Janie's Private Eyes

By Zilpha Keatley Snyder

Book Overview

One by one, dogs are disappearing from thirteen-year-old David Stanley's neighborhood. Who could be taking people's pets? David's eight-year-old sister Janie has just founded the J.V. Stanley detective agency and she's determined to find out. It looks like a case of dognapping, and neighbors are accusing her friends the Trans, a Vietnamese family new to the area. In no time at all David fins himself, Thuy and Huy Tran, and the rest of the Stanley family involved in a search for a missing poodle. But solving crimes can be dangerous, even deadly. Before long, Janie's private eyes are up to their necks in danger and it's up to David to get them out of it

"This fourth book about the eccentric but believable Stanleys and their madcap adventures stands well on its own. . . . Funny and fast-paced."--Kirkus Reviews

"The mystery is credibly solved in a nicely crafted story that has suspense, humor, and natural dialogue."--Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"A funny and quick read that fans of the Stanley family will enjoy. . . ."--School Library Journal

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0375895140
• ISBN13: 9780375895142
• Release Date: January 2001
• Publisher: Random House Children's Books
• Length: 220 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.3" x 8.6"
• Age Range: 9 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 4 to 7

Customer Reviews

janie's private eyes

Janie is the manie person in this story. She founds the J.V stanley agense.She helps a veittamess family who work at a nursey.Janies is friends with one of the children. Her name is Thuy. Janie says she she has a IQ of 145.Janie and the twins Blair and Ester and Thuy and Huy go out to find the dognappers who takeing the dogs in their town.David the older brother and Amanda the stepsister get involed.Mean while David and his friend Pete are doing a report on the missing dogs.Soon everyone is rapped up in the mysterey and their dog Nightmare gets stolen.

Janie- the detective

The Stanley family is never a usual family. They never have natural projects to do, like building a tree house or such- instead, they have projects of becoming super naturalists, of getting out of a kidnapper's hideout, and also, a project of finding out a case of missing dogs. Lead by Janie Stanley, head of the J. V. Stanley Private Eyes, Inc. the whole Stanley family children and their friends intend this time to discover the secret of the missing neighborhood dogs. After a round of interviewing and investigating, accidents with the police and their parents, the Stanley's own dog, Nightmare, is stolen. However, at this, Janie deduces who had stolen all the dogs and go on a hunt. At the end, all the dogs are returned to their owners and the case is solved- all done by the marvelous J.V. Stanley Private Eyes Inc. I have enjoyed Janie's Private Eyes because the Stanley family is so different from other people. I have never known anyone like Janie or her family; with such tangibility to get into scrapes. Of course, it is probably very annoying to live with someone as loud, smart, and obnoxious as Janie, but it is very interesting to hear and read about it. I am a lot like her, for I also talk too much, I am not particularly obedient, I can also be extremely annoying with my logic. In addition, I have never lived in a large country house before, out where it is all grass and miles from other people. It is very interesting, and I have enjoyed reading this book. My favorite part of the story is when the Stanley family children go to the police station. It is so weird how Janie would be excited about going there; since most people, including me, are not only frightened in talking to the police, and even more so to enter the police station- whether guilty or innocent. Hearing how the police question Janie and her sister, Amanda, of who are both very uncooperative in their own ways is funny. Especially Janie, since she is so eager to get fingerprinted and mug shotted. I mean, how can anyone want to be fingerprinted? Would you?