In Lost, Sam the puppy jumps out of the car to explore, but when she's ready to return she finds her owners are now missing. In School, Sam follows some children to school where she gets into predictable trouble. Although the stories lack originality, the texts are appropriately geared to beginning readers and the sometimes overly cute illustrations provide helpful clues. [Review covers these Kids Can Read titles: Sam Gets Lost and Sam Goes to School.] (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.

Reviewed with Mary Labatt's Sam Gets Lost0 . PreS. A white, fluffy puppy is the star of these two entries in the Kids Can Read series. In Lost0 , Sam takes a ride with his owners, Joan and Bob, but decides there's more fun going on outside the car and escapes. He enjoys nosing around, but then he realizes Joan and Bob are lost. There's some slight adventure before his owners find him--or vice versa. In School,0 Sam once again takes a powder, this time heading onto a school bus, which takes him to class. Although the plots of these books are nothing special, the volumes do engender a friendly feeling. Sam looks more like a stuffed animal than a real dog, but the softly colored paintings work nicely in conjunction with the words and will keep kids turning pages. --Ilene Cooper Copyright 2004 Booklist