The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity

The Brixton Brothers, #1

Written by Mac Barnett

Illustrated by Adam Rex

Most enjoyed by 5th through 8th graders

I've been reading quite a few mysteries lately, and this has got to be my favorite. And I predict it won't be long before there are quite a few other readers who agree with me.

Steve Brixton absolutely loves the Bailey Brothers mysteries. He's read all of them and counts them as the best books ever. In fact, he's very carefully cut out the center of the pages of a Guinness Book of World Records in order to hide his top-secret notebook containing the 59 best books ever written. And all of those books are Bailey Brothers adventures.

But school interferes with reading, especially when his teacher assigns a report for weekend homework. Asked to draw a report topic out of a hat, Steve watches in horror as his best friend Dana draws the subject 'detectives' while he himself draws 'early American needlework'. Disappointed but resigned, he heads to the library to do some research, finding a book on quilting by someone named J. J. Beckley. Just as the librarian scans the book's barcode, the lights go out, an alarm sounds, and Steve watches in horror as black-clad figures come crashing through the door, windows, and skylight. As the men close in on him, Steve runs. Why are they after him? Is it really for the $3.45 in library fines he owes? Or is there something special about the quilting book he checked out? Steve has to use all of the detective skills he's read about in the Bailey Brother's books to solve this mystery.

If you are a fan of the Hardy Boys books, you'll recognize that author Mac Barnett has created a hilarious parody of those well-loved mysteries. Steve and buddy Dana, whom Steve likes to call his chum, try to solve the mystery surrounding the quilting book using tips from the Bailey Brothers detective handbook. But they learn the hard way that what happens on the printed page doesn't always happen quite so smoothly in real life. For example, when Steve tries to track down a Mr. Grabes at a dockside bar, he dons a sailor costume in the hopes of blending in with the other sailors. But these sailors wear jeans and t-shirts making Steve look out of place. The gig is up when Steve's fake mustache falls into his milk.

Situation after funny situation like this one propel the story forward to a surprising ending. Of course, if you're a Hardy Boys fan, you'll have been able to spot the real thief all along. But even if you do, don't give up on this one. On the last page, Steve says his next case is The Ghost Writer Secret, making me highly suspicious that this will not be the one and only Brixton Brothers book. If my deductions are correct, I can't wait for the next installment.

Scat

Written by Carl Hiaasen

Most enjoyed by 5th through 8th graders

Bunny Starch is the most hated teacher at Truman School. Her expectations are high, she's demanding and intimidating. One day, during class, she's singles out Duane Scrod, Jr, for questioning. As her questioning becomes stronger, Duane bites off the end of the pencil she's pointing at him, chews it up, and swallows it. The next day, he doesn't show up for class. No matter; the class leaves on their scheduled field trip to Black Vine Swamp without him. There, Mrs. Starch tells the students to stay together in their groups, but the field trip is interrupted when the swamp begins to burn. The students gather at the bus and watch as Mrs. Starch goes back into the burning swamp to look for a student's inhaler. And doesn't return.

Then, or the next day, or the day afterwards.

It appears that something terrible has happened to Mrs. Starch. Nick and Marta, who've both braved Mrs. Starch's biology class and watched her disappear on the field trip, aren't so sure Mrs. Starch has met her end. When Mrs. Starch leaves a message for the headmaster that she's taking a leave of absence due to a family emergency, Nick and Marta are convinced that there's something funny going on. Mrs. Starch doesn't have any family, so why would she have a family emergency. Furthermore, could her disappearance has something to do with Duane's disappearance? Duane has a reputation for being a pyromaniac, but would he go so far as to set a fire that would hurt a teacher? And what was that scream Nick and Marta heard in the swamp? Could it be related somehow?

Carl Hiaasen has previously written two very popular eco-friendly books for young readers in 'Hoot' and 'Flush'. Fans will not be disappointed with his newest, 'Scat'. Combining concern for an endangered panther with the get-rich-quick schemes of an oil-seeking millionaire, 'Scat' is full of Hiaasen's trademark quirky characters and loads of mystery and adventure to keep you turning the pages turn quickly. You'll find 'Scat' a fun read that is hard to put down.

Footprints in the Snow

Written and illustrated by Mei Matsuoka

Most enjoyed by mystery lovers in Kindergarten through 3rd Grade

Here's a who-dun-it guaranteed to keep you wondering. Wolf is tired of reading stories about mean, nasty wolves. Since he can't find any books about nice wolves, he decides to write his own. The story he creates is about a wolf who spies some footprints in the snow. Wondering who they belong to, he sets off to follow them. As he meets each animal in the forest, he politely asks if they know to whom the tracks belong. Each animal runs away in fear. Mr. Wolf is frustrated but doesn't give up until he meets a duck. And that's when the detective discovers that there's a reason all those wolves in the stories are mean and nasty.

Young readers will enjoy the suspense as they turn the pages of 'Footprints in the Snow'. They can solve the mystery themselves if they use the clues they've been given about the wolf to come to the right conclusion. But will it be the right conclusion after all, beyond a shadow of a doubt? Mei Matsouka's illustrations are a mix of painting and collage art, with many of the pictures full of little details to find. This mystery is a perfect one to read before heading outside to hunt for some animal tracks yourself!

100 Cupboards
By N.D. Wilson
Most enjoyed by 5th graders through 8th graders

Henry, Kansas is a dry, dusty town that time seems to have forgotten. It is to be Henry's summer home when his travel-writing parents are kidnapped on a trip to Columbia. Aunt Dot, Uncle Frank, and their three girls welcome Henry to their farm, a place where Henry can roam free and learn to play baseball, something his over-protective parents won't let him do at home.

Life on the farm is quiet until Henry wakes one morning to find plaster on his forehead and two knobs sticking out of the wall above his bed. Watching the knobs turn, Henry can hear something thump behind the wall. Intrigued, Henry begins to chap away at the plaster, uncovering a small cupboard door. The knobs seem to be dials of some sort. Henry chips away more plaster, revealing a second cupboard door; behind it is not a view of the barn at the back of the house as Henry expects, but the inside of a small, yellow post office. Henry's cousin Henrietta is convinced there is another world behind the door. Together, she and Henry remove all of the plaster, uncovering 99 cupboard doors in all. What could possibly be behind them all? And why only 99? It's such an odd number that Henrietta is sure there must be another cupboard door somewhere in the house, but where? Could it be behind Grandpa's bedroom door, a door that hasn't been opened in two years since Grandpa's death? Would the old man Henry saw leaving the bathroom in the middle of the night know something? The old man who entered Grandpa's bedroom and hasn't been seen since? And what's behind the small, black cupboard door, the one that grabbed hold of Henrietta's arm and wouldn't let it go?

The action in 100 Cupboards unfolds very slowly and deliberately until about the middle of the book, when the pace picks up and you can't put it down. Henry is a nice kid, one you feel a little sorry for because he's been so sheltered and protected by his parents. But he comes out of his shell when he faces the challenge presented by the cupboards. If you're a lover of mystery or fantasy stories, add 100 Cupboards to your reading list. But be warned - the book has a great ending, one a bit creepy for bedtime reading, but it doesn't wrap up all of the loose ends neatly. 100 Cupboards is the first in a new series and after reading this one, I hope the next book is out in time for next summer's reading! You can find 100 Cupboards at the Crystal Lake and Algonquin public libraries.

Nate the Great and the Big Sniff

by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat and Mitchell Sharmat

Illustrated by Martha Weston

Most enjoyed by 1st through 3rd graders

Nate the Great, ace private detective, has lost his dog Sludge. The pair went to the department store so that Nate could buy Sludge a gift. Leaving Sludge waiting patiently by the front door, Nate found what he wanted but the line was so long, he decided to return later. As he walks out the door, Nate discovers that Sludge has disappeared! Time for the great detective to get to work!

'Nate the Great and the Big Sniff' is a fun mystery for young readers to solve. It's perfect for 2nd and 3rd grader looking for a chapter book they can read themselves. It also works as a read-aloud for younger listeners. If you enjoy 'Nate the Great and the Big Sniff', be sure to check out our other Nate the Great mysteries on the library shelves!

New Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys Books!

Mystery fans rejoice! Zion is the lucky recipient of a donation of new Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys books! With these donations, we will have a complete set of Hardy Boys books and more than half of the Nancy Drew books. Despite their age, these are still great mystery stories. Come check out one or two to test your sleuthing skills!

The London Eye Mystery

By Siobhan Dowd

Most enjoyed by 5th through 8th graders

Let me start by telling you that 'The London Eye Mystery' is one of the best mysteries I've read in a long time. It's one of those mysteries where you the reader are given all of the clues to solve the puzzle yourself. But as hard as I tried, I couldn't figure it out. Of course, once everything was laid out for me, I did a forehead slap 'duh' when I realized I should have seen it coming. Guess I don't make much of a detective so maybe you'll do better!

Ted and Kat are excited when their cousin Salim comes to London for a visit. They suggest the three take a ride on the London Eye, a Ferris-wheel-like ride in the heart of London. As they wait in line to buy tickets, a man offers them his ticket, saying he's changed his mind about the ride. Since Ted and Kat have ridden the Eye before, they let Salim take the ticket and watch as he hurries into line. He waves as he boards the pod, leaving Ted and Kat on the ground watching his pod go around the wheel. After the half hour ride, Ted and Kat eagerly scan the riders as they exit the pod but there is no Salim. They wait for another pod, then another, but as each empties, there is still no Salim. He has disappeared. While the family searches and contacts the police, Ted is sure he and Kat can figure out Salim's disappearance if they only look at all of the clues.

Ted is our narrator. He's the first to admit that he's a bit different. As he puts it, his brain is wired with a different operating system than everyone else's. He's able to think things through logically and carefully, catching small details that everyone else skips over. But he has a hard time reading facial expressions and will take whatever is said to him literally. When his cousin tells him a book is 'right up your street', Ted thinks he means that the book is really right up at the end of his street rather than his cousin's intended meaning, that the book is one Ted would be intersted in. Ted also has a habit of flapping his hand when he gets nervous. These aspects of Ted's personality make him very likeable and quite believable as the story's sleuth.

'The London Eye Mystery' is delightfully British. The characters wear trainers instead of sneakers, eat crisps instead of chips, and get around town on the tube instead of the subway. These little details help define the story's setting. And tea is plentiful when things look grim. Which reminds me...be sure to brew a pot before you begin 'The London Eye Mystery'!