Ginger Pye: A Middle Grade Mystery About a Smart Stolen Dog and His Loving Family for Children (Ages 8-12)

Meet the marvelous Pyes—
     There is Mrs. Pye, the youngest mother in town;
     Mr. Pye, a famous bird man, who handles all the nation’s important bird problems;
     Rachel Pye, who is so reasonable she can make unreasonable ideas sound like good ones;
     Jerry Pye, who knows about rocks of all sorts and plans to grow up to be a rock man;
     Uncle Bennie, who is Jerry and Rachel’s uncle—even though he’s only three years old.
     Lastly is Ginger Pye, the “intellectual dog,” who Jerry bought for a hard-earned dollar. The most famous pup in all of Cranbury, Ginger knows tons of tricks, is as loyal as he is smart, and steals the hearts of everyone he meets . . . until someone steals him!
 

Eleanor Estes (1906-1988) grew up in West Haven, Connecticut, which she renamed Cranbury for her classic stories about the Moffat and Pye families. A children’s librarian for many years, she launched her writing career with the publication of The Moffats in 1941. Two of her outstanding books about the Moffats—Rufus M. and The Middle Moffat—were awarded Newbery Honors, as was her short novel The Hundred Dresses. She won the Newbery Medal for Ginger Pye.