ANDY AND WILLIE

As Andy acknowledges pays. We were ready to write off the boy detectives as a funny teen-age troubles (mostly dating) that would be over the heads of other fifth graders too when we got to the last case; it's the least case of all--a quick deduction rather than detection--but the conduct of the campaign for class president, intended by Miss Easter to approximate a national election, is a hilarious spoof of Politics and a perfect example of enlightened self-interest. On the way the boys are unwitting pawns in a bit of blackmail, never find the missing quality that keeps Freddy Clark's sister from being popular (but do assure her success by a few ill-chosen words), prove that Jackie Carr's little sister isn't a witch --but neither is Dr. Truesdale notorious public enemy Howard D. Trillinger. Each of the cases winds through long complications, sustained chiefly by Andy's credulity as narrator, but wait till you get to the end....Writers who can get inside boys are rare indeed so you'd better buy the book and give Andy some encouragement--he has a few more cases waiting and a few more scores to settle with that creep Roland Pruitt.