates the noisy crow outside, convinced that he is the culprit. In a fun twist, the narrative is told from the dog's perspective. King can understand the humans, although they cannot comprehend him, and he can also speak with the crow. King's inner monologues are hilarious and heartfelt as he tries to communicate his important detective observations with the humans in his life. Meyers depicts King in generously allotted colored sketches with articulated facial expressions. Highly entertaining, this funny and warm story contains life lessons for young readers about friendship, responsibility, and problem-solving. VERDICT This early chapter book, with five distinct sections, will serve as a terrific transition reader for those just beginning to delve into chapter book level reading. Recommended for juvenile fiction collections.—Lauren Younger, Univ. of Dallas Lib. - Copyright 2021 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 02/15/2021 In this seventh installation of the King and Kayla series, for readers transitioning to chapter books, five brief chapters continue the story of Kayla and her mystery-solving pet, King, an appealing golden retriever with expressive eyes and cute mannerisms. This time around, Kayla, who is a Black girl, and her crew are playing in the snow when one of the friends loses a gold ring she got from her grandmother. But did she lose it outside, or was it when the kids went into Kayla’s house to warm up? The ensuing mystery introduces concepts like retracing steps and making lists of ideas and even introduces the genre trope of a red herring—in this case, a crow, King’s nemesis, who loves glittery things. King has to endure the classic plight of animals—how to get humans to understand what he’s thinking—but eventually, his sharp eyes lead to a logical conclusion, and all ends well, with King the hero. Meyer’s drawings, pleasant and simple to parse, help support the story. A satisfying addition to easy-reader collections. - Copyright 2021 Booklist.