1. Sherlock Shelby and Her Faithful Sidekick Piccolo

2. Meet Shelby

3. She sang as she walked her dog Piccolo. Sherlock Shelby was a special little girl. She sang more than she talked, and that was a lot. She sang her math problems as she worked them. She made up the tunes as she went along. Sometimes the songs made sense. Sometimes she just picked words that rhymed. She sang about setting the table. Whenever Shelby’s mother could not find something, she called Sherlock Shelby. “Shelby, do you see where I put my glasses?” With Sherlock Shelby on the job, the glasses were always found. “Shelby, where did I set my keys?” “Shelby, have you seen the money I laid out for lunches?”

4. One day, Shelby was in the back yard with Piccolo, waiting for him to do his business. She made up a song for the occasion, “We’re walk-ing. We’re walk-ing. You’re barking and I’m talk-ing.” Suddenly, Piccolo’s ears twitched. Her neck jolted straight. Her eyes locked onto something in the open field behind the row of houses. Off they went! Shelby hadn’t learned to make Piccolo stay when he saw something, but she had learned to hold on. What would it be today?

5. Shelby heard them before she saw them. They were chirping so quickly, they must be scared. She bent down and held Piccolo. This time she talked, “No, Piccolo, we can’t go any closer.” She picked Piccolo up and walked back to their own back yard. “Time for business,” she said, trying to sound serious this time. Shelby heard them before she saw them. They were chirping so quickly, they must be scared. She bent down and held Piccolo. This time she talked, “No, Piccolo, we can’t go any closer.” She picked Piccolo up and walked back to their own back yard. “Time for business,” she said, trying to sound serious this time. Then it happened again. Piccolo’s ears twitched. Her neck straightened. Her eyes focused. Shelby knew what was next – the legs ran! They ran across their backyard, across their neighbor’s back yard, and to the next house.

6. The house was empty because the Clemen’s family had moved just a few days before. Shelby wondered why Piccolo had run to the Clemen’s house. “This is too far Piccolo, we have to stay in our yard.” Piccolo pulled on his end of the leash. He even barked. “Come on, Piccolo.” She scooped Piccolo up and carried him back home, but he kept his eyes on the empty house. Shelby At Home

7. Shelby’s sister, Becky, wore contacts. She carried a small yellow, metal box to keep her contact case, eye drops, and glasses in. She kept it in her pocket because she hated to carry a purse. That evening, Becky went to take out her contacts. She reached in her pocket for her yellow case. It was gone! “Mom, have you seen my glasses?” Becky yelled across the house. Ask Shelby!” her mom yelled back. Shelby collected Piccolo and went on the job. She checked the bathroom. She checked under Becky’s bed. She checked the kitchen and dining room. No metal yellow case. Becky found her old glasses and pouted.

8. While helping her mom rip lettuce for tacos, Shelby told her about Piccolo and the empty house. “It’s not safe for you to be poking around an empty house, Shelby. Stay away from there.” “I know, I just wondered why Piccolo was so interested in it.” “Could be anything, some old trash starting to smell probably.” But Shelby knew Piccolo wasn’t the type of dog that relied on his nose like dogs who search for lost people. He was a dog that relied on his eyes. If it moved, he saw it – and chased it. He must have seen something move in that house. Later before bedtime, Shelby took Piccolo out for his final business. When she came back in, she was holding the yellow case. It had been in the front yard where Becky had played with Piccolo after school. Another mystery solved by Sherlock Shelby!

9. As Shelby went to sleep she was thinking about a different mystery. Her imagination was filled with all the things Piccolo could have seen moving in the Clemen’s old house. “Inside the Clemen’s House”

10. Saturday, Shelby and her brother took Piccolo for a walk down the street. They went especially slow as they passed the Clemen’s house. Piccolo’s ears twitched. Her neck jolted straight. Her eyes locked onto something in that house. Shelby studied all the windows very carefully. Then she saw it, too. A curtain swooshed! Piccolo went crazy, barking, and pulling at his leash, trying to get to the house. It’s a good thing Shelby’s big brother was stronger than her! They ran back to their house and told her mother. Her mother didn’t believe Shelby at first, but her brother backed her up. Shelby’s mom called the realtor’s number from the FOR SALE sign in front of the house

11. The Real Estate lady agreed to come check the empty house. Shelby watched from the living room window and waited for the Real Estate lady to show up. Finally, a big red SUV stopped in front of the Clemen’s house. Nothing happened. No one got out of the car. A few minutes later, a police car arrived, too. After the police officer got out of his car, a pretty lady got out of the SUV. She wore a purple suit. She walked to the front door of the Clemen’s house, where the funny lock was hanging. She opened the door and the police officer walked in. Shelby and Piccolo ran out of the house singing, “We’re about to solve the case.!” She was out on the lawn before her mom could say, “What?” Shelby’s mom ran out to catch Shelby and Piccolo. She stopped them before they got all the way to the Clemen’s house. “Let’s wait out here, ok?” It wasn’t ok, but Shelby agreed. The three of them waited to see who or what would come out of the Clemen’s house.

12. The Real Estate lady in her purple suit walked out first. She was smiling. Behind her came the police officer. He was smiling, too, and looking at something cradled in his arms. Piccolo wasn’t smiling. He was barking like crazy, trying to get away from Shelby. Her mom bent over and took him before he got away. The real estate lady and the police officer walked over to Shelby and her mom. Shelby’s mom kept a tight hold on Piccolo. Was that it? Was that little thing what Piccolo had been barking at? The police officer showed Shelby a kitten. It was so cute!

13. Several other neighbors came outside to see what a police car was doing on their street. One of the neighbors was Mrs. Carden. “That’s my new kitten!” she cried with relief. “She ran away the day after I brought her home. I was so sad. I put up flyers everywhere. She was too little to find her way home again.” Shelby was glad for Mrs. Carden, but sad for herself. For just a minute, she thought she might get the kitten. “Shelby,” said Mrs. Carden, “I hadn’t even named my new kitten yet. Would you like to name her?” A twinkle came back to Shelby’s eye. “Mystery!” she proclaimed. Yes, another mystery solved. Shelby sang all about it as she, her mom, and Piccolo walked back home.