“The Adventures of Jimmy and Andrew – Book One: American Stonehenge” by Mike Goldstein

The Adventures of Jimmy and Andrew – Book One: American Stonehenge

Mike Goldstein
J & A Ventures (2018)
ISBN: 9781734110609
Reviewed by Maddie (age 13) for Reader Views Kids (1/2021)

“The Adventures of Jimmy and Andrew – Book One: American Stonehenge” by Mike Goldstein is a fun sci-fi/fantasy/mystery adventure starring a boy and his immortal dog who communicate telepathically. On Jimmy’s 9th birthday his parents take him to a shelter to adopt a dog. “Let him choose you,” Jimmy’s father tells him, and that’s exactly what happens. Right away Jimmy knows this isn’t an ordinary dog because Jimmy hears his thoughts! Jimmy discovers the dog’s name is Andrew and he was born over 3,000 years ago in Egypt. Over the years Andrew has lived with an Egyptian Pharaoh, a homeless person, and all kinds of different people.  When a mysterious rock formation is found by a group of archeologists led by Jimmy’s dad, the whole family goes to the dig to explore. It’s here they meet Sam, a man who local people call “crazy” but Jimmy and Andrew discover a true friend and together they go on an adventure meeting ancestors of a local tribe and aliens on a mission to save planet Earth. 

I really liked this story for many different reasons, mostly because it’s different. There are lots of stories about a boy and his dog but this one isn’t like any of those! Jimmy and Andrew become best friends right from the start and the way they communicate is great. It’s funny at times because Jimmy forgets and talks out loud to Andrew and he has to cover up so people don’t learn their secret. But Sam knows something is going on and wonders – could that boy and his dog really be communicating with each other?

I also like the way the story is written, it kept me wanting to read what was going to happen next and I liked the short chapters. The characters were a big part of why I liked the story, I love characters that can keep me entertained through the whole story. My favorites, of course were Jimmy, Andrew, and Sam. The aliens were not what I expected and they added extra excitement to the story. I like the idea that they were concerned for our environment and trying to save the earth from the same mistakes they made on their planet. There’s also a lot to learn in the story about digs and archeology, science, and the environment.

One thing that didn’t seem to right to me was that Jimmy’s character sometimes seemed like two different people. Most of the time he was really smart and could talk about things not every nine-year-old would know, then in the next sentence he would ask what simple words meant. That part didn’t really seem to go with his character. But, that was the only part that stood out to me as different.

I think “The Adventures of Jimmy and Andrew – Book One: American Stonehenge” by Mike Goldstein is a book that will be enjoyed by both girls and boys ages 9 and older.