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A Maggie Brooklyn Mystery #1
Girl's Best Friend
Dogs are disappearing in her neighborhood, and Maggie Brooklyn Sinclair knows all about it. After all, she has a semi-secret after-school gig as a professional (ok, amateur) dog-walker. Maggie hates to see a pup in trouble, so she's even willing to help her ex-best friend Ivy recover her rescue-dog, Kermit. Kermit's being held for ransom, and Maggie has noticed some suspicious behavior lately. But she never suspected her crush Milo could be involved . . .
Leslie Margolis's pitch-perfect voice and rich characters have endeared her to tweens, and her fans will flock to this hip new series featuring a clever and lovable new heroine, Maggie Brooklyn.
Leslie Margolis's pitch-perfect voice and rich characters have endeared her to tweens, and her fans will flock to this hip new series featuring a clever and lovable new heroine, Maggie Brooklyn.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published August 24, 2010
215 people are currently reading
935 people want to read
About the author
Leslie Margolis
31 books121 followersLeslie Margolis is author of numerous books for children, including the Maggie Brooklyn Mysteries and the Annabelle Unleashed series. Her novel, Boys Are Dogs, was turned into the Disney Channel movie Zapped, starring Zendaya. Leslie’s most recent books, If I Were You, We Are Party People and Ghosted, are published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Leslie lives in Los Angeles with her family. Her two kids have read some of her books, and think they are okay. For more information, please visit www.lesliemargolis.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 112 reviews
October 7, 2021
This book was pretty good. Read this book three times. I read the hole series and enjoyed it. I recommend this book to anyone who likes dogs
March 9, 2011
I love mysteries. I like to pick up on clues, look for a motive, and consider different suspects. In Girl’s Best Friend, Leslie Margolis has the formula for a well-written mystery down pat. She drops subtle clues, includes foreshadowing, and leaves just enough up to the reader’s own imagination.
Maggie has all of the qualities of a great detective. She is smart, cunning, sneaky, and creative. I liked that Maggie was open minded to all sorts of scenarios that would explain who was stealing all these dogs. Anyone and everyone is a possible suspect! Don’t forget that Maggie is rather young to be involved in a case such as this. Her tween voice shines through it all.
The mystery itself is very creative. Someone is stealing dogs and holding them for ransom. Crazy, huh? Once the mystery was solved, I had to go back and re-read a few parts to remind myself of the clues. The sign of a well-written mystery.
RATING
4 Liked
COVER COMMENTS
Maggie is walking a dog in the city. I love how her eyes look sneaky – like she is searching for clues. I like cartoon covers like this for middle grade books.
Maggie has all of the qualities of a great detective. She is smart, cunning, sneaky, and creative. I liked that Maggie was open minded to all sorts of scenarios that would explain who was stealing all these dogs. Anyone and everyone is a possible suspect! Don’t forget that Maggie is rather young to be involved in a case such as this. Her tween voice shines through it all.
The mystery itself is very creative. Someone is stealing dogs and holding them for ransom. Crazy, huh? Once the mystery was solved, I had to go back and re-read a few parts to remind myself of the clues. The sign of a well-written mystery.
RATING
4 Liked
COVER COMMENTS
Maggie is walking a dog in the city. I love how her eyes look sneaky – like she is searching for clues. I like cartoon covers like this for middle grade books.
October 29, 2014
if you have ever read girl detective this is one of the books for you, just reading the back makes you want to read it. but might not be good for very passionate dog lovers XD kidding the dogs are safe...
December 27, 2017
I came across this book while shopping for a gift for a 5th-grade girl and could not resist reading it myself! It was fun but had enough implausibilities in the plot that I wonder if even a YA audience might not be somewhat skeptical. It's been a bit too many years for me to remember!
September 29, 2019
Really Good. Very interesting.
May 16, 2020
I liked Girl's Best Friend because the author promoted the independence of the main character. Girls Maggie's age would enjoy the secrets that Maggie kept form her parents about her dog-walking business, and the crush she had on Milo. They also would appreciate the tension in the best girl-friends Ivy and Maggie and the fact that Maggie and Ivy had parted and Maggie's perception of Ivy's snobbishness towards her. This book is a real page turner chapter book about the stages and phases a young girl might go through as she is becoming an adolescent. The book morphs into a Nancy Drew like detective mystery and engages the reader in a Nancy Drew like mystery. (In fact, Nancy is mentioned.) I also liked the description of the various dogs and Maggie's sleuth like characteristics. The only character I couldn't identify with was Maggie's landlord Isabel and for the life of me I cannot tell why. I don't know why Isabel didn't seem to fit into the story for me. Other than that I read this story in record time as the writer is very good at her craft. Lis Johnson
January 8, 2011
As posted on Outside of a Dog
Mysteries, in general, have never been my thing. I read a little Agatha Christie, a little Encyclopedia Brown, and of course Nancy Drew, but the search for hidden clues was never as interesting to me as hidden Easter eggs (the real kind, not the DVD variety). I have had kids come to me asking for a good mystery, and for a long time, I had a very short reference list. The aforementioned Mr. Brown, “The Westing Game”, and for fun, Geronimo Stilton. But things have changed lately, and a group of smart, intrepid and funny young ladies have come to my attention. First came Flavia du Luce, the irrepressible star of a series of novels by Alan Bradley. Then I discovered a group of middle grade sleuths in The Red Blazer Girls by Michael Beil and Nancy Springer’s Enola Holmes mysteries (Enola being the much younger sister of the famed Sherlock). Now Leslie Margolis has brought forward Maggie Brooklyn, a young lady on the move in her namesake borough. In Girl’s Best Friend, Maggie must help rescue a missing pet, uncover the truth behind her landlady’s odd behavior and solve the biggest riddle of them all, boys.
Maggie is a twin, and she and her brother share a room in their brownstone apartment in Brooklyn. Maggie also loves dogs, but because of her brother’s allergy, cannot have one of her own. So she starts, almost by accident, a small dog walking business in her neighborhood. Yes, she’s keeping it a secret from her parents and hiding her earnings in a secret box behind the fireplace, but at least she’s keeping her grades up. At her 12th birthday party, she catches former best friend Ivy trying to steal some of her hard earned cash, and discovers that Ivy’s beloved Lab/Dalmatian mix, Kermit, has been dognapped and is being held for ransom. Maggie promises to help get the dog back, for Kermit’s sake, if not for Ivy’s, and along the way finds a network of missing dogs and a dodgy dog-walker named Jane.
It’s a tricky thing, reading a middle grade mystery as an adult. I’m always wondering if clues that may seem obvious to a grown up might be more puzzling to a book intended audience (this is partially why I enjoy both the Red Blazer tales and Enola Holmes, as both of these series involve puzzles and ciphers that, while solvable, present at least a little work to be done for any reader). Thankfully, Margolis has layered her mysteries with plenty of hints and red herrings, so that even the sharpest detective of any age will have a few surprises.
The best thing Margolis has always brought to the table is her characters, and her truthful capturing of a pre-teen spirit. With Maggie, Margolis has a young lady who is clever, funny and a tad unsure of herself, as any 12-year-old would be. She worries about talking to boys, the dress code at her own party, and calling her former 3rd grade teacher by her first name, which just feels weird. She’s a real girl, and a real girl really worth the effort of getting to know.
Mysteries, in general, have never been my thing. I read a little Agatha Christie, a little Encyclopedia Brown, and of course Nancy Drew, but the search for hidden clues was never as interesting to me as hidden Easter eggs (the real kind, not the DVD variety). I have had kids come to me asking for a good mystery, and for a long time, I had a very short reference list. The aforementioned Mr. Brown, “The Westing Game”, and for fun, Geronimo Stilton. But things have changed lately, and a group of smart, intrepid and funny young ladies have come to my attention. First came Flavia du Luce, the irrepressible star of a series of novels by Alan Bradley. Then I discovered a group of middle grade sleuths in The Red Blazer Girls by Michael Beil and Nancy Springer’s Enola Holmes mysteries (Enola being the much younger sister of the famed Sherlock). Now Leslie Margolis has brought forward Maggie Brooklyn, a young lady on the move in her namesake borough. In Girl’s Best Friend, Maggie must help rescue a missing pet, uncover the truth behind her landlady’s odd behavior and solve the biggest riddle of them all, boys.
Maggie is a twin, and she and her brother share a room in their brownstone apartment in Brooklyn. Maggie also loves dogs, but because of her brother’s allergy, cannot have one of her own. So she starts, almost by accident, a small dog walking business in her neighborhood. Yes, she’s keeping it a secret from her parents and hiding her earnings in a secret box behind the fireplace, but at least she’s keeping her grades up. At her 12th birthday party, she catches former best friend Ivy trying to steal some of her hard earned cash, and discovers that Ivy’s beloved Lab/Dalmatian mix, Kermit, has been dognapped and is being held for ransom. Maggie promises to help get the dog back, for Kermit’s sake, if not for Ivy’s, and along the way finds a network of missing dogs and a dodgy dog-walker named Jane.
It’s a tricky thing, reading a middle grade mystery as an adult. I’m always wondering if clues that may seem obvious to a grown up might be more puzzling to a book intended audience (this is partially why I enjoy both the Red Blazer tales and Enola Holmes, as both of these series involve puzzles and ciphers that, while solvable, present at least a little work to be done for any reader). Thankfully, Margolis has layered her mysteries with plenty of hints and red herrings, so that even the sharpest detective of any age will have a few surprises.
The best thing Margolis has always brought to the table is her characters, and her truthful capturing of a pre-teen spirit. With Maggie, Margolis has a young lady who is clever, funny and a tad unsure of herself, as any 12-year-old would be. She worries about talking to boys, the dress code at her own party, and calling her former 3rd grade teacher by her first name, which just feels weird. She’s a real girl, and a real girl really worth the effort of getting to know.
August 15, 2012
My opinion about Girls Best Friend it is a really mysterious book about dog napping.
My first reason ,why this book is because this girl named Maggie is persistent.Maggie was always dressed in discusses to find the dog napper.Maggie would find evidence.Maggie would do anything that is possible.
Another reason,is she is really good to witness the problem.Maggie wouldn't be Fredrick Flogo Maggie would be Rocky the Rocketeer who does all the work.Maggie would ask people in a suspicious mood questions. Maggie would take a better job in her job which is taking care of Milo,Beans,Preston, and Kermit.
My last reason,the book is mysterious because she is a dog walker.Maggie takes dogs for a walk.Maggie loves playing with the dogs.Maggie always makes sure the dogs are healthy.
In conclusion, these are some reasons why Girls Best Friend is very mysterious.
My first reason ,why this book is because this girl named Maggie is persistent.Maggie was always dressed in discusses to find the dog napper.Maggie would find evidence.Maggie would do anything that is possible.
Another reason,is she is really good to witness the problem.Maggie wouldn't be Fredrick Flogo Maggie would be Rocky the Rocketeer who does all the work.Maggie would ask people in a suspicious mood questions. Maggie would take a better job in her job which is taking care of Milo,Beans,Preston, and Kermit.
My last reason,the book is mysterious because she is a dog walker.Maggie takes dogs for a walk.Maggie loves playing with the dogs.Maggie always makes sure the dogs are healthy.
In conclusion, these are some reasons why Girls Best Friend is very mysterious.
March 21, 2012
This is an excellent middle grade mystery. Maggie exudes personality and I really enjoyed her adventure. The quirky Park Slope residents are all nicely imagined and they really add to the story's crackle. The mystery was a bit more layered than expected, and featured a couple of interesting twists that added up to a great read. I look forward to reading the next in this series.
January 18, 2011
Adorable book! Check out my review on my blog!
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December 21, 2012its a great book:)
September 17, 2013
I love this book. I read it about 5 times so far. It is full of mystery, so if you want that it is right there. Red I and maybe you'll like, love, dislike or hate it. It is your opinion.
April 14, 2014
Cute story. Good for upper middle grades. I did let my 4th-grader read it, though, and made sure we talked about some of my issues with the book, namely dishonesty and safety precautions.
February 7, 2016
It's cool I really like fin
November 17, 2015
Same name, same brain. Maggie is so relatable. I like this book, but it wasn't as satisfying as some mysteries I've read.
August 26, 2016
Awesome book. Love the exacting things about it. I love mystery's and I love dogs.
They are both combined!!!!!
They are both combined!!!!!
January 11, 2018
I recommend this book to people who DO NOT like mysteries because I really don't like mysteries very much and I actually enjoyed this book a lot!
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March 27, 2019It was good!
October 20, 2020
Hi Ms. Walker this is my book summary for extra credit.
Title: Girl's Best Friend
Author: Leslie Margolis
Summary: In the book, Maggie's old friend's dog gets lost and they have to try to find the dog. Maggie is a dog walker so she knows a lot about dogs.Later in the book Maggie starts developing a crush on a boy in her class named Milo.Maggie's friend gets worried about the dog and blames Maggie for it.She walks her neighbor's dog and she has to take the dog to the vet. But the vet says the dogs sick but she thinks that the dog is totally healthy and the owner thinks so to. So she gets suspicious about the vet. She later finds out that almost all the dogs in her neighborhood are missing.So she starts a plan so she can rescue all the dogs in her neighborhood and find her olds friend dog. Will she save the dogs and find the dognapper? Find out in this book.
I hope you enjoyed my summary.
Zion Ibeawuchi
Title: Girl's Best Friend
Author: Leslie Margolis
Summary: In the book, Maggie's old friend's dog gets lost and they have to try to find the dog. Maggie is a dog walker so she knows a lot about dogs.Later in the book Maggie starts developing a crush on a boy in her class named Milo.Maggie's friend gets worried about the dog and blames Maggie for it.She walks her neighbor's dog and she has to take the dog to the vet. But the vet says the dogs sick but she thinks that the dog is totally healthy and the owner thinks so to. So she gets suspicious about the vet. She later finds out that almost all the dogs in her neighborhood are missing.So she starts a plan so she can rescue all the dogs in her neighborhood and find her olds friend dog. Will she save the dogs and find the dognapper? Find out in this book.
I hope you enjoyed my summary.
Zion Ibeawuchi
October 20, 2025
For a scholastics book, it was mostly related to young adults and their daily life problems. I still enjoyed it and it was mostly entertaining how much pasión was put into it. Never imagined reading a book about dognaping frenemies and crushes in a scholastics book since most of the books are more for children than anything but i am kinda glad i did end up reading and have decided to maybe browse for more books from this company and maybe i will end up reminiscing with books from the past. Can’t figure out if i want to keep reading more of this saga or just stick with the first one but all and all a good book with a good mystery to solve.
October 31, 2018
Girl"s bast Friend by Leslie Margolis is a book I would Recommend to people that love dog, the only reason I say that is because this book is about a girl she notice that the nabor hood dogs are missing and then she goes and tries to find them. This book is touching, funny story, and this book has a lot of twist and turns. Dogs, their humans, twins of all ages, old friends, and even apartments are not what they seem at first. At least, not always. Margolis leaves you wanting to look twice at every familar gesture and setting.
July 6, 2020
Cute book. Read this one on the recommendation of my 10-year-old daughter for our mother-daughter book club. A story of a eleven-year-old Maggie who lives in Brooklyn, New York. Maggie has a secret dog walking business a crush, and a mystery to solve...but the book is slow getting going. I think most kids would like this book. I’d give it 3.5 stars.
September 5, 2025
This book is great for a small introduction into the mystery book world. I would recommend this if you are looking for a teen book about small love and a mystery. This will have you wanting to keep reading. It goes from fast to slower parts in this book. If you are new to mystery this would be an awesome book for you! 3
April 24, 2021
More than one mystery with a bright engaging protagonist on the case. Perfect for my Mother/Daughter Book Discussion. I’ll definitely buy more of this series for our library and may even use another book later in the year for this same Book Group.
May 22, 2017
This mysterious story is great for people who love unraveling mysteries and dogs.
June 8, 2017
I thought this book started out like a normal girl but then they realize now its a mystery and now every time they think this person did it they didn't! it is a. great book!
October 23, 2018
I really liked this book. If you like Mysteries and Comedy you will like this book. It is a fun and easy book to read. It is very exciting and suspenseful.
November 18, 2019
This book is truly remarkable for kids to read if they love a good misyery book that keeps them on their toes.
May 26, 2020
Read this book to do "book club" with my 10 year old niece. Such a cute and entertaining story.
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January 12, 2021i loved the book,it was super good.it had lots of mysteries and i loved it it was also super funny at the end it was super good i wound devinitle recommend reading it!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 112 reviews