With a tone that falls somewhere between Lemony Snicket and the dialogue from Dragnet, Torrey’s (The Case of the Mossy Lake Monster, 2002, etc.) third addition to her science series for young readers is sure to please. Solid information is sandwiched between hilariously unlikely situations. The small town of Mossy Lake is filled with young science detectives and mysteries of all sorts. One snotty girl has gotten herself caught in her laundry bin, roses are wilting at the garden show, a ghost is haunting the fine folks, and someone is selling endangered parrots. Mossy Lake is a hotbed of crime; thank goodness heroes Drake Doyle and Nell Fossey are on the scene. Unfortunately, archenemy Frisco often arrives to steal their clients. Torrey successfully blends science with humor and follows the short, amusing stories with clear explanations of the scientific principles. Comic black-and-white illustrations add to the humor. Curious readers will surely wish to blast an egg out of PVC piping, test the principle of capillary action and figure out the mystery of Pepper’s ghost. Accessible, understandable, and hilarious science for the youngest problem solvers. (Fiction. 8-12)
