Ollie Buggins, Detective?

By Gillian Richardson

 Ollie Buggins is part bloodhound—but is he brave like Sherlock Bones (um...Holmes)?

His boy, Harry, thinks so. At their new country home, Ollie is expected to sleep in a doghouse, even in a thunderstorm! But there are strange new smells. Spooky noises! Shadowy figures! If he can't solve these mysteries—even with help from a pair of zany crows and a wisecracking scarecrow—will Harry think he's a coward? Meet Ollie, the reluctant dog detective, and his friends in this chapter book mystery for ages 6-8.

• Language: English
• Publisher: G M Richardson
• Release date: Oct 22, 2020
• ISBN: 9781777287207

Gillian Richardson

Nature, science, a lifelong love of reading about animal characters! For Gillian Richardson, this has been the perfect mix for writing 21 children's books, including both fiction (picture books, chapter books, novels), and nonfiction. Bestsellers, Kaboom! Explosions off All Kinds, and 10 Plants That Shook the World, won international awards. Recent ebook publications include Ollie Buggins, Detective? and Take Me With You, both chapter books for ages 6-8. A collection of short stories for ages 9-12, An Instinct for Survival: Ten Nature Adventures, is rich in detail about each animal's lifestyle and environment. Readers glimpse the constant struggle for survival, and a dramatic moment when everything depends on instinct. For older readers, Seasons at Shiregreene is a memoir that recounts years spent in Prince Edward Island

Book preview

Author Note

Ollie lives again! First published as Oliver Buggins, Investigator? in 2001 by Electric eBook Publishing. the ebook made the Short List for the 2002 Favorite e-Book for the Reader’s Choice Awards (Independent e-Book Awards). When the publisher moved into print books, Oliver was sidelined.

Now revised for chapter book readers 6-8 years, Ollie Buggins, Detective? is available with updated title, cover and images.

Reviewers took a fancy to the first Oliver saying:

"This is a fun book the whole family will enjoy reading together." Danielle Naibert, The Children Book Site

"A marvelous first chapter book...Writer Richardson has created a whole group of delightful critter characters." Molly Martin

"I highly recommend this book....you won’t soon forget the Buggins family, nor their host of country friends." Rita Hestand, Romancing the Web Reviews

You’ll enjoy the new Ollie just as much!

Chapter 1

Ollie Goes Country

Ollie Buggins sat on the sunny porch. He sniffed the country smells that made his whiskers twitch. They smelled way better than the fumes from cars and buses near his old city home. They made his eyes water.

What were these new smells? A bush with purple flowers near the steps had sweet perfume. A spicy scent came from black and white animals in the meadow across the road.

So many new things! Should he go and nose around? Not without Harry. Where was Harry?

The screen door banged behind him. There you are, Ollie. Harry stretched and yawned. I slept in. Mom says it’s because of this good country air. I knew you wouldn’t go off without me.

Not a chance, Ollie thought. He licked Harry's right ear in greeting. Harry scrunched Ollie’s ears in reply. There were few things Ollie liked better than an ear-scrunch. Harry rumpled and scratched them just right. M-m-m-m, it feels good. Ollie rested his paws across his friend's knees. Detective work could wait.

Besides, Ollie wasn’t too sure about this move to a country home. Being a detective in a fenced, city backyard was one thing. No big surprises there. But this place had wide open fields. Patches of shady woods grew here and there. Anything might be out there! What if Harry told everyone here that his dog was part bloodhound? No telling what that might lead to.

I miss the kids on the block already, don’t you, Ollie? Harry scratched the top of Ollie's head. I'm sure glad I have you for a best friend.

Ollie flipped his tail. He was glad about that too. But he didn’t miss some of them one bit. No more tail or whisker pulling by that Arnie kid. No baby Lucy from next door trying to climb on his back. Only Harry.

You ready to go and explore, Ollie? I want to collect rocks.

Ollie wagged his tail harder. Harry collected cool stuff. Rocks might be kinda heavy,