| Code and cipher stories |
| Books and reading -- Juvenile fiction |
| Libraries -- Juvenile fiction |
| Cipher stories |
| Ciphers -- Fiction |
| Ciphers -- Juvenile fiction |
| Code stories |
| Cryptogram stories |
| Cryptography -- Fiction |
| Cryptography -- Juvenile fiction |
Available:
Library | Shelf Number | Shelf Location | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
Searching... Roderick School | FIC KER | FICTION | Searching... Unknown |
Bound With These Titles
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Summary
Summary
While volunteering at a local graveyard, Derek discovers that solving a mystery from long ago will also help him put his own present-day fears to rest.
While tracking clues from a secret code penciled in the margins of mystery novels at a public library, Derek Knowles-Collier discovers a time capsule that may finally put his haunting past to rest.
At QueensviewElementary, grade-six students are required to complete a community service unit as part of their school curriculum. Derek Knowles-Collier was sick when groups were assigned, so he is stuck with what's leftover: landscape and repair duty at the local cemetery.
Derek is not happy about his assignment. When he was very young, his friend Dennis was killed by a car after running into the road to catch a ball. Ever since, Derek has had recurring nightmares, and he is afraid that spending time in a cemetery will make it even harder for him to sleep through the night.
It's a relief, therefore, when his group's lessons on all aspects of cemetery care are so interesting and strange that Derek just doesn't have time to dwell on his experience with death. And when it rains, the lessons take place in the nearby public library, which takes him out of the cemetery altogether, at least for an afternoon.
One day, a book arrives at the library, an anonymous donation that happens every year. On reading the book, Derek and his group mates find a secret code written on an inside margin. One code leads to the next, with the last code leading the students to a time capsule.
Through a series of discoveries and deductions, Derek and his friends discover who has been sending books to the library every year. They also discover the truth behind Dennis's long-ago death, which means that Derek is finally able to put his terrifying memories (and his nightmares) to rest.
INCLUDES A SECRET CODE FOR READERS TO DECIPHER!
Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.3
Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.6
Distinguish their own point of view from that of the narrator or those of the characters.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.6
Describe how a narrator's or speaker's point of view influences how events are described.
Reviews (3)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-7-Sixth-graders Derek, Pascal, and Merrilee are assigned volunteer work at the Twillingate Cemetery, assisting with gravestone upkeep, among other tasks. On rainy days, cotton-eyed Mr. Creelman, along with the eccentric Cemetery Brigade, instructs the trio in the nearby library on reading carvings, symbols, epitaphs, and the properties of different types of stones. Meanwhile, Merrilee discovers a trail of secret codes inside several mystery books that leads to a locker at school that is a time capsule. The more clues the friends find, the more secrets are unearthed. The more they learn from Creelman, the more Derek's fear of cemeteries lessens. Unfortunately, his nightmares about a childhood accident involving an orange rubber ball have returned to haunt him. Kerrin understands this age group and creates a sympathetic protagonist who will draw in readers. While the dialogue is sharp, the moments when Derek admits his most private feelings and recalls his nightmares for readers are standouts, as they portray authentic preteen feelings of self-doubt, self-consciousness, and even guilt. Given the subject matter, the author strikes just the right balance between gloomy ambience and lighthearted humor. While the many plot threads seem to tangle here and there, the author delivers a satisfying conclusion with all loose ends tied up. Even though Derek experiences an upsetting loss, he finds closure. Going far beyond mystery book conventions, Spotted Dog is also a well-told story of growth and self-forgiveness.-Elly Schook, Jamieson Elementary School, Chicago (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
Derek, with two misfit classmates, is learning about the care and history of an old cemetery for a school community service project. The work disturbs Derek's old memories of a friend's long-ago death but also propels him to deal with thoughts he would rather bury. A mystery lightens the somber tone of Derek's emotional journey to self-forgiveness in this satisfying novel. (c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
A sixth-grade community-service project at the town cemetery leads to mystery, new friendships and a cathartic resolution for a troubled young boy. He and his fellow project members, each with their own quirks, meet first at the library, where they learn about cemetery maintenance from a group of elderly men led by Mr. Creelman, who barks out information and gives pop quizzes. Along the way, they discover a mystery book with a secret code scribbled in the margins, and they find all kinds of interconnections among Mr. Creelman, other members of the community, past and present, and a time capsule. The project unleashes a host of painful memories for Derek, who has persistent nightmares involving his best friend, Dennis, who was hit by a car and killed when he was chasing a ball that Derek had kicked. Kerrin makes it all work. Derek tells his own story, allowing readers to empathize with his fears and struggles as he comes to grips with them. The supporting characters are pleasingly eccentric, and the action is fast-paced. The plot is convoluted and deals with some serious issues, but it all comes together in a manner that seems perfectly reasonable. There is even a secret code for readers to solve for themselves. Surprising twists and turns amid laughter and tears. (Fiction. 9-12)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.