The Case of the Midnight Rustler

Hank the Cowdog #19

by John R. Erickson

Hank the cowdog investigates the mystery of a cattle rustler who works by night.

Genres: Mystery, Childrens, Fiction, Comedy, Adventure, Humor, Audiobook

110 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1992

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

[Anonymous · Rating 5 out of 5]

i think this book is really awesome because there's a cow dog. His name is drover he helps out in the field they have the things he really helps on with the alfalfa,hay and more he tries to make the owners a lot with other animals.Hank and slim go camping to find a mysterious guy that steals calves, hank chews the tent during a thunderstorm and hank gets wet then he sees that the rope from the tent broke in half.I think hank is really weird and strange he thinks of ideas that will help with what he doing in the book and he chews his way through a problem while hes out camping with slim which the thing that happen was the rope broke on him when he was wet and the whole thing was over with so all that was really funny at the end.

[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.

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hank the Cowdog, Head of Ranch Security, teams up with Sim to find and capture the cattle rustler whose been making off with Uncle Johnny's cattle. Along the way he meets Brewster, a very sleepy St. Bernard/German shepherd, and runs into Rip and Snort, the coyote brothers. Hank, never one to shy away from a little embellishment, tells a very colorful tale as he solves the case of the midnight rustler.

[Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

In 1993/1994 someone donated a "box" set of Hank the Cowdog books to the group home I lived in. I remember well that the set included 22 books and I remember flying through them one by one. I'm not sure I was in the age range of the target audience, but I loved them nonetheless. It is a fond memory in a sea of uncertainty. I can honestly say that these books got me through a rough time.

[Angieluila Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

You cant go wrong with a story of Hank. Never a dull moment. Hahaha

[Books On the Ponderosa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this has been one of my personal
Favorite Hank books! Lots of good humor, as all his books do, but just one I really enjoyed and so did my son! We love Hank!

[SSM · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lol! Bruster is pretty funny. I like the music in this one, and when hank gets sick of “stupid weenies” so funny

[Loren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audio

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was fine, but my kids laughed hysterically. Always happy to find a winner for listening to in the car.

[Lea Beall · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story hearkens back to the days of cattle drives and cow rustlers, only in a modern sense. Slim Chance isn't sleeping under the stars, he has a tent, and the cow rustler isn't sneaking around with a bandana tied over his nose. He's got a truck. Hank, once again, is ignored and reprimanded when he is trying to do his duty, but maybe that's because he causes some trouble!
Hank meets a huge lumbering St. Bernard in this book. Does he encounter coyotes in the wild? What is the St. Bernard doing out on a dark night where a cattle rustler is stalking the herd?
This is an interesting story with a mystery, several accidents, a broken rope, a cattle rustler, and a rescue. Heroes abound.
Good read.

[R.L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm really shocked this book doesn't have dozens of reviews but then, kids don't write reviews on Amazon. I have always loved the Hank the Cowdog series. The author tells the story from the viewpoint of a dog who gets some human words mixed up sometimes, but the reader always finds that hilarious. In this story, there's a cattle rustler and Hank is one the job. That is, until the coyotes confront him. But all turns out well. A thoroughly enjoyable read for all ages but really for kids in the 3rd and 4th grade.

[Norman Styers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anyone who likes dogs will like the Hank the Cowdog series. The series is up to sixty or so books now, and you probably wouldn't want to read them all in order - even I will admit that might become somewhat tiresome - but they are hilarious and a lot of fun. The tales are told in first person by Hank himself, who styles himself the Head of Ranch Security, and who believes that the sun rises each morning because he barks it up. Like "The Screwtape Letters" and the Bertie Wooster books, much of the humor comes from a narrator who has no idea how funny he is.

[Silver Faerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hank meets once again with Rip and Snort. And he meets a dog which is half Saint Bernard and half German Shepherd. And Hank eats a lot of weenies. He just hates weenies. (Even though he ate so many.) And the half Saint Bernard and half German Shepherd is always so sleepy to keep his body going.

[Cws]

JMAR5-Eri

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Its been a while since I read this, so I can't remember too well. Only that I do enjoy reading it.

[Garrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is very funny!

[Gwen Hardin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hank provides the reader with another funny ranch adventure. Hank really has a good time in every book. I got a lot of laughs from this book.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the classics.