“Professor Aldous Barkly? I have a warrant for your arrest.” The year was 1905 and that was not the greeting that Stanford botany professor Aldous Barkly expected on his return to San Diego, his hometown. He was there with his wife Amelia and his loyal assistant Osgood Trotter to research the rare Tecate Cypress. Instead he was falsely accused of a series of burglaries and was drawn into a desperate attempt to rescue the son of his old girl friend. From the shores of San Diego Bay to the wilds of the back country, Barkly, Amelia and Trotter found themselves battling smugglers and corrupt city officials in a fast paced tale of adventure and intrigue. The Hunt for Tanner Banks mixes historical fact and exciting action with a twist. Barkly, Amelia and Trotter live in a world where dogs, properly known as canines, coexist on an almost equal footing with humans. Their special abilities and the difficulties they find in human society bring to life California history and the wonders of the natural world in a story that middle grade readers and their parents will learn from and enjoy.

Tom Polakiewicz was born and raised in San Diego, and graduated from the University of California, San Diego. He spent time in the U.S. Coast Guard and practiced law for thirty years. With the Barkly books, he brings his appreciation for California’s rich history and natural wonders to a new generation of middle school readers.