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Legend of the Ghost Dog
A thrilling mystery set against a stark landscape and the inspiration of Nome's real-life dog hero, Balto.
Twelve-year-old Tee has just moved to Nome, Alaska, with her writer father and sullen little brother, Jack. Jack isn't happy about the idea of living in the middle of nowhere, but Tee and her dog Henry are thrilled -- so much open space to run around and sniff!
But on a walk near their new house, Henry spots something that has him seriously spooked. Tee sees a mysterious shadow, and it seems to be following them. Have they disturbed a restless spirit? And what other secrets might this dark place be holding?
Twelve-year-old Tee has just moved to Nome, Alaska, with her writer father and sullen little brother, Jack. Jack isn't happy about the idea of living in the middle of nowhere, but Tee and her dog Henry are thrilled -- so much open space to run around and sniff!
But on a walk near their new house, Henry spots something that has him seriously spooked. Tee sees a mysterious shadow, and it seems to be following them. Have they disturbed a restless spirit? And what other secrets might this dark place be holding?
208 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2012
47 people are currently reading
636 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 122 reviews
January 13, 2024
Really enjoyed the book. I like it when a good middle school aimed book is just a grown up book that's just a little shorter and happens to have young girls as the main characters. So quick fun read. Good part for a dog or two, (do ghost dogs count as a dog?). Nice story set in Alaska, so even not completely directed at dog sledding dogs, there is snow and dogs involved. Even Balto and Togo are mentioned.
I like the banter between Tee (Anita) and Quinn. They hit it off quickly when they find they both like hiking and reading. Here is a good part when they are talking about a quiz from a book Zodiac Guide to Besties and Boys:
“Question one. On your ideal date, would you most enjoy (a) a dinner at a trendy new restaurant, (b) a long walk on the beach, or (c) a burger and an evening of bowling?’ That’s it? Those are my only choices?”
“I choose (d) spinsterhood,” I said.
“Right,” Quin agreed. “Or (e) browsing the stacks at Barnes & Noble.”
“Plus, we need to know who the date is with,” I said. “Bowling can be dangerous if your partner has terrible aim.”
“And we need to know what state we live in,” Quin added. “Is this beach we might walk on in Malibu or Maine?”
“Yeah, and this hypothetical burger at the bowling alley .. . I mean, does it come with fries or anything? Can I get a milkshake?”
There are also a lot of nice one liners I thought were fun:
"Well, if people can be ghosts, why couldn't dogs?"
"Ghost Whisperer meets the Dog Whisperer"
"If you know where to look, there are ghosts everywhere."
Enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anyone.
I like the banter between Tee (Anita) and Quinn. They hit it off quickly when they find they both like hiking and reading. Here is a good part when they are talking about a quiz from a book Zodiac Guide to Besties and Boys:
“Question one. On your ideal date, would you most enjoy (a) a dinner at a trendy new restaurant, (b) a long walk on the beach, or (c) a burger and an evening of bowling?’ That’s it? Those are my only choices?”
“I choose (d) spinsterhood,” I said.
“Right,” Quin agreed. “Or (e) browsing the stacks at Barnes & Noble.”
“Plus, we need to know who the date is with,” I said. “Bowling can be dangerous if your partner has terrible aim.”
“And we need to know what state we live in,” Quin added. “Is this beach we might walk on in Malibu or Maine?”
“Yeah, and this hypothetical burger at the bowling alley .. . I mean, does it come with fries or anything? Can I get a milkshake?”
There are also a lot of nice one liners I thought were fun:
"Well, if people can be ghosts, why couldn't dogs?"
"Ghost Whisperer meets the Dog Whisperer"
"If you know where to look, there are ghosts everywhere."
Enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anyone.
June 30, 2025
This was surprisingly touching and a really great mystery. It had me in my toes, and spook me in all the right moments.
And, well, my general love for dogs just made me love this one a little bit more.
And, well, my general love for dogs just made me love this one a little bit more.
June 29, 2020
While I did have a bit of a bone to pick about the obvious child negelct here this is still a good story. There is a mini history lesson in there too so that's cool. A few continuity errors but you can get over them.
When Tee's dad moves her and her little brother Jack to Alaska to do some research for a book she thinks it's heaven to be away from people where she can hike and read all day. From day one she gets paired with Quin who is basically her twin. The two of them soon become obsessed with shadow, the ghost dog they see in the woods. They try to figure out the mystery before Tee must go home to New York.
When Tee's dad moves her and her little brother Jack to Alaska to do some research for a book she thinks it's heaven to be away from people where she can hike and read all day. From day one she gets paired with Quin who is basically her twin. The two of them soon become obsessed with shadow, the ghost dog they see in the woods. They try to figure out the mystery before Tee must go home to New York.
April 1, 2022
was obsessed with this book in 2nd grade so i decided to reread to see how good it actually was and surprisingly it wasn’t that bad
March 26, 2020
Good:
-The pacing feels jaunty, I never felt like the story was dragging. This is especially good given we are told that there is a hard time limit on events.
-I liked Tee, thought she was fairly relatable. Or as relatable as I can be to a teenage girl.
-It focuses more on friendship and familial love and that's fun. There is no convoluted love triangle, or romantic sub-plot at all really.
-The annoying kid brother is written well enough to get an idea of his character but not to the point of actually annoying the reader.
Bad
-The ending was pretty easy to guess, it all came together as was foretold.
-That may have had to do with the minor 'Dodie' insert chapters. They really tip the hand of the books big secret, such as it is.
-Despite the jaunty pace it does feel a little aimless. More of a 'live in the moment' plot instead of a 'get somewhere'.
Fiddly
-The cover promised a scary story, but the scares were nearly non-existent. It treats the supernatural as a curiosity instead of a source of terror.
Final thoughts
I checked this out while working in the youth section of the library based on the cover and back blurb. I had hoped for a 'scary' book but instead found a nice story of two new friends who decide to investigate the titular ghost dog. Had I read it as a much younger man I imagine it would have found a place on my shelves and probably a couple of rereads. Likable characters, bookish mains, dogs, Alaskan countryside; what's not to love?
As a bonus, I have a friend who loves books, hiking, and beagles so I may just recommend this to her. As a bonus she was once a teenage girl.
-The pacing feels jaunty, I never felt like the story was dragging. This is especially good given we are told that there is a hard time limit on events.
-I liked Tee, thought she was fairly relatable. Or as relatable as I can be to a teenage girl.
-It focuses more on friendship and familial love and that's fun. There is no convoluted love triangle, or romantic sub-plot at all really.
-The annoying kid brother is written well enough to get an idea of his character but not to the point of actually annoying the reader.
Bad
-The ending was pretty easy to guess, it all came together as was foretold.
-That may have had to do with the minor 'Dodie' insert chapters. They really tip the hand of the books big secret, such as it is.
-Despite the jaunty pace it does feel a little aimless. More of a 'live in the moment' plot instead of a 'get somewhere'.
Fiddly
-The cover promised a scary story, but the scares were nearly non-existent. It treats the supernatural as a curiosity instead of a source of terror.
Final thoughts
I checked this out while working in the youth section of the library based on the cover and back blurb. I had hoped for a 'scary' book but instead found a nice story of two new friends who decide to investigate the titular ghost dog. Had I read it as a much younger man I imagine it would have found a place on my shelves and probably a couple of rereads. Likable characters, bookish mains, dogs, Alaskan countryside; what's not to love?
As a bonus, I have a friend who loves books, hiking, and beagles so I may just recommend this to her. As a bonus she was once a teenage girl.
September 29, 2017
Finished this forever ago in the middle of a crazy time ... wish I remembered it more. A student was desperate for me to read it, and my overwhelming impression was that I would've loved it when I was 11, which is the last time I read a book about a ghost dog. It was called Shadow, and it wrecked me.
February 13, 2019
(Re-Read) this book amazed me when I read it about 4/5 years ago. The suspense, the humor and action was just edge-of-dear worthy way back when. And that hasn’t changed for me, years later.
September 21, 2019
This story has everything for preteens on up. Mystery, humor, characters, you will like very much; and, of course, Shadow, the ghost dog. Quick, fun read.
January 20, 2025
I read this with my 7 and 10 year old, and we all really enjoyed it. Although it’s about a ghost dog, it was more about family and loss, so not too scary for the 7 year old. Some of it was a bit above his understanding, but for the most part it did keep his attention. Overall they both gave it 4 stars!
October 23, 2018
I read this with my 5th and 6th graders and they loved it! It's nice to read a book about kids in Alaska, but it's obvious the author is not from Alaska. She did her best at recreating the Alaskan wilderness, but she did miss a lot of key factors.
This book combines mystery, adventure, and sled dogs. The two main characters have a great friendship, which is so important for girls to see in middle grade (I'm tired of frienemies in middle grade). There's a goofy father that's not absentee but also gives the kids space to have an adventure.
The biggest disappointment is the lack of Alaska Native culture. If you live around Nome (where the story takes place) then you'd be apart or at least affected by the surrounding Alaska Native culture.
Overall, it was a fun book. Not too deep or scary, but different enough for 5th and 6th graders to enjoy.
This book combines mystery, adventure, and sled dogs. The two main characters have a great friendship, which is so important for girls to see in middle grade (I'm tired of frienemies in middle grade). There's a goofy father that's not absentee but also gives the kids space to have an adventure.
The biggest disappointment is the lack of Alaska Native culture. If you live around Nome (where the story takes place) then you'd be apart or at least affected by the surrounding Alaska Native culture.
Overall, it was a fun book. Not too deep or scary, but different enough for 5th and 6th graders to enjoy.
May 11, 2016
This book was so awesome and suspensful!!!!!
Tee, her brother Jack, her dad, and her dog Henry go on vacation to Alaska, because of her dad's research. One day she goes on a walk with Henry and he got loose. Tee finally finds him whining at a bush she goes and catches him but has this weird feeling that someone is watching her. Tee makes friends with another researcher's daughter, Quin. Quin knows a lot more around there than Tee, so maybe she can help find what that"someone" is in the bush.
Tee, her brother Jack, her dad, and her dog Henry go on vacation to Alaska, because of her dad's research. One day she goes on a walk with Henry and he got loose. Tee finally finds him whining at a bush she goes and catches him but has this weird feeling that someone is watching her. Tee makes friends with another researcher's daughter, Quin. Quin knows a lot more around there than Tee, so maybe she can help find what that"someone" is in the bush.
March 3, 2016
Out in the Alaskan wilderness, there is something waiting for you...for your soul. As Tee is walking his dog, Henry, it was waiting for them. You have to read this book to find out what is waiting for them. It is up to Tee and her new friend Quinn to unravel the mystery. This book has a lot of mystery, adventure and creepy moments. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes mystery. I give this book two thumbs up.
December 4, 2012
I thought this book was great. it was the type of book that I love to read!!!!!!
June 15, 2015
I was more interested in Dodie's story than the whole dog ghost thing. Also, I'm tired of the girls-who-read-don't-have-friends stereotype.
November 7, 2015
This book was given to me by a student, so I felt compelled to read it. overall, it was pretty good.
February 1, 2017
January Book Review
Legend of the Ghost Dog
By: Elizabeth Cody Kimmel
As Tee visits the crisp, cool state of Alaska, she meets new friends, goes on wonderful adventures, and sees lots of dogs, but mystery follows her around, waiting to be discovered. Tee is a young intelligent, caring girl. She loves books, hiking, and most of all dogs! Her dads work brings Tee, and her younger brother Jack to Alaska. Tee can't wait to begin exploring the woods of Alaska, along with her dog Henry, but when something in the woods spooks both Henry and Tee a new adventure unrolls, waiting to be explored. Tee makes a new friend Quinn, and they instantly become close. Quinn is tall, with red hair, and is very adventurous. She too, shares a love for dogs. Tee and Quinn set out to solve the mystery of the "ghost dog" who supposedly has lived in the woods for over 50 years. As two stories come together, revealing the true bond of an owner and their dog, Tee and Quinn realize how important it is to believe in the good in dogs, because they could just be trying to show you something important...
The theme of this book is to always look for the good in people. Tee wasn't to sure about Quinn at first. All she was relying on was her previous times with meeting new kids her age. She learned to give people a second chance, and to look for the best in them. Tee and Quinn ended up becoming best friends. Dodie (another character) also had to trust her dog, and to believe that her dog was going to help her.
Legend of the Ghost Dog
By: Elizabeth Cody Kimmel
As Tee visits the crisp, cool state of Alaska, she meets new friends, goes on wonderful adventures, and sees lots of dogs, but mystery follows her around, waiting to be discovered. Tee is a young intelligent, caring girl. She loves books, hiking, and most of all dogs! Her dads work brings Tee, and her younger brother Jack to Alaska. Tee can't wait to begin exploring the woods of Alaska, along with her dog Henry, but when something in the woods spooks both Henry and Tee a new adventure unrolls, waiting to be explored. Tee makes a new friend Quinn, and they instantly become close. Quinn is tall, with red hair, and is very adventurous. She too, shares a love for dogs. Tee and Quinn set out to solve the mystery of the "ghost dog" who supposedly has lived in the woods for over 50 years. As two stories come together, revealing the true bond of an owner and their dog, Tee and Quinn realize how important it is to believe in the good in dogs, because they could just be trying to show you something important...
The theme of this book is to always look for the good in people. Tee wasn't to sure about Quinn at first. All she was relying on was her previous times with meeting new kids her age. She learned to give people a second chance, and to look for the best in them. Tee and Quinn ended up becoming best friends. Dodie (another character) also had to trust her dog, and to believe that her dog was going to help her.
March 4, 2023
The first nine-tenths of the novel was expertly written, and I really liked the main character, Tee. So much emphasis is put on children’s books having bold, brave, outspoken girls as leads that I found it refreshing to have a bookworm introvert girl in the lead. An intelligent loner, she is fortunate to find another girl like herself to befriend. Together, they solve a mystery in Nome, Alaska, of a dog that appears as a ghost.
In the last tenth of the book, when the girls meet up with Dodie, the writing feels as though it was rushed, and it suffers. It has a more homespun, quaint tone, sickly sweet in parts, that doesn’t quite jibe with the rest of the novel.
I also didn’t like that the father was writing a book. It always seems the lazy author’s way out to make the characters writers rather than exploring other careers and educating or interesting readers with new information. Not a big deal, but I read a lot and see too much of this.
Overall, a great read, and children can also expect to learn more about sled dogs, the Iditarod, and the history of the Iditarod with Balto and Togo.
In the last tenth of the book, when the girls meet up with Dodie, the writing feels as though it was rushed, and it suffers. It has a more homespun, quaint tone, sickly sweet in parts, that doesn’t quite jibe with the rest of the novel.
I also didn’t like that the father was writing a book. It always seems the lazy author’s way out to make the characters writers rather than exploring other careers and educating or interesting readers with new information. Not a big deal, but I read a lot and see too much of this.
Overall, a great read, and children can also expect to learn more about sled dogs, the Iditarod, and the history of the Iditarod with Balto and Togo.
Want to read
June 26, 2020I am 7 and I do not no haw to get it to read it for me I have the book but I do not want to read it so can you Mack it have instructinns To read sorry I am not that good with riding so please do not be mean to me
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 15, 2017
This book is actually a very good book. This book has two things to it, adventure and mystery. THis book explains a mystery of a dog who was abandoned and was thought to haunt the woods of Alaska. Three kids were standing to find out what is going on. This book has a meaning to it but don't ask me. Read it!
January 11, 2019
Wow!!
My 10 year old daughter who doesn't like to read couldn't wait to get back to this book each night. We read this together and I have to say I was the same way. Loved the characters and the humor. This is a definite read for those who love a good mystery and for those that dont....you'll love it too. I have to say I shed a few tears there at the end.!!! Exceptional book!!
My 10 year old daughter who doesn't like to read couldn't wait to get back to this book each night. We read this together and I have to say I was the same way. Loved the characters and the humor. This is a definite read for those who love a good mystery and for those that dont....you'll love it too. I have to say I shed a few tears there at the end.!!! Exceptional book!!
January 18, 2019
A Battle of the Books title that my son said I should read after he was scared and then crying. I did both too! I loved the phrase "heart dog". Only criticism is that they mentioned Alaska having snakes more than once...
January 2, 2025
I remember reading this book in the 4th grade and reading it every year until around around 7th grade. I still have my original copy that my 4th grade teacher gifted to me, and it will remain one of my favorite books. A comfort read.
March 18, 2025
Read this to my 3rd class as a novel study! We loved every second! Though it was a slow start, my students were captivated throughout the book. The reveal of Dodie and Ghost Dog was our favorite part!
April 24, 2025
3.5 stars: I liked that this was a book in which the eldest daughter had way too much responsibility placed on her, but that this fact was actually acknowledged. Definitely not nearly as spooky scary as the cover would imply, but the story was cute.
October 14, 2025
This was a really good ghost story! I HATED the parentification of the main character. Her mother tells her to take care of her father and brother because “they can’t do it themselves” and the dad constantly plays dumb about his daughter’s needs? He honestly neglects them? But it was good!
November 3, 2017
Like one big mystery. The ghost dog wants to help, and Tee and Quin have to find out what the ghost dog is, why its guarding the cabin, and will find a very old lady who is linked to the mystery.
October 22, 2018
A very good book that never gets boring.
April 30, 2020
It Is A Interesting Book About A 12 Year Old Girl that did not believe in ghosts but she kept hearing strange noises
May 1, 2020
I haven't read this since about the third grade but I remember loving this book.
July 9, 2020
This is such a cute middle reader book. A little bit spooky which is perfect for young readers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 122 reviews