A Dog Called Grk

Rich, lonely schoolboy Timothy Malt is determined to return a stray dog to its owners, even when it turns out that they are imprisoned in a foreign country, thousands of miles from his English home. Natascha and Max Raffifi, along with their diplomat parents, have been kidnapped by "Secret Police" from their native Stanislavia, where the democratically elected government has just been overthrown by the villainous Colonel Zinfandel. British author Doder sets a whimsically slapstick tone for the proceedings, through the perspective of an omniscient narrator ("I should tell you about Grk's owners... In order to do that, we must go back in time"). Using his father's credit card, Tim books a flight to Vilnetto for himself and the dog (whom he later learns is named Grk, a Stanislavian word roughly translated as "brave, generous and foolish"). Then, deploying skills he learned playing computer helicopter simulation games, break the Raffifi kids out of prison. The often humorous hyperbole woven into the text is jarringly interrupted by the murder of Ambassador Raffifi and his wife, and a few drop-kicks for adorable Grk (though the dog does extract a measure of revenge by sinking his teeth into several ankles). Aside from the difference in tone, this fast-paced tale may well appeal to Alex Rider fans. A sequel, Grk and the Pelotti Gang , is due in November. Trudie Styler acquired the rights to the Grk trilogy last September for her production company. Ages 9-12. (Feb.)