I am excited to be the first to kick off the
Rockstar Book Tours blog tour for Shauna Holyoak's debut middle grade novel.
Title: KAZU JONES AND THE DENVER DOGNAPPERS
Author: Shauna Holyoak
Pub. Date: April 23, 2019
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Formats: Hardcover, eBook
Pages: 320
SUMMARY: Packed with high
stakes mystery and tons of heart, this first installment in a new series
introduces Kazu Jones-a spunky, scrappy detective who's this generation's
Harriet the Spy.
When a string of
dognappings grips her Denver neighborhood, Kazu Jones vows to track down the
culprits. She can't stand to see more dogs go missing-especially once her
neighbors' beloved pet is taken because of her gigantic mistake.
With the help of her
gang-including her best friend and expert hacker, March; and her ginormous,
socially anxious pup, Genki-Kazu uncovers evidence that suggests the dognapping
ring is bigger than she ever imagined. But the more she digs, the more
dangerous her investigation becomes. The dognappers are getting bolder, and
Genki could be next.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY: “In this spirited debut, Holyoak introduces an
indefatigable heroine whose distinct voice and loyal canine companion
contribute to her considerable appeal. The diverse allies, plot twists, and
delightful dogs make this a memorable beginning for Kazu and her friends.”
KIRKUS: “Holyoak creates a well-paced mystery with approachable characters and
issues. The dognapping case and the go-get-’em attitude of Kazu provide just
enough suspense and action without being too scary. Holyoak sprinkles in topics
of growing up, including friendship, relationships with parents, mean people,
and telling the truth. A not-too-scary, diverse mystery for those who
love action, dogs, and spunky heroines.”
REVIEW: This was a cute, fun, quick read about a little Japanese American girl named Kazuko or Kazu for short. She is her neighborhood paper girl. She is also an up and coming detective which gets her into a lot of trouble with her mom and a nuisance to the police and neighbors. Her latest case is about dogs going missing and being dog-napped. She enlists the help of her best friend March who is a 10 year old hacker thanks to his college bound sister. They find a suspect and that's not the hardest thing in her life at the moment. she has to sing a duet about friendship with a girl she does not get along with. Talk about middle school torture!!
I connected with this book in a way I was not expecting. The title is pretty obvious but I figured that would be a kind of small part or some kind of prank. I connected with the character of Mrs. Tanner. She is a pregnant woman who has a dog named Barkley. She lets Kazu walk her dog for money and Kazu lets Barkley off the leash. She gets stolen and Mrs. Tanner is devestated.
I connected with this character because when I was pregnant with my last kid, we had a black lab named Shoka and he was my buddy. We moved into a new house before my daughter was born because we needed more space and Shoka had a big back yard. Three days before Christmas, Shoka and out other dog who we had just adopted went missing. The day after Christmas, we got a visit from a man who owned the field behind our house and said that our dogs were ruining his grass and eating the quail and birds. Then he told us that our dogs went to his house and ate his chickens. His house was a good 3 miles away from our house and on the other side of the high way. He took us to court and we were sued for his chickens that our dogs "ate". He had killed our dogs and took pictures of them and showed them to my husband. His grandson eventually came to our house after the court meeting and told us how his grandfather was bragging about taking two dogs and blackmailing the new people in the neighborhood. Long story short, my two dogs were stolen and planted in a yard full of cock fighting chickens and then were killed.
Shauna has
been telling stories long before she could ride a bike, and some of them are
even true! She writes for kids and teens and thinks it’s kinda the best job
ever. Kazu Jones and the Denver Dognappers is her debut novel, and it will be
released on April 23, 2019! She lives in Idaho Falls, ID with her husband, six
of their seven children, and two naughty dogs.
Giveaway Details:
3 winners will receive finished signed
or unsigned copies of KAZU JONES AND THE DENVER DOGNAPPERS, US Only.
Giveaway Link:
Tour Schedule:
Week One:
Week Two:
