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THE CASE OF THE MISSING ACTION FIGURE

From the Marty Frye Private Eye series

A fun and bouncy young kids’ book that’s sure to appeal with its big kids’ look.

Marty Frye is a private eye who solves the crimes while speaking in rhyme in a reissue of a 1998 effort.

Marty solves three mysteries in this very brief chapter book that’s just as much a cleverly concealed early reader. First, Marty helps Emma find her missing diary, which disappeared just after their teacher turned on a movie for the class to watch. By interviewing (in rhyme) his classmates and examining the scene of the crime, Marty deduces what might have happened to Emma’s book. Next, he helps the man who runs the local toy store find a missing box of action figures. Finally, he helps his little sister locate a misplaced bag of flour. These very short, high-interest episodes are presented in bold, large-print type on pages that are rich with numerous amusing, cartoonlike illustrations. Marty is depicted as white in the cover art. Almost none of the other characters are described, but most of them also seem white in the illustrations. The cadence of Marty’s rhyming dialogue is somewhat infectious, and it has the added benefit of helping young readers tackle unfamiliar (but rhyming) words. Although character development is minimal in this plot-driven tale, the mysteries are satisfyingly simple enough to figure out just before Marty pulls them together.

A fun and bouncy young kids’ book that’s sure to appeal with its big kids’ look. (Fiction. 5-8)

Pub Date: June 27, 2017

ISBN: 978-1-250-11661-1

Page Count: 96

Publisher: Henry Holt

Review Posted Online: March 28, 2017

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2017

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THE MYSTERY OF THE GOLD COIN

From the Greetings from Somewhere series , Vol. 1

Not terribly remarkable, but the series has lots of growing room.

Second-grade twins prepare to leave the country, but not without first solving a time-sensitive mystery.

Ella and Ethan Briar are devastated by their parents’ announcement that the family is leaving their beloved hometown. Mrs. Briar has accepted a new job as a travel writer, a job that will send the family to new places all over the globe on a weekly basis. In an attempt to soothe the twins’ unhappiness about the move (“What about school? And soccer?” they ask), their grandfather—a retired, globe-trotting archaeologist himself—gives each a special gift for their travels. Mystery-writing Ella gets a journal; Ethan gets a special gold coin. On their last morning in town, Ethan realizes that his gold coin is missing—and they only have a few hours before they have to leave for the airport. While their grandfather does their chores, the twins methodically determine when Ethan last had the coin—the previous day—and make a list of places he visited to retrace his steps. This allows the twins to say goodbye to friendly faces throughout the town. This series-launching installment’s light on mystery, but it’s welcoming and accessible through expressive, frequent illustrations. The Mystery of the Mosaic, publishing simultaneously, takes the kids to Venice for their first overseas adventure.

Not terribly remarkable, but the series has lots of growing room. (Mystery. 5-7)

Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2014

ISBN: 978-1-4424-9719-1

Page Count: 128

Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster

Review Posted Online: Jan. 28, 2014

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THE AMAZING LIFE OF AZALEAH LANE

From the Azaleah Lane series

Young readers will be happy to make Azaleah’s acquaintance.

When her baby sister, Tiana, realizes her favorite stuffed frog, Greenie, is missing, Azaleah promises to help her find him—but will she have enough time to help Tiana and complete her school project?

Third grader Azaleah Lane is anxious to get home and start her diorama of Nikita the tiger after a visit to the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. However, before she can get started, she must help Tiana find Greenie. Oldest sister Nia is of little help, as she’s busy preparing to play Dorothy in her middle school production of The Wiz. In order to complete her diorama and help Tiana solve the mystery of Greenie’s disappearance, Azaleah must prioritize her tasks and pay attention to the clues around her. This inaugural book in the Azaleah Lane series is a fast-paced and fun read, and Azaleah is a sympathetic, likable narrator who, like readers, is learning new vocabulary all the time. She thinks aloud as she works to solve the mystery, occasionally (and realistically) losing patience with the sobbing Tiana. Lobo’s playful, full-color illustrations every few pages are just enough to give transitioning readers needed rests so they’ll keep going; they depict Azaleah and her family as black. The backmatter includes a glossary of vocabulary words, book-discussion and writing prompts, and instructions for making a diorama.

Young readers will be happy to make Azaleah’s acquaintance. (Mystery. 6-8)

Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2020

ISBN: 978-1-5158-4464-8

Page Count: 112

Publisher: Picture Window Books

Review Posted Online: Oct. 8, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2019

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