An educational, entertaining mystery for kids.
In this fast-paced mystery novel, sixth-grader Leira and her friends meet fun and danger on their winter break.
Leira and her new best friends, Addy and Skye, are in the middle of surviving bitter cold, ice and downright dreariness—just another New England winter. Their school’s winter break is approaching, and it’s the light at the end of the tunnel, especially when Leira’s mother, Mrs. MacGregor, invites Addy and Skye to come along on the MacGregor family trip to Arizona. The girls are beyond thrilled—Addy has never stayed at a nice hotel, and Skye has never been on an airplane—and the group sets out to visit Leira’s relatives: Aunt Debbie, Uncle Ray, and cousins Brianna and Luke. Luke, an Eagle Scout, has invited the girls to camp with him in the nearby canyons and mountains. They oblige, and Luke teaches them about the desert, the culture of the area and how to camp. One morning, they find mysterious markings surrounding their camp—has someone been watching them, all alone, in the middle of the desert? Can the girls and Luke find out what’s happening before someone gets hurt? A fast-paced, quick read, Carson’s (The Mystery of Grimly Manor, 2012) novel offers both entertainment and a bit of education. Particularly impressive is the level of research, including many informational bits about the desert’s flora, fauna and climate and Native American culture, which enriches the story’s central plotline. When danger does strike, those lessons are used, making readers likely to remember them for later. This subtle learning makes this a work that kids and parents can feel good about picking up. There are some small gripes, though: Dialogue can feel a bit hackneyed and earnest, and few children talk the way these characters do—“I responded cautiously, ‘Well, all I can say is that it has to do with our winter vacation. If I say anything else, then neither of you will have a chance to do something extremely exciting.’ ” But the prose is descriptive and assertive, and the pacing is perfect for a children’s mystery. Hopefully, Carson keeps at it.
An educational, entertaining mystery for kids.Pub Date: March 30, 2014
ISBN: 978-1495412516
Page Count: 188
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: June 12, 2014
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Bunny Brown and Jack Jones, ace detectives, join forces again to solve their third easy-reader mystery in this snappy new series from Newbery Medalist Rylant, author of the beloved Henry and Mudge books. Bunny the bunny is the practical brains of the detective duo, and Jack the raccoon is her humorous sidekick, who is even funnier in this book than in the previous volumes, The Case of the Missing Monkey (not reviewed) and The Case of the Climbing Cat (2000). In this case, Bunny and Jack solve the chronic disappearance (and reappearance) of a trombone from a neighborhood music store. The puzzling possum of the title, Freddy, has been repeatedly "borrowing" the trombone so he can play at hayride entertainments with Gus's Big Brass Boys. Bunny and Jack nab him red-handed, and Bunny offers the practical solution of paying for the trombone by giving lessons at the music store. The combination easy-reader, easy-mystery follows the established format of a few clues, a mild neighborhood mystery, and lots of clever puns and jokes that will delight the intended audience. The humor is exactly on track for the early elementary grades, including a squashed marshmallow on Jack's seat and a quick rush to the bathroom following some dizzying explanations by the music-store owner (just the sort of jokes first graders adore). Karas's engaging illustrations in acrylic, gouache, and pencil help create unique personalities for Bunny and Jack. It's no mystery why this series is successful, and this endearing duo seems destined to crack many more cases of minor mischief in their urban neighborhood. (Easy reader. 6-8)
Pub Date: Feb. 28, 2001
ISBN: 0-688-16308-4
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2001
The enterprising young muckrakers who barely made their way out of Deep Doo-Doo (1996) once again find themselves ankle deep in local politics. When a pumpkin appears atop City Hall’s flagpole, stuttering electronics wiz Bennet and his glib sidekick, Pete, rush to post the story on their Deep Doo-Doo Web site—only to find that they’ve been scooped by journalistic arch-rival Elizabeth, editor of the school paper, The Purple Patch. When the town paper offers $500 for the prankster’s identity, the three start digging—separately at first, then, with utmost reluctance, together. The plot thickens with the arrival of coded e-mail from someone offering to trade clues for a Dracula mask that figured prominently in the first episode (and which later turns up on E-bay). Even better, there’s the discovery of an old college-yearbook photo of mayoral candidate Robert Abbott (who is running a character-based campaign) streaking. As it turns out, Abbott, e-mailer, and pumpkin are all connected—not in particularly believable ways, but the young sleuths supply enough competition (becoming cooperation, and even friendship, by the end), reckless pursuit of the story, and clever deduction to keep the ball rolling. They win the reward too, forcing Abbott into a public confession that actually helps his campaign by convincing voters that he’s not such a stick in the, er, mud. A contrived but entertaining whodunit. (Fiction. 9-11)
Pub Date: March 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-525-46530-8
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Dutton
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2001
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