Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews

Aggie Gets Lost

Aggie Gets Lost

Lori Ries
Illustrator:  Frank W. Dormer 
Fiction  Series
For ages 4 to 6
Charlesbridge, 2011   ISBN: 978-1570916335

Ben and his little dog Aggie are off to the park. When they get there, Ben lets Aggie off her leash and he throws the ball for her. After one really long throw, Aggie does not come back to her young master, which is very unusual. Ben calls for his pet, and he looks all over the place for her, but eventually he has no choice but to go home alone.

To say that Ben is heartbroken is an understatement. His parents quickly set about doing what they can to find Ben’s pet. They all go back to the park and show people pictures of Aggie, asking if anyone has seen her. No one has.

That night lonely Ben worries about Aggie. He doesn’t like how she chews things, and he does not like cleaning up her messes, but Ben loves his dog, and he misses her terribly. Somehow he has to get his dog back.

In this touching chapter book for beginner readers, Lori Ries very effectively gets inside the mind and heart of one little boy. Though the text is written for younger children, and therefore has simple words and shorter sentences, there is still plenty of emotion in the story. Young readers will commiserate with Ben, and will hope that the little boy will find his missing pet.

This is one in a series of books about the adventures of Ben and Aggie.