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The Critter Club #1
Amy and the Missing Puppy
Introducing The Critter Club! Amy and her friends solve a canine caper in this start to a pet-friendly illustrated chapter book series.
It’s Spring Break in Santa Vista, and everyone has big plans...everyone except for Amy, that is! As her best friends head out of town on exciting adventures, Amy resigns herself to helping out at her mom’s vet clinic. At least she’ll be around cute animals! But when Santa Vista’s cold and elusive millionaire, Marge Sullivan, brings her puppy Rufus for a check-up, Amy encounters an unexpected mystery. After her friends return home, the girls get to the bottom of what happened to Rufus—and discover a way to help other lost and lonely animals in their town.
With easy-to-read language and illustrations on almost every page, The Critter Club chapter books are perfect for beginning readers.
It’s Spring Break in Santa Vista, and everyone has big plans...everyone except for Amy, that is! As her best friends head out of town on exciting adventures, Amy resigns herself to helping out at her mom’s vet clinic. At least she’ll be around cute animals! But when Santa Vista’s cold and elusive millionaire, Marge Sullivan, brings her puppy Rufus for a check-up, Amy encounters an unexpected mystery. After her friends return home, the girls get to the bottom of what happened to Rufus—and discover a way to help other lost and lonely animals in their town.
With easy-to-read language and illustrations on almost every page, The Critter Club chapter books are perfect for beginning readers.
117 pages, Paperback
First published December 15, 2012
123 people are currently reading
1003 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 127 reviews
August 5, 2015
This is the review of my 7 year old daughter, Sydney.
Who was in this book: Amy, the main character and her friends Liz, Marion and Ellie. There are also the pets Ruffles the dog and Misty the Cat.
Where does the Story take place: Most of the story takes place outside.
What is the Story about: This is a story about 4 friends who look for Ruffles the dog who has gone missing. The girls look around and find clues that help them to find the missing dog. Through the search for the missing dog, the girls became great friends and join together to make the Critter Club.
What I liked about the Story: I liked that the book also had some nice picture that helped me understand the book. I really liked all of the clues that the girls had to follow. I really liked that this book was about a mystery and I am starting to really like mystery stories.
Why should you read it: This will help you get better at reading. If you like books were you have to follow the clues and you like mysteries than I think you will like this book.
Who was in this book: Amy, the main character and her friends Liz, Marion and Ellie. There are also the pets Ruffles the dog and Misty the Cat.
Where does the Story take place: Most of the story takes place outside.
What is the Story about: This is a story about 4 friends who look for Ruffles the dog who has gone missing. The girls look around and find clues that help them to find the missing dog. Through the search for the missing dog, the girls became great friends and join together to make the Critter Club.
What I liked about the Story: I liked that the book also had some nice picture that helped me understand the book. I really liked all of the clues that the girls had to follow. I really liked that this book was about a mystery and I am starting to really like mystery stories.
Why should you read it: This will help you get better at reading. If you like books were you have to follow the clues and you like mysteries than I think you will like this book.
January 29, 2024
A really cute beginning to a chapter book series!
Amy and the Missing Puppy is a fun introduction to a children's mystery book series. It follows main character Amy and her friends during their spring break. When a community member's dog goes missing, Amy and her friends go on the hunt for the missing puppy. This is a great early chapter book for more independent readers. It includes illustrations that add to the overall reading experience. I definitely can see this being a book my little one will enjoy when she becomes an independent reader. I'll be continuing on with the series.
Amy and the Missing Puppy is a fun introduction to a children's mystery book series. It follows main character Amy and her friends during their spring break. When a community member's dog goes missing, Amy and her friends go on the hunt for the missing puppy. This is a great early chapter book for more independent readers. It includes illustrations that add to the overall reading experience. I definitely can see this being a book my little one will enjoy when she becomes an independent reader. I'll be continuing on with the series.
March 28, 2020
It's fun to imagine what it would be like if your mother were a veterinarian and you lived next-door to her clinic, helping her care for sick and injured animals every day. What girl who loves animals wouldn't want to be in Amy Purvis's shoes? Spring break is starting, so this Friday's sleepover party with her friends Liz, Marion, and Ellie will be their last get-together until next Friday. Liz and Marion have vacations planned, but Amy and Ellie will be both staying home in Santa Vista. At least Ellie's grandmother is moving in with Ellie this week, but Amy won't have much to occupy her own time except volunteering at her mother's clinic and the Nancy Drew mystery she's reading. This could be a disappointing spring break.
Then one evening Ms. Sullivan, a wealthy older woman not known for friendliness, seeks out Amy's mother at home. Ms. Sullivan's St. Bernard puppy, Rufus, has escaped by digging under the back fence of Ms. Sullivan's house. It's a stormy night, and she fears for her dog out there alone. Seeing the woman's distress, Amy wonders if Ms. Sullivan isn't as bad as she assumed. The next morning, while Amy's mother notifies the locals about the missing pet, Amy follows up on a clue she's found. Rufus leaves muddy paw prints wherever he shows up around town, but he's always gone by the time Amy arrives. Can she think of a way to predict where the puppy will go next?
Enlisting Ellie to assist, Amy emulates Nancy Drew's detective methodology, studying the clues to deduce Rufus's whereabouts. As days pass she knows the pup must be taking shelter somewhere, but what kind of shelter would appeal to a hungry, frisky puppy? The clues are all there for Amy and Ellie to solve their first pet mystery, and learn that not every person who seems grouchy actually is. Ms. Sullivan could be the key to the next great adventure in Amy, Liz, Marion, and Ellie's lives: the founding of The Critter Club, a much-needed supplement in Santa Vista to Amy's mother's clinic. It's the start of something special.
Amy and the Missing Puppy is a pleasantly atmospheric beginning for Callie Barkley's The Critter Club series. The mystery is easy to follow and logical, Marsha Riti's illustrations are attractive, and we learn something about not judging books, metaphorical or otherwise, by their cover. I see why The Critter Club is a popular series, and I intend to read more. I'll see you at book two, All About Ellie!
Then one evening Ms. Sullivan, a wealthy older woman not known for friendliness, seeks out Amy's mother at home. Ms. Sullivan's St. Bernard puppy, Rufus, has escaped by digging under the back fence of Ms. Sullivan's house. It's a stormy night, and she fears for her dog out there alone. Seeing the woman's distress, Amy wonders if Ms. Sullivan isn't as bad as she assumed. The next morning, while Amy's mother notifies the locals about the missing pet, Amy follows up on a clue she's found. Rufus leaves muddy paw prints wherever he shows up around town, but he's always gone by the time Amy arrives. Can she think of a way to predict where the puppy will go next?
Enlisting Ellie to assist, Amy emulates Nancy Drew's detective methodology, studying the clues to deduce Rufus's whereabouts. As days pass she knows the pup must be taking shelter somewhere, but what kind of shelter would appeal to a hungry, frisky puppy? The clues are all there for Amy and Ellie to solve their first pet mystery, and learn that not every person who seems grouchy actually is. Ms. Sullivan could be the key to the next great adventure in Amy, Liz, Marion, and Ellie's lives: the founding of The Critter Club, a much-needed supplement in Santa Vista to Amy's mother's clinic. It's the start of something special.
Amy and the Missing Puppy is a pleasantly atmospheric beginning for Callie Barkley's The Critter Club series. The mystery is easy to follow and logical, Marsha Riti's illustrations are attractive, and we learn something about not judging books, metaphorical or otherwise, by their cover. I see why The Critter Club is a popular series, and I intend to read more. I'll see you at book two, All About Ellie!
September 9, 2014
I recently started reading chapter books to my 4 year old and, after reviewing several series, this was the first series I picked. We've gotten through 3.5 books in this series and haven't encountered any of the meanness or name calling you sometimes find in other series (some of which is fine for older kids but not so much for a 4 year old). The plots center around 1 or more of the 4 main characters (all girls) as they solve a problem or 2 and help adorable fuzzy animals. The girls tend to solve the problems with minimal help from adults (pretty much all female) and they save the day for whatever animals are in their care. What's not to love? Especially if you are a little girl.
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January 12, 2025read this in 4th grade and i was feeling nostalgic. so yes my highschool self did in fact read this again and count it for my gr goal. sue me it was fun
May 30, 2017
What's with the game of MASH in a book written to be read by 2nd or 3rd graders? Luckily, that storyline goes nowhere and the mystery of finding a puppy takes over. Once the mystery begins, the story gets interesting and the stereotypical characters (one girl likes reading, another is dramatic, blah blah) no longer are so important.
January 21, 2016
For kids ages 5-7 and they're playing MASH and talking about boyfriends - huh? Read this to my 5 year old, and the characters were unrelatable for the first few chapters. The missing puppy, however - well that was a great plot in her mind!
September 3, 2025
I just sat down and proof-read this before I gave it to my little sister for her birthday. I read lots of these when I was 9 or 10 and really enjoyed them, so I'm excited for her to be reading them as well. Definitely for a younger age group though. I'd say 7-10. :)
January 30, 2022
I am so glad I listened to my Mom's suggestion 'cause this was a really good book!
January 25, 2013
Dumb. Kids will love this series, but this was seriously extremely painful to read.
ALSO be careful who you give this one to, the book starts with first-ish graders playing MASH to predict their future husbands and whatever and I can see sooo many parents being upset by this.
ALSO be careful who you give this one to, the book starts with first-ish graders playing MASH to predict their future husbands and whatever and I can see sooo many parents being upset by this.
June 20, 2023
This is the first in a new to us series and it was cute. Our main character, Amy, is home for the summer even though her friends are doing other things. Her mom is a vet and theres a dog that goes missing. She kind of turns into harriet the spy and tries to find the dog. In the end, a woman says she's going to open an animal shelter and she wants Amy and her friends to run it. They name it the Critter Club.
August 31, 2023
I love the book
May 22, 2021
I am so glad I read this book! I didn't think it would be good, and then I read it and loved it so I read the second book and loved it to these books are one of my favorite.
April 15, 2022
Amy and friends decide to help find a missing puppy.
Eliana’s review: “I liked this book. I liked the part where she was finding the puppy. I guessed that he was where mud puddles were. The puppy was my favorite character.”
Eliana’s review: “I liked this book. I liked the part where she was finding the puppy. I guessed that he was where mud puddles were. The puppy was my favorite character.”
October 11, 2021
It was one of the best books ever! I love ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤🤍it! I just got it at the Library 📚 and I will give it back to the Library.📚
July 8, 2022
Cute enough story of little girl friends during spring break. One sets on a hunt to find a missing dog for her moms veterinary client. Mostly solid examples of looking for details, believing in yourself and not judging others. However, I read this to a 4 and 6 year old as recommended after completing the Sophie Mouse series which they loved. My beef with this book is that it starts off with the little friends playing MASH and dreaming of who they will marry one day.
One of the girls gets assigned another girls older brother as a future husband and is very embarrassed by this news and turns red and hopes none of her friends notices. Holy toxic messages. Why the actual eff is this an includable piece of the story in the year 2013 when this book was published. This crap is so disappointing. I highly doubt you’d find a book of little boys off to solve great mysteries starting with them discussing their future wives at all, let alone in an embarrassed shroud of self doubt and denial. Thankfully I skipped over this part and my kids didn’t seem to mind.
Beyond that blip the story is fairly innocuous but readable. My kids weren’t begging to finish this one but sat through it and enjoyed the pictures along with the text. We have the next story in the series so we shall see if that ones any better!
One of the girls gets assigned another girls older brother as a future husband and is very embarrassed by this news and turns red and hopes none of her friends notices. Holy toxic messages. Why the actual eff is this an includable piece of the story in the year 2013 when this book was published. This crap is so disappointing. I highly doubt you’d find a book of little boys off to solve great mysteries starting with them discussing their future wives at all, let alone in an embarrassed shroud of self doubt and denial. Thankfully I skipped over this part and my kids didn’t seem to mind.
Beyond that blip the story is fairly innocuous but readable. My kids weren’t begging to finish this one but sat through it and enjoyed the pictures along with the text. We have the next story in the series so we shall see if that ones any better!
July 25, 2014
We read this in two nights as a bed-time story to five-year-old. She pronounced it "Let's read it again next week!" and "Can you buy the next one?" so I'd say it was a success. She enjoyed the pictures, and finding the clues Amy was talking about in them, and seemed to really like both Amy and the mystery. :)
did-not-finish-or-dont-want-to-read
February 6, 2018My issue with this book is that it is at the right reading level for my first-grader (who is reading at a second-grade level) but the book's first scene includes some girls talking about a crush on a boy, which is not the right maturity level for first or second-graders. Or am I behind the times? either way, I don't want my first-grader reading this, and maybe not even my third-grader.
July 29, 2018
I read this to my 6 year old who is entering 1st grade. It is a cute book with a cute plot, however I do agree with some of the other reviews about the very beginning of the book, in the fact that it brings up boys and the game of MASH (over my daughters head). If you can get past that short part in the beginning the rest of the book is good.
June 23, 2024
This is a cute Nancy Drew-style (or, rather, Nancy Drew-style) mystery, made more obvious by the fact that Amy is reading a (fictional) Nancy Drew book during her time trying to find Rufus, the missing puppy. Amy pretty much follows the "What Would Nancy Drew Do?" playbook and takes notes of all the clues she finds before finally tracking down and catching Rufus.
I kind of don't like when stories make OTHER stories a cornerstone of their plot. It feels like piggybacking off of someone else's work, even when it's fair use. I suppose it's nice in that it shows younger readers that they can take inspiration from the stories they read and apply them to real life, at least, but it still rubs me the wrong way a bit.
Otherwise, the artwork is adorable, and the mystery is delightfully low-stakes* and wholesome. About the only other thing I dislike is that they play the M.A.S.H. game, but that's a personal thing and probably not a big deal to other readers. (Although, I do remember having had the prescience as a young reader to have picked for the game as my future spouse, "Somebody I haven't met yet," and I was correct!)
Recommended for fans of puppies and/or Nancy Drew!
*Realistically, a loose dog—especially a loose puppy—runs the risk of getting hit by a car, but the thought never comes up in the story, which makes me think this is a nice small town with very little traffic, especially since they don't have an animal shelter (too small to have merited one?).
I kind of don't like when stories make OTHER stories a cornerstone of their plot. It feels like piggybacking off of someone else's work, even when it's fair use. I suppose it's nice in that it shows younger readers that they can take inspiration from the stories they read and apply them to real life, at least, but it still rubs me the wrong way a bit.
Otherwise, the artwork is adorable, and the mystery is delightfully low-stakes* and wholesome. About the only other thing I dislike is that they play the M.A.S.H. game, but that's a personal thing and probably not a big deal to other readers. (Although, I do remember having had the prescience as a young reader to have picked for the game as my future spouse, "Somebody I haven't met yet," and I was correct!)
Recommended for fans of puppies and/or Nancy Drew!
*Realistically, a loose dog—especially a loose puppy—runs the risk of getting hit by a car, but the thought never comes up in the story, which makes me think this is a nice small town with very little traffic, especially since they don't have an animal shelter (too small to have merited one?).
March 4, 2021
Sanaya talks books:
I like The Critter Club books because Amy, Ellie, Marion and Liz care very much about the animals. I like that all four friends think about others more than themselves. I like Amy more because she also loves reading books like me. I also like the fact that each book is specific to one girl. The four girls are such close friends and that they never fight even when something wrong happens and they support each other for all their competitions.
Mommy likes:
The series is about 4 second grade girls who open an animal shelter to take care of animals who are either lost or need a new family for some reason. At times they pet-sit someone's pets too when they have to go out of town for a while.
The book might seem like there will be lot of details on animals and how to take care of them, since the girls are opening an animal shelter, but the animals and the shelter are more like settings and the books deal more with individual emotions and the friendship between the girls.
The books are designed for kids transitioning to reading chapter books independently. There are currently 21 books in the series and book number 22 and 23 are soon to be released this year.
The books are a great way to teach kids empathy towards animals as well as towards each other.
they also teach kids the value of friendship despite having differences in interests and personalities. It also teaches kids about responsibility.
Verdict:
Kids will definitely enjoy reading this series and since it has so many books in them it will keep them engaged too for a very long time. It's easy language will enable them to enjoy the story on their own.
For full review of the series you can chk my blog at www.inbetweenbookmarks.wordpress.com
I like The Critter Club books because Amy, Ellie, Marion and Liz care very much about the animals. I like that all four friends think about others more than themselves. I like Amy more because she also loves reading books like me. I also like the fact that each book is specific to one girl. The four girls are such close friends and that they never fight even when something wrong happens and they support each other for all their competitions.
Mommy likes:
The series is about 4 second grade girls who open an animal shelter to take care of animals who are either lost or need a new family for some reason. At times they pet-sit someone's pets too when they have to go out of town for a while.
The book might seem like there will be lot of details on animals and how to take care of them, since the girls are opening an animal shelter, but the animals and the shelter are more like settings and the books deal more with individual emotions and the friendship between the girls.
The books are designed for kids transitioning to reading chapter books independently. There are currently 21 books in the series and book number 22 and 23 are soon to be released this year.
The books are a great way to teach kids empathy towards animals as well as towards each other.
they also teach kids the value of friendship despite having differences in interests and personalities. It also teaches kids about responsibility.
Verdict:
Kids will definitely enjoy reading this series and since it has so many books in them it will keep them engaged too for a very long time. It's easy language will enable them to enjoy the story on their own.
For full review of the series you can chk my blog at www.inbetweenbookmarks.wordpress.com
August 19, 2025
my favorite character was Amy because she had to go find a lost puppy and look for clues.
what surprised me is there school teacher because all the girls thought that she was mean but then she was nice at the end because they found her puppy.
I would not change the ending because the ending was really good because the teacher made a shelter for animals!
I feel like it was just a little bit more easy for me because the words are a little bigger and the words are easy to understand.
there some parts that was challenging to me like there were a couple hard words.
it was more interesting than last time because there was some girls that was looking for a missing puppy.
it was a little bit more complex because there was one event at the end there was a lady that made a shelter.
it required a little bit more time and focus because my parents made me read like every day were I can get it done quicker and move up faster!
what surprised me is there school teacher because all the girls thought that she was mean but then she was nice at the end because they found her puppy.
I would not change the ending because the ending was really good because the teacher made a shelter for animals!
I feel like it was just a little bit more easy for me because the words are a little bigger and the words are easy to understand.
there some parts that was challenging to me like there were a couple hard words.
it was more interesting than last time because there was some girls that was looking for a missing puppy.
it was a little bit more complex because there was one event at the end there was a lady that made a shelter.
it required a little bit more time and focus because my parents made me read like every day were I can get it done quicker and move up faster!
July 12, 2017
AMY AND THE MISSING PUPPY is the first book in the Critter Club Series. It is the story of a group of friends who help solve the mystery of a missing dog. I can't say I'm overwhelmed by the plot or the book in general but there are a few things I loved. I loved the references to Nancy Drew. I loved the positive girl role model in Amy - a problem solving, reader, and good friend and in her mom, a vet. My six year old twins enjoyed it and immediately requested that I get the second book. This series isn't the absolute best I've ever read, but it is one I would happily encourage my kids to keep reading.
December 30, 2019
My mom is starting to read chapter books to me (I'm five). This book was really cute - it was also possibly my first mystery book. Amy's friends all have fun plans for the summer, but she doesn't. She thinks she'll just read Nancy Drew books (which my mom thinks sounds like a great way to spend a summer!). A real mystery comes her way, though, when Ms. Sullivan's puppy goes missing. Amy looks for clues and uses what she has learned from Nancy to find the puppy.
April 9, 2020
I've been looking for chapter books for my pre-kinder people. Stories that don't have stupid/hate/dumb words and preferably don't include anything that might scare them off from the adventures of school. We love Mercy Watson and Frog and Toad. This one works too. A simple mystery (I don't think they quite picked up on the clues but that's ok) and a good group of kids. We'll keep reading this one.
February 18, 2020
I was looking for easy to read chapter books for my girls — big fans of Princess in Black. I loved this one! It’s an all-girl mystery that involves animals. The girls are big fans of Nancy Drew (and it reads like an early reader ND, in my opinion). They are kind, smart, and brave girls. I can’t wait to check out the rest of the series.
May 10, 2022
This book starts out with girls playing a game to find out who they will marry, and one girl gets embarrassed when her future husband turns out to be her friend's brother. Why would they include this in a book for young children? Not into it.
Anyhow, I was not impressed by the storyline or the writing. My daughter (4.5) wasn't particularly enthusiastic about it either, but we did finish it.
Anyhow, I was not impressed by the storyline or the writing. My daughter (4.5) wasn't particularly enthusiastic about it either, but we did finish it.
January 26, 2017
A great little mystery for my five-year-old - the plot is easy to follow, the print is big enough for her to follow along, and there are cute illustrations on nearly every page. Better than all that, though, is a story about a strong and curious little girl and her friends.
March 20, 2017
I read this book aloud to our 5 year old in just one day. After the last page she said, "I want to punch through this book so I can actually be inside of it! Can we please read the next one?"
This books is all about girl power as the four girls try to solve the mystery of the missing puppy. It is a great pick for girls who enjoy mysteries, animals, and friendship. There are illustrations on just about every page.
*This book included the MASH game where kids pick out who their future husbands are and if they will live in a Mansion, Apartment, Shack, or Home. If this is bothersome for your early reader and used as a read aloud then the adult can skip over this part if they would like, as it won't take away from the plot.
Reading Level: N
This books is all about girl power as the four girls try to solve the mystery of the missing puppy. It is a great pick for girls who enjoy mysteries, animals, and friendship. There are illustrations on just about every page.
*This book included the MASH game where kids pick out who their future husbands are and if they will live in a Mansion, Apartment, Shack, or Home. If this is bothersome for your early reader and used as a read aloud then the adult can skip over this part if they would like, as it won't take away from the plot.
Reading Level: N
May 8, 2018
Read aloud to my 6 year old daughter. She liked it. Quick and easy intro to chapter books from picture books. I like all the illustrations on each spread. Not a terribly exciting story though. Feels almost oversimplified more than need be for a child in my opinion.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 127 reviews