Jack's Knife (Polestar $12.95) is the second installment in the time-travelling Sirius Mystery series by Ladysmith husband-and-wife team Beverley and Chris Wood.
When 15-year-old Jackson (Jack) Kyle's over-protective mother insists a stray dog must be "disposed of,"; Jack attempts to smuggle the dog to a friend. Jack, a troubled kid from the world of subdivisions and lawn mowers, finds himself transported to 1930s Juneau, Alaska. There ensues a constellation-studded adventure with Patsy Ann, the city's plucky and famous white Bull Terrier. 1-55192-709-8

--by Louise Donnelly

[BCBW 2005]