Garfield and Odie assist two mice on their hunt for a beast living in the basement of their home. Garfied, the house cat, is threatened by his owner Jon Arbuckle, that if Garfield doesn’t get rid of the mice he will be placed on a diet. Since Garfield enjoys food, he and the dog, Odie, work to catch the mice. However, they learn that mice have been sneaking up stairs because they are afraid of a something making strange noises in the basement. They agree that if Garfield can get the creature out of the basement, they will go back down there and then Garfield won’t have to go on his diet. Traditional Garfield fans will still find the same humor they enjoy in the story, although since it is a chapter book, will find less visual and more text heavy. Black and white sketches are interspersed throughout and compliment the story. Garfield fans (or their parents) might find this a nice transition of carrying their favorite character from graphic novel into chapter book format. Elementary school students, age 7 and older would be the best fit for this story. It is a mystery more than a scary story. ( )