• Age: 9 to 12
• Grade: 4 to 7
• Reading age: 9 to 12

When lightning strikes the school playground, Annie's dog loses her bark. After Mike's dog loses his bark as well, he and Annie decide to do some sleuthing. Searching for clues, they discover that the new school custodian, Mr. Duffy, is somehow involved in these strange events. Finally, Annie and Mike solve the terrible secret of the Graveyard Hounds-disembodied howls with the power to bring disaster on the entire town.

Vi Hughes has been fascinated by the art of storytelling all her life. She is a writer and educator who teaches the importance of reading aloud to children, especially before bedtime. She lives in North Vancouver near her grandchildren who are her main advisors.

 

Vi Hughes' profile page

"Could be used as a gateway to legends from around the world."

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The Graveyard Hounds

In this story set in the hectic and somewhat unusual days leading up to Halloween, friends Mike and Annie encounter some out of the ordinary people and happenings at their school. The principal is acting strangely and the custodian even more bizarrely. Furthermore, why have all the dogs in town suddenly lost their barks? There is an awfully scary looking reporter around town as well that Mike and Annie wonder about. Is he really just researching the case of the missing dog barks, or is he part of all the difficulty? Mike and Annie investigate and they discover the problem has its roots in an ancient Irish legend. Can they help stop the deadly Curse of the Graveyard Dogs before it’s too late?

This is Hughes’ first novel for young readers. Before becoming a writer she was a teacher and an elementary school Principal.

The Graveyard Hounds

A novel full of mystery, suspense and intrigue, The Graveyard Hounds begins in late October with a violent storm. When lightning strikes the school playground, strange things begin to happen in an otherwise sleepy town. When Mike and Annie’s beloved pets lose their barks, the two children decide to solve the mystery themselves. They soon learn that the new school custodian is connected to the missing barks and is keeping a secret that may endanger the entire town. The arrival of a sinister stranger further thickens the plot as Mike and Annie try to stop the horrible curse of the graveyard hounds.

This delightful first novel by former Vancouver school principal Vi Hughes captures the reader’s attention on the first page and holds it to the very end. Hughes’s experiences as a teacher and principal help to provide the reader with insight into the goings on of your typical public school. The characters are real and appealing and leave the reader wanting to experience more spooky adventures alongside them. Christina Leist’s beautiful illustrations illuminate an already captivating tale and draw the reader’s attention further into the story itself.

This is an excellent novel to be read aloud or discovered personally by any child. The story is interesting, spooky and fast paced while being appropriate for young readers.