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JANUARY JOKER by Ron Roy

JANUARY JOKER

by Ron Roy and illustrated by John Steven Gurney

Pub Date: Dec. 22nd, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-375-85661-7
Publisher: Random House

Overactive imaginations and a gentle kind of groupthink combine with tricky sixth-grade siblings (all familiar character to readers of Roy’s A to Z Mysteries) to make for one exciting Saturday morning. With all the parents out for breakfast and the older kids left in charge as babysitters, younger siblings Brady, Brian, Nate and Lucy take the bait left by their older siblings. First they see a strange snow circle, then mysterious footprints. Next, an article about aliens left on the missing Josh’s computer leads the open-eyed youngsters to imagine the worst: Aliens must have stolen their older brothers and sisters! Frequent recaps and straightforward events make this a fine first mystery for the ready-for–chapter-book set. More experienced readers might find the plot simple and predictable, but new readers have to start somewhere and this is the book for them. A light, easy-to-read introduction to this new series…and the A to Z Mysteries they can graduate to, as well. (Mystery. 6-9)