What do you think?
Rate this book
Something Queer #1
Something Queer is Going On
Jill and Gwen do some sleuthing when Jill's basset hound disappears.
48 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1973
About the author
Elizabeth Levy
197 books67 followersElizabeth Levy has been writing and publishing books for over thirty years and sometimes now she meets kids whose parents read her books when they were children! She has written over 80 books, a number that continues to surprise her, as it surprises her how long she's been at it.
Over the years they've printed lots of her books - over five million of them.
She loves to try writing different types of books - everything from funny mysteries to novels about kids who get in trouble to history.
One of the most pleasant surprises about writing is that she's been invited to travel all over the country and even the world speaking to children, teachers, and librarians. She's made some wonderful friendships and gotten lots of ideas for her books. One of the most special treats is that kids have drawn wonderful pictures of one of her favorite characters, Fletcher.
She grew up in Buffalo, New York, then went to Brown University, where she majored in history. When she graduated, she came to New York City and worked for ABC-TV and then for Senator Robert Kennedy. She has lived in New York ever since, and she loves it. She knows all the best places for salami, she has run four marathons, and she has completed many 5-borough bike tours, so she thinks she really knows this place well.
At certain times of the year, she can be found out at Shea Stadium watching her team, the New York Mets. She has always loved baseball.
Mostly she enjoys hanging out with her friends. They spend lots of time going to movies or plays, playing sports, having meals together.
When she's alone and not writing, she is usually reading. She reads mysteries a lot, always has, which is probably why many of her books are mysteries.
Over the years they've printed lots of her books - over five million of them.
She loves to try writing different types of books - everything from funny mysteries to novels about kids who get in trouble to history.
One of the most pleasant surprises about writing is that she's been invited to travel all over the country and even the world speaking to children, teachers, and librarians. She's made some wonderful friendships and gotten lots of ideas for her books. One of the most special treats is that kids have drawn wonderful pictures of one of her favorite characters, Fletcher.
She grew up in Buffalo, New York, then went to Brown University, where she majored in history. When she graduated, she came to New York City and worked for ABC-TV and then for Senator Robert Kennedy. She has lived in New York ever since, and she loves it. She knows all the best places for salami, she has run four marathons, and she has completed many 5-borough bike tours, so she thinks she really knows this place well.
At certain times of the year, she can be found out at Shea Stadium watching her team, the New York Mets. She has always loved baseball.
Mostly she enjoys hanging out with her friends. They spend lots of time going to movies or plays, playing sports, having meals together.
When she's alone and not writing, she is usually reading. She reads mysteries a lot, always has, which is probably why many of her books are mysteries.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
May 24, 2008
Once upon a time, a long time ago, in a kingdom far, far away, when i was but a young girl...
My mother was working for her Educational Psycology PhD advisor (for the dissertation that was forever in progress but never materialized because of the independent child she was raising all by herself~among other things) in a private consultation business. I would go to their testing center while she worked and play for hours among the educational toys/testing equpment or read the library books/assesment materials (it was all good entertainment in my eyes). There was one book i read over and over again (actually i'm sure there were many books i read over and over again.)
A while ago, on one of my library discussion lists someone had a patron query about a book concerning a dog who lied around all day and then became a star of a commercial. This struck a cord with me as one of those books i loved as a child. Many answers were given~none of them sounded right to me. I could picture all the illustrations (could even visualize the dog~but couldn't name the type~Bassett Hound). Finally someone came up with the right book: Something Queer is Going On (a Mystery) by Elizabeth Levy (sadly out of print now, i believe); and i rejoiced to have rediscovered my old friend. I looked it up in our system and we did indeed have a copy~it was apparently part of a series (of which we only had a few titles left) but i did pull in the book in question and Something Queer at the Library (a Mystery) (but of course).
Now that i have read these two titles i have reached a conclusion i have reached before and that is new to almost no adult: you really can't re-experience your childhood with the same wonder, and sometimes, even trying can taint some of your memories of that childhood.
Although i still recommend this series (and i'm still in love with Fletcher the Bassett Hound~and the fact that Jill, his owner, has a large mass of red curls atop her head...) Something Queer is Going On just isn't the same book i remember (and maybe it is the small paperback format~i remember reading a large hardcover in at least semi-color but who knows how accurate my memory is...) The paperbacks still contain the same, very charming, illustrations (including some very helpful annotation which is part of what i always enjoyed). I think that Something Queer is Going On, perhaps as the first of the series, is the better of the two i read (and doesn't seem to start somewhere in the middle.) Basically this is the story of a dog who goes missing (a dog "who never needs finding, because he never goes anywhere..."), his owner, Jill, and her friend, Gwen, who set off to find him.
My mother was working for her Educational Psycology PhD advisor (for the dissertation that was forever in progress but never materialized because of the independent child she was raising all by herself~among other things) in a private consultation business. I would go to their testing center while she worked and play for hours among the educational toys/testing equpment or read the library books/assesment materials (it was all good entertainment in my eyes). There was one book i read over and over again (actually i'm sure there were many books i read over and over again.)
A while ago, on one of my library discussion lists someone had a patron query about a book concerning a dog who lied around all day and then became a star of a commercial. This struck a cord with me as one of those books i loved as a child. Many answers were given~none of them sounded right to me. I could picture all the illustrations (could even visualize the dog~but couldn't name the type~Bassett Hound). Finally someone came up with the right book: Something Queer is Going On (a Mystery) by Elizabeth Levy (sadly out of print now, i believe); and i rejoiced to have rediscovered my old friend. I looked it up in our system and we did indeed have a copy~it was apparently part of a series (of which we only had a few titles left) but i did pull in the book in question and Something Queer at the Library (a Mystery) (but of course).
Now that i have read these two titles i have reached a conclusion i have reached before and that is new to almost no adult: you really can't re-experience your childhood with the same wonder, and sometimes, even trying can taint some of your memories of that childhood.
Although i still recommend this series (and i'm still in love with Fletcher the Bassett Hound~and the fact that Jill, his owner, has a large mass of red curls atop her head...) Something Queer is Going On just isn't the same book i remember (and maybe it is the small paperback format~i remember reading a large hardcover in at least semi-color but who knows how accurate my memory is...) The paperbacks still contain the same, very charming, illustrations (including some very helpful annotation which is part of what i always enjoyed). I think that Something Queer is Going On, perhaps as the first of the series, is the better of the two i read (and doesn't seem to start somewhere in the middle.) Basically this is the story of a dog who goes missing (a dog "who never needs finding, because he never goes anywhere..."), his owner, Jill, and her friend, Gwen, who set off to find him.
September 1, 2016
A blast from Mommy's past!
July 9, 2008
I adore this book: Jill, with her worrying and her love for her dog; Gwen, with her rational, logical thinking and the tapping of the braces; Fletcher, with his laziness and world-map-fur. And, of course, the world's most awesome series title! Gerstein's illustrations, with their identifying labels, are amusing without being cutesy. The girls are great role models - believable, independent, funny. I am trying to collect the whole series, though it's been somewhat slow going.
November 8, 2011
It was awesome because it's a mystery and their is a chubby dog.
November 23, 2019
Had this book when I was in elementary school. I absolutely loved it. I had forgotten all about it until I saw it by chance on Ebay today. A really fun mystery for kids
April 13, 2017
I loved this picture book mystery series as a kid, more for the pictures than anything else. This is the first book of the series and it wasn't as exciting as I remembered. Even the pictures, which are labeled like diagrams, didn't seem as detailed as I expected based on my memories. (I think the books I liked best may have come later in the series.) In any case, I think this book is best-suited to independent readers, and I haven't tried reading it or any of the other titles we own from this series aloud to Miss Muffet. They are geared at elementary readers and would probably appeal to kids who like comics and books in graphic format.
June 29, 2016
I still have my copy of this book from when my mother had enrolled me in the Weekly Readers' book club. I read that book over and over, mainly for the amazing illustrations, but always switching my opinion as to whether I identified more with Jill or Gwen as they took different approaches to trying to solve the mystery of Jill's missing dog.
And yet, I had no idea there was a whole series by the same team! Time to go scavenging used-book stores and eBay!
And yet, I had no idea there was a whole series by the same team! Time to go scavenging used-book stores and eBay!
April 13, 2010
Just got this today for my son Nikki and me through Ebay and we both loved it! Classic 70s/80s mystery book for kids. It's the first in a series about two girls and their dog that solve mini mysteries in their town. They're quirky and very enjoyable from the story to the classic art. Still a great read after all these years.
November 19, 2014
One of the first mysteries I ever read -- and also one of the best dog stories I've ever read. This is one of those childhood books which I wish I'd kept. Of course, back then the word "queer" only meant "strange." The characters are delightfully quirky. The illustrations are great. Highly recommended for all ages.
December 29, 2012
Love this book! I always loved the way the main character would tap her braces while she was thinking. Little did I know that as a full grown adult I would actually end up wearing braces! And you know that I totally do that move!
October 9, 2007
I haven't seen this book since I was little, but I remember loving the heck out of it.
January 31, 2008
Another in the "Something Queer" series. Another of my childhood favorites.
January 22, 2010
This was a childhood favorite of mine. I plan to collect the series as my son absolutely adores Fletcher and the gang. A wonderfully written and illustrated series!
March 12, 2010
I loved this book when I was a little girl. A couple of years ago I ordered a copy for my kids. It is one of my prized possessions.
Read
May 11, 2012loved this book when I was a kid!!!
February 1, 2013
I had this book as a child and loved it! I just recently found it on eBay.
October 8, 2013
Absolutely loved this series as a kid.
November 30, 2013
one of my all time favorites. I could read this book today and still smile. And now because of good reads I see it is a series! Swoons!
Read
April 17, 2014Mystery
Read
January 23, 2016I erred this book EVERY DAY in fifth grade!
November 23, 2017
Bought it for the title in the hopes of a ridiculous tale, or maybe some kitsch.... Not so much.
February 22, 2023
My big sister, who was also originally published in 1973, had this book when we were kids and I was always drawn to it. The colors on the cover appealed to my love of darkness, and I wanted to be Gwen, the suspicious best friend with the dark hair and braces. I also love Fletcher, the inert basset hound at the center of the story.
When Jill comes home from school one day to find the front steps empty of Fletcher she knows something downright queer is going on, since Fletcher is never not there. He's a reliable dog that way. I like how everyone works together to look for him, from best friend Gwen to Jill's unrealistically supportive mom. Even the disinterested neighbors are nice enough about it when the girls come knocking. And since it's a kid book, you know it'll have a happy ending. (It does.)
Being terrible at remembering endings, I bought a used copy last week and really enjoyed reading it again after 40+ years. I definitely won't wait that long before reading it again. Hopefully to a little kid.
When Jill comes home from school one day to find the front steps empty of Fletcher she knows something downright queer is going on, since Fletcher is never not there. He's a reliable dog that way. I like how everyone works together to look for him, from best friend Gwen to Jill's unrealistically supportive mom. Even the disinterested neighbors are nice enough about it when the girls come knocking. And since it's a kid book, you know it'll have a happy ending. (It does.)
Being terrible at remembering endings, I bought a used copy last week and really enjoyed reading it again after 40+ years. I definitely won't wait that long before reading it again. Hopefully to a little kid.
October 22, 2021
This was such a fun read--- and such a fun reminder of days that have passed. I loved these books....and the drawings are etched in my brain. LOVE. Especially Fletcher.
This is a kid's book with drawings...and silly comments....and zoom ins....galore. The base story is a mystery, Fletcher the Basset Hound is missing....and the two girls must find him.
Finding this book was a bit of a task....not sold on Amazon, not at the library....I finally did an ILL and got it from some university library in a neighboring city. Definitely worth the request.
Read if you enjoy fun books...especially if you have someone to read it to you.
2021 PopSugar Reading Challenge: The shortest book (by pages) on your TBR list
This is a kid's book with drawings...and silly comments....and zoom ins....galore. The base story is a mystery, Fletcher the Basset Hound is missing....and the two girls must find him.
Finding this book was a bit of a task....not sold on Amazon, not at the library....I finally did an ILL and got it from some university library in a neighboring city. Definitely worth the request.
Read if you enjoy fun books...especially if you have someone to read it to you.
2021 PopSugar Reading Challenge: The shortest book (by pages) on your TBR list
May 6, 2025
When Jill's basset hound Fletcher disappears, her friend Gwen helps her investigate.
I loved these as a kid and they're still fun to reread as an adult. Mordicai Gerstein's artwork is delightful - Fletcher has a saggy stomach and a long tongue that is always rolled out. This may have been where I got my love of basset hounds. The first dog I had as an adult was Snausage, a basset that tripped over his long ears as a puppy.
I loved these as a kid and they're still fun to reread as an adult. Mordicai Gerstein's artwork is delightful - Fletcher has a saggy stomach and a long tongue that is always rolled out. This may have been where I got my love of basset hounds. The first dog I had as an adult was Snausage, a basset that tripped over his long ears as a puppy.
December 24, 2021
What a fun book. I loved the lemonade stand book when I was younger.
January 1, 2022
Great for our mystery unit. Visual clues and multiple suspects.
December 21, 2022
This may have been my favorite book as a kid. I loved the illustrations.
Read
November 26, 2025A cutie book from my mom's childhood. So happy she found it on ebay and by extension I got to enjoy it.
September 29, 2009
Wonderful children's book.
August 21, 2012
I retread this book EVERY DAY in fifth grade!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews