NATE THE GREAT, SAN FRANCISCO DETECTIVE

Nate the Great is back and in fine form. In this latest story, he has come to San Francisco to visit his wealthy cousin and fellow detective, Olivia Sharp. Olivia, unable to meet him at the airport due to the demands of her detecting schedule, sends her chauffeur and fancy limo to pick him up. After going up and down the hills of San Francisco, they arrive at Olivia’s house. Even though Nate is slightly out of his element in San Francisco, being in a strange city, unaccompanied by his usual entourage of friends, it doesn’t take him long to become drawn into a case—the case of the lost joke book. Olivia’s friend Duncan has lost his brand-new joke book, desperately needs the punch line to a joke, and needs to have it in three hours. Nate, resourceful and inventive as always, solves the mystery. The illustrations, done in the style of Marc Simont, are less distinctive than Mr. Simont’s and are somewhat tepid in comparison, but are perfectly fine. Young readers, though they’ll notice the difference in style, will still feel that they’re in Nate’s familiar world. As usual with the Nate the Great books, this story will be great fun for the first- or second-grade reader. (Easy reader. 7-9)