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THE TATTOOED POTATO AND OTHER CLUES

Name: THE TATTOOED POTATO AND OTHER CLUES
Author: Ellen Raskin
ISBN: 0142416991

illustrated by Ellen Raskin ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 28, 1975

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"Timothy Hay sounds like a fake name," remarks the heroine—oddly, since hers is Dickory Dock, her brother is Donald Dock, and others who make their appearance at and around the Greenwich Village row house where she works include rich collector Julius Panzpresser, fellow art student George Washington III, underworld lackey Shrimps Marinara, elusive artist Roy G. Bliv (to be found not in Who's Who but in the spectrum), three Eldon F. Zyzyskczuks (an exporter on 743 East 84th St., an importer on 734 West 84th St., and a forger who takes advantage of the mix-up in their credit cards—actually, all three are one and the same), and four detectives named Winkle (the blind man), Dinkel (the derelict), Finkel (the exterminator) and Hinkle (the hippy). This bizarre company performs its briskly choreographed masquerade in a series of manic EncyClopedia Brownish cases, set within the larger mystery involving two murdered blackmailers and the identity of Dickory's disguise-happy artist boss, Garson (a/k/a Inspector Noserag, which is almost Garson spelled backwards, and—in the guise of a tattooed sailor—Christina Rossetti), who either is or has murdered the genius Edgar Sonneborg. Strangely enough, simply by piling and tangling up ali the name games and disguises that seem at first just mechanically ludicrous, Raskin wears down your resistance, so that by the time everyone is happily united in jail you'll be laughing as inarticulately as the brain-damaged, one-eyed, deaf-mute, Isaac Bickerstaffe (formerly Frederick Schmaltz).

Pub Date: April 28, 1975

ISBN: 0142416991

Page Count: 112

Publisher: Dutton

Review Posted Online: May 8, 2012

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1975

Categories:

CHILDREN'S MYSTERY & THRILLER

- BOOK REVIEW
THE WESTING GAME
by Ellen Raskin

- BOOK REVIEW
TWENTY-TWO, TWENTY-THREE
by Ellen Raskin

- BOOK REVIEW
MOOSE GOOSE AND LITTLE NOBODY
by Ellen Raskin

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HIDE AND GEEK

From the Hide and Geek series , Vol. 1

by T.P. Jagger ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 4, 2022

A snappy mystery that’s full of heart.

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A group of bright friends tackles the puzzle of their lives.

Elmwood, New Hampshire, 11-year-old Gina Sparks is small in stature but big on reporting ongoing dramas for the local newspaper with support from her journalist mom. When an unbelievable scoop comes her way, Gina must rely on her tightknit crew of sixth grade best friends whose initials happen to spell GEEK, a label they choose to proudly reclaim. She and science-minded prankster Elena Hernández, theater kid Edgar Feingarten, and driven math genius Kevin Robinson decide to get to the bottom of things when they learn that the Van Houten Toy & Game Company heir made elaborate plans to leave everything to the town of Elmwood before her death—but only if a member of the community could solve an intricate multistep puzzle. Gina hopes that deciphering the clues and finding the missing fortune will be just the thing to revitalize the down-on-its-luck town and bring the Elmwood Tribune back into the black, saving her mom’s job and Gina’s passion project. The GEEKs work together, using their individual talents and deductive reasoning skills to unravel the mystery. Infused with media literacy pointers, such as the difference between fact and opinion and reminders to avoid bias when reporting, the story encourages readers to think critically. Gina and Edgar read as White; Elena is cued as Latinx, and Kevin is implied Black.

A snappy mystery that’s full of heart. (Mystery. 9-13)

Pub Date: Jan. 4, 2022

ISBN: 978-0-593-37793-2

Page Count: 320

Publisher: Random House

Review Posted Online: Oct. 12, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2021

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ACTION & ADVENTURE FICTION | CHILDREN'S MYSTERY & THRILLER

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THE LOST LIBRARY

by Rebecca Stead & Wendy Mass ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 29, 2023

A page-turner with striking characters and a satisfying puzzle at its heart.

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A boy who visits a little free library gets more than he bargained for when he becomes a sleuth caught up in the middle of his town’s most enduring mystery.

Ever since a tragic fire destroyed the Martinville Library, the town has been left without a place to borrow books. That is, until a little free library suddenly pops up, guarded by a fluffy orange cat named Mortimer. Fifth grader Evan McClelland selects two books from its shelves. Inside them he finds puzzling clues that lead him to chase down the real story behind the library fire. The book is told from multiple perspectives, including those of Evan, Mortimer, and ghost librarian Al, who perished in the blaze and is responsible for the upkeep of the little free library. Evan’s tenacious and curious character is relatable. His relationship with likable best friend Rafe, a brave, kind boy with overprotective parents, is easily one of the most endearing parts of the story. The puzzle over the library fire, a secret involving Evan’s family, a popular writer’s connection to Martinville, and the supernatural elements are presented in ways that are just right for middle-grade readers. The pacing is strong, and the twists and turns are satisfying even if perceptive readers may catch hints of the ultimate truth along the way. Physical descriptions of the human characters are largely absent.

A page-turner with striking characters and a satisfying puzzle at its heart. (Mystery. 8-12)