Nate the Great Goes Undercover by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat, 1974.

Nate isn’t too fond of his next-door neighbor, Oliver. He thinks Oliver is a pest. Still, when Oliver tells Nate that someone keeps getting into his garbage cans at night, knocking them over and stealing garbage, Nate is curious.

Nate recently found and adopted a dog, which he calls Sludge, and he decides to take Sludge along on the case. After interviewing a couple of girls who live in the neighborhood, Rosamond and Esmeralda, Nate comes to the conclusion that no human would ever visit Oliver’s garbage cans at night. Humans are not interested in stealing someone else’s garbage or in visiting Oliver’s house because Nate is not the only person who thinks that Oliver is a pest.

So what does that leave? Perhaps some kind of animal? But what kind? There is only one way to find out, and it’s not going to be pretty. Nate has to hide out in Oliver’s garbage at night. It’s a dirty job, but, well, you know . . .

My Reaction and Spoilers

I think a lot of people would see the solution to this puzzle coming. I frequently debate about how many spoilers to include in these reviews/summaries (and frequently give in to the urge to offer them), but I think Sludge’s past as a stray dog and his expressions when Nate keeps feeding him pancakes really say it all.

Later editions of the book also have a section of activities in the back. There is information about animals that come out at night and things to do to make baths more interesting and recipes for hamburgers and ice cream (which are among the things that Rosamond says that she would rather eat than garbage).