Spotting Dottie

Spotting Dottie is a story about an elusive lake monster and how Charlotte's grandmother is the only living person in the small town to have seen it. As a result, Charlotte's grandmother Dottie has suffered through years of torment and endless jokes as no one believes her story of the sighting. Charlotte is determined to prove her grandmother’s story and restore her reputation. For Charlotte’s birthday, she receives a drone that she, with her best friend Scott and her grandmother, uses to try to record footage of the lake monster. They manage to get some grainy footage which, against her mother’s wishes, Charlotte posts online and submits to the local newspaper. Charlotte’s mom still refuses to believe the story and says the image is just a log. As interest ramps up about the sighting, Dorothy Lake is inundated with more and more people looking to catch their own sighting. There are also those that doubt the footage. Charlotte is even more determined to prove her grandmother right, and both Charlotte and her grandmother embark on another adventure in a boat to get better footage.

Spotting Dottie is a story not only about what believing in something, it is also a story about friendship, family relationships and resilience, as well as character. Ultimately, Charlotte must learn what is more important: proving her grandmother was right all along or protecting the life of another, that being two lake monsters. Although Charlotte is only 14, the weight of this decision weighs heavily on her. She wants the community and world to believe in her grandmother and for her grandmother’s reputation, as well as that of herself and Scott, to be restored. She doesn’t want to be known as “Dottie Lottie”.

Spotting Dottie is a fabulous read that will leave its readers wondering: “What would I do if I was placed in a similar situation?”