The simplistic mysteries and silly jokes are in line with other series outings, “special edition” status notwithstanding.
Geronimo Stilton teams up with his sister, Thea, and cousin Trap to solve the mystery of a long-lost castle recently rediscovered in spooky woods.
Right after his grandfather wakes him to demand that Geronimo write a special new book for the students of New Mouse City Elementary School to celebrate their 100th day of school, Thea and Trap have a bigger surprise for Geronimo. Their city’s founder, Grant Gentlemouse, was rumored to have built a secret castle for his mystery bride, and now Thea’s found it, surrounded by a giant hedge of thorny, white roses. She and Trap want to film a television special on it, but they need an assistant to carry equipment and bankroll it, so they call Geronimo. They explore the creepy castle, with Trap pranking scaredy-mouse Geronimo, and discover the mystery bride to be yet another scrivening Stilton, Rose. The rose theme and creepy setting work well in illustrations, especially full-page spreads with art or games, though the series’ trademark design flourish of printing words and phrases in colorful display type within the narrative jars the reading rhythm. Following this book, there’s a bonus story almost as long in which Geronimo wins a cruise trip. There’s a thief on board, and some things seem odd with the beautiful mouse flirting with him. The last feature is a few pages of jokes as delightfully cheesy as ought to be expected from a mouse named Stilton.
The simplistic mysteries and silly jokes are in line with other series outings, “special edition” status notwithstanding. (Graphic adventure. 6-9)Pub Date: March 28, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-338-08778-9
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks
Review Posted Online: Jan. 16, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2017
A funny, fast-paced mystery with many Singapore-specific details that provide cultural flavor.
A new kid-detective series offers a cross-cultural twist.
Samuel Tan Cher Lock is a Chinese boy growing up in Singapore. He prefers to go by Sherlock Sam after his hero, Sherlock Holmes. While ever hungry narrator Sam will be familiar to many food-crazy Singaporeans, American readers may get frustrated at the numerous unfamiliar terms such as kaya toast and Khong Guan biscuits (“biscuits” actually refers to cookies); the lengthy and informative glossary will help. Hopefully Sam's knack for digging up details and smart deductions will keep readers flipping the pages. Regardless, this food-related mystery is a perfect introduction to the series. Auntie Kim Lian has promised to cook Sam’s favorite dish, ayam buah keluak (chicken cooked in black nut sauce), but her family cookbook is missing and she can’t make it without the recipe! Sam is determined to find the cookbook and have ayam buah keluak for dinner. Together with his crew—wisecracking robot Watson, big sister Wendy, and classmate Jimmy—Sam retraces Auntie Kim Lian’s steps all over the Katong neighborhood. After a day of sleuthing, everyone is ready to give up. However, Sherlock Sam has a stroke of genius and solves the mystery—at a restaurant no less! In addition to a smattering of black-and-white line drawings that liven up the story, the glossary in the back explains both the Singapore slang and foods mentioned in the book. The sequel, Sherlock Sam and the Ghostly Moans in Fort Canning, publishes simultaneously.
A funny, fast-paced mystery with many Singapore-specific details that provide cultural flavor. (list of characters) (Mystery. 7-9)Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4494-7789-9
Page Count: 112
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2016
Now that the cat’s out of the bag—or rather the dinosaur and (all right already!) reptile—more complications are certainly...
Just as hatchling dino Peanut is becoming an internet celebrity, another prehistoric creature surfaces in the local river.
Following the events of Too Big to Hide (2015), young Frank attempts to escape the newshounds gathering at his grandparents’ Wyoming fossil preserve by sneaking off with his puppylike charge to look for the elusive Nothosaurus his father claims to have seen as a lad. He finds it almost immediately when the riverine reptile—don’t call it a “dinosaur,” at least in Frank’s hearing—readily comes to Peanut’s call. Worse yet, once the Notho, dubbed Goldie, mistakes a junior fishing competition for a free feed, how are Frank and his family going to keep the two living fossils out of the clutches of the officials and other grown-ups rushing to capture them? Punctuated by frequent cartoon illustrations (final art not seen), McAnulty’s tale flows rapidly along to a triumphant climactic face-off, to be followed, no doubt, by further adventures. Frank and his family are white.
Now that the cat’s out of the bag—or rather the dinosaur and (all right already!) reptile—more complications are certainly on the way. (dino-glossary) (Science fantasy. 7-9)Pub Date: Oct. 11, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-553-52197-9
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: June 27, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2016
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