The Case of the Saddle House Robbery #35

Hank the Cowdog #35

by John R. Erickson, Gerald L. Holmes (Illustrator)

When Jake, a new dog, arrives on the ranch with a hidden agenda, Hank the Cowdog suspects that Jake is in league with the saddle thief he has been trying to track down, in another hilarious escapade featuring the bumbling Head of Ranch Security. Simultaneous.

Genres: Fiction, Childrens, Mystery, Animals, Adventure, Young Adult, Humor

144 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2000

About the author

John R. Erickson, a former cowboy and ranch manager, is gifted with a storyteller's knack for spinning a yarn. Through the eyes of Hank the Cowdog, a smelly, smart-aleck Head of Ranch Security, Erickson gives readers a glimpse of daily life on a ranch in the West Texas Panhandle. This series of books and tapes is in school libraries across the country, has sold more than 7.6 million copies, is a Book-of-the-Month Club selection, and is the winner of the 1993 Audie for Outstanding Children's Series from the Audio Publisher's Association. Publishers Weekly calls Hank a "grassroots publishing phenomena," and USA Today says this is "the best family entertainment in years."

Hank the Cowdog made his debut in the pages of The Cattleman, a magazine for adults, and when Erickson started getting "Dear Hank" letters, he knew he was onto something. So in 1983, he self-published 2,000 copies of The Original Adventures of Hank the Cowdog, and they sold out in 6 weeks.

When teachers began inviting Erickson to their schools, Hank found his most eager fans. Teachers, librarians, and students alike love Hank. According to some Texas Library Association surveys, the Hank the Cowdog books are the most popular selections in many libraries' children's sections. The lively characters make excellent material for reading and writing lessons, and turn even the most reluctant readers into avid Hank-fans.

Erickson was born in Midland, Texas, but by the age of 3, he had moved with his family to Perryton, Texas, where he and his wife live today on their working cattle ranch. They have 3 grown children and 4 grandchildren. His advice to young writers is, "Write about something you know. Try to leave your readers better off than they were before."

Reviews

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Used part of the snow day to reacquaint myself with my favorite Chief of Ranch Security, Hank the Cow Dog, along with all his friends: Drover, Pete the supercillious barn cat, Rip and Snort, the mean coyotes, Beulah, Hank's special lady friend, and in this tale, a dog that might actually be a bit more, well, confused than our hero. One of the most fun book series ever written for kids, and I've got all the voices down. I can't wait to start reading them to Sebastian.

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

As far as Hank the Cowdog goes, this was pretty cute.

Super simple, super short, a lot of fun, and really silly. Hank is a big old goofball and anyone with a dog can't help but love him.

Not much here . . . a pretty bland and silly adventure of Hank. Based on the title you know exactly what is going to happen and I'd be hard pressed to say there is anything inappropriate. In today's world that counts for a lot.

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

HANK the hero!!!

[Kendall H · Rating 4 out of 5]

The boys both love these.

[Laura McCarty-Daniels · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked that they caught the thief.

I didn't like that the thief got away with some saddles.

My favorite character is Hank, of course.

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hank the Cowdog was actually my first chapter book that I read and it was the gateway to many other wonderful and also not-so-wonderful books in my life. To see there are now at least thirty-five is quite a surprising number but apparently I never revisited Hank outside that first book read.

Hank is great since it will introduce children to the world that characters in books can be made with their own voice instead of the reader having to equip one. His personality is strong and although he can be a goofy mess in a half, he has such a strong personality. All the other animals on the farm even as secondary characters follow the same make as well.

There are occasional pictures to break-up the monotony of reading for those who are struggling with chapter books or just need a break from all the words. They can be a bit cartoonish at times while at others they are just a bit more realistic.

Again a wonderful book for readers who are ready to move up in their reading preferences or those who need a more rugged read than the usual fantasy, modern age background or even just a school environed book.

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am in the middle of this book right now. I love the hank the cowdog series. The main characters are Hank and Drover. Hank thinks he has a security division when he really doesnt. In this book he runs into coyotes,a new dog and maybe a thief. Hank hears there is a saddle thief in town. I wonder what Hanks plan is going to be? :D

[Darryl Cole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read pretty much this entire series years ago after I descovered them in my elementary school libary. The plot, and characters are great. Plus these books are extremly funny. I loved this series then and I still love it.

[Cws]

JM4 Eri

[B Rogers · Rating 2 out of 5]

We've decided we don't like Hang. Sorry, choppy, everywhere...

[SSM · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely one of my favorites. I love this one! So funny, and my favorite part is when Hank catches the robber. So good!