Friday Memes

Book Beginnings is hosted by Rose City Reader and the Friday 56 is hosted by Freda's Voice.

Elvis and the Underdogs: secrets, Secret Service, and Room Service by Jenny Lee. Illustrated by Kelly Light. 334 p. Balzer + Bray/ Harper/Collins Publishers, May 20, 2014. 9780062235565.

Publisher synopsis: It's been months since Benji's former therapy dog, Elvis, was whisked away by the Secret Service, but Benji still misses him terribly. Luckily, because Elvis is now the president's dog, Benji can keep tabs on him via all the pictures and videos that are online.

While watching footage of the president's speech on the White House lawn, Benji and his friends Alexander and Taisy notice Elvis doing something very strange with his tail. Could he be trying to send them a message?

And so begins another madcap adventure in which these underdog best friends will have to find a way to get to DC, discover the truth behind Elvis's secret-coded cry for help, and solve a national pastry crisis . . . or Benji may have to say good-bye to his beloved Elvis for good.

First Line: This story starts with me superglued to a window-seat cushion on a sunny Saturday in March.

Page 56: Billy Thompson had bullied me for years at school. I had been totally terrified of him, but when Elvis was here, Billy and I had a showdown. And Billy even helped save my life. Then I found out he has a secret fake foot.