Wednesday and Woof #3: The Runaway Robot

By Sherri Winston and Gladys Jose

It’s a double mystery when a robot and a hamster go missing before the science fair in the third book of this full-color early chapter book series about the best detectives in the Midwest!

Detective Tip #3: Use your imagination and stay calm!

When a classmate’s DIY robot goes missing right before the school Science Fair, Detective Wednesday Nadir and her service dog, Woof are sure they can find it…until the class hamster also disappears! Now the pressure is on! Can Wednesday and Woof use the scientific method to solve two cases at once—or will the stress cause a mess?

HarperChapters build confident readers one chapter at a time! With short, fast-paced books, art on every page, and milestone markers at the end of every chapter, they're the perfect next step for fans of I Can Read!

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Nov 15, 2022
• ISBN: 9780062976116

Sherri Winston

Sherri Winston spent most of her childhood making up stories and reading books. She is proud to be an author for young readers. She currently lives in Central Florida with her two daughters, multiple cats, two turtles, and a happy little doggy.

Book preview

Chapter 1

Robot on the Loose!

ZOOM!

A robot dog shoots across the shiny wood floor of room 12. It makes a whir-whir-whir sound. Bottle caps jingle around its neck like a collar.

Then comes another sound:

Help! cries Anita B. Moosier. She is my bossy neighbor and also my second grade classmate. Rin Tin Robot is getting away!

I look at my best friend, Belinda Bundy. She looks at me. My dog, Woof, looks at me, too. He is not a robot. He is a support dog. He comes to school because of my juvenile arthritis. He says, Woof!

That’s right, Woof! We have to help! I say.

We can’t let the robot dog escape! says Belinda Bundy, ready for action.

Quickly, Woof dashes to block its path. But before Rin Tin Robot reaches him, it hits a cushion on the rug. Then it spins off in another direction!

That way! I point.

Woof! says my dog.

Oh my word! says our teacher, Mrs. Gubbins.

When the robot flies directly toward her, she bends to try and catch it, but Rin Tin Robot is too fast. It races away! Ziiiiiiiiiip!

Anita B., what did you do to that thing? says Calvin. "Or should I say . . . what did your parents do?"

What is that supposed to mean, Calvin T. Parker? says Anita B. My dad helped, but I built it myself. And anyway, mind your own business.

Woof races past the robot and skids to a stop. He waits until Rin Tin Robot rolls right into him. Then Woof curves his body so the robot has no place to go!

Belinda Bundy cheers. That’s what I call teamwork. The Wednesday and Woof Detective Agency saves the day again!

Anita B. scoops up her runaway robot. We didn’t need any Detective Walia, she mutters.

Sigh!

Reviews for Wednesday and Woof #3

[blbooks-14314 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

First sentence: Zoom! A robot dog shoots across the shiny wood floor of room 12. It makes a whir-whir-whir sound. Bottle caps jingle around its neck like a collar.Premise/plot: Wednesday Nadir (our detective heroine) and Woof (her faithful dog companion) have two mysteries to solve in this illustrated early chapter book mystery series for young readers. It is the third in the series. [Books can standalone, in my opinion.] The first mystery is a MISSING robot. The second mystery is the class pet--a hamster. Both are missing when the class returns from recess. Are these mysteries linked? My thoughts: It is what it is. I don't know many mystery series geared towards new readers [early chapter books] that will thrill adults as well. But that's not really the purpose, is it??? I think for early elementary grades this series is appropriate and (probably, possibly) appealing. This one is set entirely within the school setting--which I appreciate because it allows for more suspects and a bigger world to detect in as opposed to your own backyard.