Andrew Lost On the Dog

Andrew Lost #1

by J.C. Greenburg, Debbie Palen (Illustrator)

When Andrew’s latest invention, the Atom Sucker, goes haywire, Andrew and Judy are shrunk down to microscopic level! Andrew and Judy find themselves lost on their neighbor’s dog, where they encounter everything from colossal fleas to crab-like eyelash mites. Now they have to find their way back to the Atom Sucker and get unshrunk before it’s too late!

Genres: Childrens, Chapter Books, Science, Adventure, Audiobook, Humor, Juvenile

96 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2002

Reviews

[Dominique Woodbridge · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was very interesting. It would be a great book for transitional readers who are interested in dogs, technology and adventure. This book would be used for independent reading. Students in third or fourth grade would love this book because it holds the readers attention and it is nonfiction. There are not pictures on every page, and the sentence length is about six to eight words. The words should be familiar to students in third or fourth grade. The font size is smaller than beginning readers, and the book is split into chapters. This book is a good length for transitional readers; it is ten chapters and 60 pages. Some things I like about this book are the table of contents, and the character introduction. In this book the characters are each given a short introduction before the book starts, I think this will help the student develop a sense for the characters and see the character development throughout the book. This books story line should be familiar to students and it is not complex. The only part of the book students may need help figuring out is a digital robot–like character that shrinks the other characters to a tiny size. The books text is displayed in a way that is not confusing to children, and the images just provide a source for the students to visualize what is going on. I think this book is great for transitional readers, especially if they love adventure. One other fun part about this book is that it provides a “true facts” section at the end of the book for students to read and develop new knowledge on.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

My six year old science loving son absolutely devours these books. He likes to read but often chooses to play instead...these books have changed that! He is fascinated and delighted by them! I love seeing him with his nose in a book!

[Alyson (Kid Lit Frenzy)]

I must admit...I have mixed feelings about this book. I liked this book. It was kind of fun. Andrew accidentally shrinks himself, his cousin, and his robot buddy to insect size and they end up on a neighbor's dog. The reader learns a ton about dogs and people (their senses, and information about skin). However, the book ends with a "to be continued". Really? A to be continued? Many early readers don't always have access to sequels...and this one ends on a "cliff-hanger" of sorts. What happens with young children who depend on the school or public library for books? What if the library doesn't have the sequel? Most early chapter book series wrap up a story and allow children to pretty much start anywhere in the series. Does anyone know if all of the books in this series ends in this manner? Done with my rant...the book is fun..just know you need book 2 when you start book 1.

[Mary S · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book, Andrew Lost, is an Eleanor Cameron Book Award winner for science fiction. I was able to read this book on the Niles Public Library Digital Platform. Andrew is a 10-year-old inventor who has a robot, Thudd, as his sidekick. Throughout this book series, Andrew shares many of his adventures not only with Thudd but with his next-door neighbor, Judy as well. In this book, Andrew has designed and created an Atom Sucker. As you might guess things start to go wrong when Andrew tries to use his invention. The three friends are shrunk down to micro size and find themselves living on/in a dog. There is science fiction, humor, and excellent illustrations. I recommend this book for students who like science fiction and friendship books. This book would be great for a lesson on theme.

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit older, but still fun.
Andrew builds a shrink-ray, then accidentally shrinks himself and his cousin. They end up on the neighbor dog, Harley, and fight to get off of him and back to the shrink-ray to undo what they've done.

Ends with a TBC cliffhanger ending. I'm guessing book 2 solves this problem but then starts another.

A bit Magic School Bus-y with Andrew and Judy shrinking and exploring the dog. Robot friend Thudd teaches them facts about whatever they're exploring, with helpful pictures included. It is a weird first book, as it feel like it is picking up in the middle of the story.

[Allison Turkish · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all, my 10-year-old son read this whole series and really enjoyed it! He laughed a LOT.

My 8-year-old daughter and I listened to this story on CD and both liked it too. I didn't love the reader's voice but the writing was good and we learned a good amount of science facts while being entertained. I think it's very clever how this book leads right into the next.

My only criticism is cousin Judy ("Oody") and how often she is mean to Drew and uses the words "stupid" or "dumb." Otherwise, the book and series are pretty wholesome.

[Laura DeGrave · Rating 3 out of 5]

If your young one is into science and how things work, this is a gem.
Andrew and Judy have a 'Honey, I shrunk the kids' adventure.
Fate lands them inside the neighbor's basset hound's nose.
Then all the educational shenanigans commence.
Should you be a clean fan and squeamish on insects... best to hold onto a family or friend's hand for support.

[Dagmar · Rating 4 out of 5]

The premise is really interesting, and the book series is a great way to present science to kids in an exciting fictionalized way. The one thing that drives me nuts though is how Thudd always (always!) speaks in baby-talk. I end up altering that when reading out loud to my kids.

[Queenie · Rating 3 out of 5]

not a lot of action to it mostly wired and gross things.

[Anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness, my son loved these books!

[Fenco Chen]

Lexile®: 500L, 5623W, 80%, 6y3m

[Kelly Krienke · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute book. I read it to my kids and they enjoyed it very much. We are a little sad that it is required to get the next book in the series to find out what happens though.

[Diane Nolan · Rating 3 out of 5]

My fourth graders loved it- easy boom but need to read book 2 - Andrew lost in the bathroom- to find out the ending-

[Amanda Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Andrew Lost on the Dog is a great example of an adventurous text for children. The author J.C. Greenburg begins the book with a short bio of each of the characters in this series of books, which I thought was a great way to get students engaged in the text, but also help them to have a better understanding of the character's traits and how they might effect the stories. In this book Andrew, Thud, and Judy are set off on an adventure when they are accidentally shrunk by one of Andrew's inventions. They find themselves traveling throughout the body of the next door neighbors dog, as they try to make their way back to the shrinking machine before it's too late.

This a great read aloud book. The students love the humor the author gives but that it also has some real information about the things the characters encounter such as dust mites, being trapped in a oily hair follicle, or the mucus of the dog. This has the students wanting to go fact check this information and see if it's true which I think is a great way to keep the readers engaged and wanting to listen to more. This book was brought by a student in my classroom who that it was a great book and the class would like it and she was right. We have ordered more books from this series for our classroom.

I think the humor and adventure in this book makes it s WOW book. The idea of giving the students real information but also interesting, is a great way to keep reading fun! Definitely a good read for students in grades 2-5, because it does have some complex vocabulary. They are very short chapter books, but very fun to read.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are several things that are frustrating about this book!

1) A key character is a robot. The robot talks in weird fragments and mispronounces words. For example, Andrew became "Drewd" and Judy became "Oody." This is just so dumb and confusing. The robot is the one who tells Andrew and Judy interesting facts about science. "Dog roll in stinky stuff. Stinky stuff hide doggy smell."
While reading this book, I changed Thudd's words in to normal English.

2) The ending is REALLY bad because it is "to be continued." Literally! It reminds me of a sitcom where you have to wait until next week to find out what is going to happen. It is not a real ending. It is very lazy writing, not to mention a nasty marketing technique. I have read in reviews that this "to be continued..." continues until Book 4?

3) I found a few of the science facts nauseating. The bit about mites being everywhere and eating our skin flakes made me itchy, and I immediately went and changed the sheets on my bed. The part about mites living in the follicles of our eyelashes was just....gaah. I nearly lost my lunch.

However, the good news is that the story is the right pace and the right amount of excitement for a first or second grader. Some of the science facts (in the form of Robot Speak) were really pretty interesting.

DS wants to read the next book, so their vicious marketing scheme has worked! On to book 2.....? ((sigh))

UPDATE: I gave my son a choice between the next Andrew Lost book and a Humphrey the Hamster book, and he chose Humphrey. I'm saved!

[Lara Ivey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Andrew Dubble is a ten-year old inquisitive boy who loves to invent things. He has just finished creating the Atom Sucker when things go terribly wrong. He and Judy, his 13 year-old-cousin, end up being shrunk and the adventure begins. The neighbor, Mrs. Scuttle, has a dog named Harley. The two kids end up on Harley and learn all about a dog’s smelling ability, sneezing speed, and even eyelash mites from THUDD. THUDD is The Handy Ultra-Digital Detective that comes in quite handy to Andrew and Judy on this hair-raising adventure. As with all of the books in this series, it is filled with scientific facts. Learn about dog goosebumps and what colors dogs can see. This book will provide interesting facts, additional readings, and the first chapter of the next book in the series.

• Get involved in the science fair at your school. Use some of the facts in this story to get you started.
• Get a group of friends together to read the series. Starting your own book club can be fun!
• Visit the website of the author! www.andrewlost.com

•Science: Make a list of some of the amazing facts shared in this story…a dog’s smelling ability, a dog’s sneezing speed, skin flakes and dust mites, a dog’s senses, goosebumps on dogs…the list could go on and on. Share some of these ideas with friends. You may find that they want to read the story as well.

[Bdalton · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a cute story similar to "Honey, I shrunk the Kids" movie. The main character is Andrew, a boy inventor. His sidekick is a pocket sized robot that his uncle game him. His partner in adventure is Judy, his cousin. Andrew takes his new invention, a machine that shrinks things outside and it accidentally is triggered shrinking Judy and Andrew who find themselves on Harley the dog. There are lots of scientific information about dogs throughout the story and at the end of the book in an appendix. There is also a list of references about microscopic insects.

While I liked the story, I didn't like these things about it. This is a beginning chapter book that ends in a cliff-hanger. You must read the next book to see how it resolves. This seems a bit unfair for a beginning reader. The robot character is smart but "baby talks" (misprouncing names, etc.). This was a bit odd and annoying.

This book should appeal to 1st and 2nd graders who are moving into chapter books and who like science!

[Zorba · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Andrew Lost series is written by J.C. Greenburg. She is known for writing science fiction books for children. The first book takes us to the nose of the neighbor's dog, Harley. Three main characters: Andrew, Judy, and Thudd. Andrew is our protagonist who is 10 year old inventor. Thudd is a pocket sized robot that knows pretty much everything like an encyclopedia, and he is Andrew's best buddy. And lastly, Judy is his 13 year old cousin who has a helicopter and a boat in her yard. I know! ^^ The story begins with, Andrew inventing the machine that shrinks things. But accidentally, three of them shrink down to microscope size. Then they encounter obstacles from fleas, mucus, and mites. But pretty soon, they need to escape back, or else they could stay like that forever. 

I specifically liked the part when our characters were attacked by the flea and were taken to the top of the dog's head. When it lowered its snout, I thought maybe the flea was going to suck some blood of Andrew and Judy.

It was very educational for kids

[Krista · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a short story aimed at 2nd-3rd grade readers. Andrew is a ten year old boy who has been inventing things since he was four. The problem is his inventions often don't work the way he would like them to. He decides to invent an atom sucker to suck the space between the atoms and make something smaller. But he accidentally shrinks a helicopter, his 13 year old cousin Judy and himself. They end up inside the dogs nose and have to try to climb around the dog to find the helicopter to get back to the atom sucker and get big. Andrew has a robot named Thudd who explains things along the way. They have all sorts of adventures trying to get back to the helicopter and Thudd is always there to give a scientific explanation. This would be a great story for kids really interested in science. The story ends with the dog getting a bath and they get washed into the bathtub.

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not my favorite piece of science fiction, but it would work well as a beginning science fiction series. Andrew Lost shrinks his cousin and himself and must navigate the world as miniscule speck on his dog's nose. It's one of those series that doesn't wrap itself up at the conclusion of the first book, so the series has to be read in order. The annoying sidekick machine called THUDD spits out endless information to aid them, but he speaks a rudimentary caveman-like version of English that can get tiresome quickly. All in all, you can learn a lot from THUDD if you can tolerate a talking encyclopedia with a limited vocabulary, and the many twists and turns of the adventure will keep you occupied. The series would be right for a younger crowd.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

03/16: Oh my! Trying to manually bring over all of my reviews from Shelfari. Suffice it to say the boys read and enjoyed many many books in this series. I'll not bother bringing all of them over.

05/12: David reading and enjoying this whole series.

Amazon Book Description:
When Andrew’s latest invention, the Atom Sucker, goes haywire, Andrew and Judy are shrunk down to microscopic level! Andrew and Judy find themselves lost on their neighbor’s dog, where they encounter everything from colossal fleas to crab-like eyelash mites. Now they have to find their way back to the Atom Sucker and get unshrunk before it’s too late!

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I heard the story line, saw the cover, and didn't want to like this book. I'm a fan! My kids are also going to love it. I like it because there is SO much science and the kids will think it is fun. THANK YOU J.C. Greenburg for writing a book that makes science fun! I'm hoping it stimulates millions of questions and hours of research. But if it doesn't, at least they learned a lot just by reading this book. Kids need more books of this caliber starting at this reading level!

Luisa: 4 out of 5 stars. I really liked it because Andrew was excited about his invention, the atom sucker, and then he got sucked in!

[Bmack · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a paperback series book that is geared to first and second graders. It is about a young boy named Andrew who loves to invent things. In this book he invented an amazing shrinking machine. Andrew and his cousin Judy find themselves shrunk to the size of specks when his machine accidentally goes wild. They actually land on the neighbor’s dog and Andrew’s pocket robot, Thudd, who is like a walking encyclopedia, fills us in on all kinds of fun science facts about dogs. A very cute series and great for beginning readers.

[Nobies57 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Andrew's latest invention is an Atom Crusher that basically takes the empty space out of atoms and, in doing so, shrinks things. Of course he and his sister and his pocket computer, THUD, wound up shrunk and in the nose of the neighbor's dog. The book teaches science concepts in a fictional story format. In this one we learn all about hair folicals, skin flacks, dust mites and other types of microscopic skin things. It's cute and might be a nice break for Magic Treehouse readers.

[Christin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sorry for those of you who don't care about kids books but I am always looking for something good that both of my boys will like and understand and hold their attention. They seemed to really like this book. It had a lot of pics which was good for Rylan and was easy for them both to understand. It had little science facts throughout that Brycen really liked. The only downside is that it ended to be continued so I think that the books have to be read in order.

[Katt Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not sure I want to pet a dog ever again.

OK for that matter, I'm amazed at just how many microscopic icky things there are on absolutely everything. I'm not a science girl, but found this approach to teaching something about what's not visible to the naked eye, to be unique and interesting. For the homeschooler, pair this with some actual microscope time, and a unit on biology. Cool book. Cool concept.

Gross out factor? Perfect for those reluctant reader boys....

[Brenda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good adventure/science fiction book for younger readers (7-9). It introduces lots of information about dogs and mites. The short chapters and illustrations will help less confident readers while the cute story will keep them focused and interested. It is also the beginning of a 16 book series which is a plus for reluctant readers or young readers who just can't find enough books to read! I highly recommend it.

[Earline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reminds me of Honey I Shrunk the Kids meets The Magic School Bus :)
In the first installment of this series, Andrew's newest invention, The Atom Sucker, goes haywire and shrinks him, his robot, and his friend Judy down to microscopic level. They get sniffed by the neighbor's dog and their epic adventure across the lawn begins. Full of interesting facts and a list of great resources to learn more!

[Kate Hastings · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grades K-3. RL 500. A friend recommended this series for my son who is a picky reader. This has all the gross of captain underpants and all the education of magic tree house. I love the science facts that are tucked into this really hilarious story of a boy, his friend, and a robot that are accidentally shrunk down to the size of something smaller than a pencil point.