Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective, by Donald J. Sobol (Puffin, 1963.)
I loved Encyclopedia Brown as a kid, and read whatever was available in my school or classroom library. My brother also had a copy, which I read multiple times.
In this, the first in the series, Encyclopedia helps his dad, the chief of police in Idaville, to solve a case involving "Natty Nat," a ne'er-do-well who supposedly held up The Men's Shop. One clue allows Encyclopedia to crack the case. Mr. Dillon said he only saw the front of Natty Nat. Yet he described the back of his coat, based on earlier reports of Nat. As it turns out, Mr. Dillon is stealing from his own store--and the co-owner. Recognizing his talent, Encyclopedia decides to start his own detective agency.
The remainder of the book is comprised of short mysteries that Encyclopedia solves, always based on one crucial clue. At the back of the book, that one clue is explained.
These stories are calisthenics for mystery readers' minds. There is always that one crucial clue--no matter how long or short the story. This series trains young readers to recognize details that whisper, "Something's amiss."
With the latest Encyclopedia Brown book, Super Sleuth, having come out in 2009, this series appears to be going strong. I'll have to read that title to see if the detective has raised his rates (which started at 25 cents per day) to account for inflation. Don't let those clients rob 'ya, Brown!
The verdict: Fun stuff for mystery readers in training.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Snatched
Snatched, by Pete Hautman and Mary Logue (Putnam, 2006,) first book in the The Bloodwater Mysteries series.
Set in Bloodwater, Minnesota, high school newspaper editor Roni Delicata and freshman science wiz Brian Bain investigate the disappearance of their schoolmate, Alicia. New to the school, Alicia was recently beat up, apparently by a stranger in the park. Roni wrote about this story for the Bloodwater Pump, hilariously concluding the article by encouraging classmates to shoot suspicious-looking people on sight. With Alicia's disappearance, Roni and Brian wonder if the stranger is to blame, or if it is her father, her stepfather, her boyfriend, her boyfriend's teammate, or Driftwood Doug, a town eccentric. The trail leads them to Wolf Spider Island, a freewheeling place for people who "just say no" to fitting in with society. The mystery is satisfying and ends with a nice twist.
This is a fast-paced, breezy mystery. I see this as a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it moves the story along at a nice clip, and readers get to see the various parts of Bloodwater. Being mired in the Midwest Desert (at least, this time of year it is,) I always enjoy reading stories set along lakes or oceans--or anything that would prompt one to buy a boat. (Unless I have to move some lumber--or play blackjack, I will never set foot on a boat in the Missouri River.) The problem with the fastness and breeziness is that I felt like I never got to know Roni or Brian--or Alicia.
In particular, I wanted to get to know Roni. I learned a little about her through the course of the book. For instance, she is a haphazard dieter (aren't we all?) and is unable to envision herself in a chosen outfit in public. (At one point, she peddles to Nun's Island wearing an orange helmet, too-small black leather jacket, and blue tights, which is a nice scene.) But I didn't know her like I've known characters in other mysteries.
I felt like instead of exploring Roni's or Brian's characters more, the authors would introduce new characters, which for me, didn't add to the story. For instance, on her way to Nun Island, Roni bums a ride from a nun. I was educated by nuns, and love them dearly, but I didn't understand the point of this scene, other than to get Roni from point A to point B. There was some humor here but not enough to justify shifting gears away from the main character.
Another character that felt unnecessary was butterfly fanatic Mr. Nestor. Roni and Brian track him down as the person who gave Alicia a ride prior her disappearance. They, too, get in the car with him, and he takes them to the spot where he and Alicia parted ways. At first I wondered why Alicia would get in a car with a stranger, but as the story went on, I saw that Roni also sometimes bummed rides with strangers, so assumed that was common in the town of Bloodwater. What I never could figure out was: Why would Mr. Nestor give Alicia a ride, seeing how Alicia is not a butterfly? It didn't seem in keeping with his butterfly-obsessed and socially awkward personality. I thought maybe this was a sticky detail: something in a mystery that doesn't set right with you, but that you explain away. Then later, you realize that the detail was a clue. That wasn't the case with Mr. Nestor. Instead, the episode seemed far-fetched to me, even for a mystery populated with eccentric characters. I wished that a character we already knew had given Alicia a ride.
Other characters, such as Alicia and her family, and Roni and her mother, were better drawn. But I never felt completely immersed in their world.
The verdict: I felt like I only skimmed the surface of Bloodwater, and never got to know the characters--or the town--in depth.
How the author got the parents out of the picture: Roni's mom and Brian's mom each have busy jobs. Brian's mom is a detective also investigating Alicia's disappearance, which I thought was a nice touch. She isn't actually out of the picture; Brian simply has to avoid her. His dad, meanwhile, is a scientist wrapped up in his studies.
Set in Bloodwater, Minnesota, high school newspaper editor Roni Delicata and freshman science wiz Brian Bain investigate the disappearance of their schoolmate, Alicia. New to the school, Alicia was recently beat up, apparently by a stranger in the park. Roni wrote about this story for the Bloodwater Pump, hilariously concluding the article by encouraging classmates to shoot suspicious-looking people on sight. With Alicia's disappearance, Roni and Brian wonder if the stranger is to blame, or if it is her father, her stepfather, her boyfriend, her boyfriend's teammate, or Driftwood Doug, a town eccentric. The trail leads them to Wolf Spider Island, a freewheeling place for people who "just say no" to fitting in with society. The mystery is satisfying and ends with a nice twist.
This is a fast-paced, breezy mystery. I see this as a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it moves the story along at a nice clip, and readers get to see the various parts of Bloodwater. Being mired in the Midwest Desert (at least, this time of year it is,) I always enjoy reading stories set along lakes or oceans--or anything that would prompt one to buy a boat. (Unless I have to move some lumber--or play blackjack, I will never set foot on a boat in the Missouri River.) The problem with the fastness and breeziness is that I felt like I never got to know Roni or Brian--or Alicia.
In particular, I wanted to get to know Roni. I learned a little about her through the course of the book. For instance, she is a haphazard dieter (aren't we all?) and is unable to envision herself in a chosen outfit in public. (At one point, she peddles to Nun's Island wearing an orange helmet, too-small black leather jacket, and blue tights, which is a nice scene.) But I didn't know her like I've known characters in other mysteries.
I felt like instead of exploring Roni's or Brian's characters more, the authors would introduce new characters, which for me, didn't add to the story. For instance, on her way to Nun Island, Roni bums a ride from a nun. I was educated by nuns, and love them dearly, but I didn't understand the point of this scene, other than to get Roni from point A to point B. There was some humor here but not enough to justify shifting gears away from the main character.
Another character that felt unnecessary was butterfly fanatic Mr. Nestor. Roni and Brian track him down as the person who gave Alicia a ride prior her disappearance. They, too, get in the car with him, and he takes them to the spot where he and Alicia parted ways. At first I wondered why Alicia would get in a car with a stranger, but as the story went on, I saw that Roni also sometimes bummed rides with strangers, so assumed that was common in the town of Bloodwater. What I never could figure out was: Why would Mr. Nestor give Alicia a ride, seeing how Alicia is not a butterfly? It didn't seem in keeping with his butterfly-obsessed and socially awkward personality. I thought maybe this was a sticky detail: something in a mystery that doesn't set right with you, but that you explain away. Then later, you realize that the detail was a clue. That wasn't the case with Mr. Nestor. Instead, the episode seemed far-fetched to me, even for a mystery populated with eccentric characters. I wished that a character we already knew had given Alicia a ride.
Other characters, such as Alicia and her family, and Roni and her mother, were better drawn. But I never felt completely immersed in their world.
The verdict: I felt like I only skimmed the surface of Bloodwater, and never got to know the characters--or the town--in depth.
How the author got the parents out of the picture: Roni's mom and Brian's mom each have busy jobs. Brian's mom is a detective also investigating Alicia's disappearance, which I thought was a nice touch. She isn't actually out of the picture; Brian simply has to avoid her. His dad, meanwhile, is a scientist wrapped up in his studies.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Twisted Summer
Twisted Summer by Willo Davis Roberts, (Atheneum, 1996.) This is a YA mystery, but I I would have liked it best in fifth or sixth grade. (I liked it a lot as a 34 year old, but kept wishing I could hand it to my fifth grade self, who would have loooooved it.) It is probably YA because a young person has been killed.
Cici's extended family doesn't talk much, but they meet each summer at Crystal Lake. That's where her grandmother and stepgrandfather, the Judge, live.
Cici's family missed last summer at the lake. Now, she is looking forward to seeing her cousins and the other lake kids--especially Jack, the Judge's cook's son. Cici is a big kid now, and hopefully Jack will see it that way.
When they arrive, Cici is shocked to learn that last summer a teenager named Zoe was murdered. Jack's brother Brody is now serving time in prison for the crime! The cook, Lina, has quit because the Judge wouldn't stand up for her son.
Cici doesn't believe Brody killed Zoe, a flirt who annoyed everybody. (Not that that's grounds for killing someone, which Cici acknowledges.) She begins to investigate by casually talking about the crime to families staying at the lake. She makes a list of possible suspects--including her own family. For one reason or other (I guess because she's always swimming and can't take the list with her,) she leaves it lying around the house, putting her own life at risk.
This is a real page turner and Cici's relationship with Jack--who is a sweetheart--is intriguing. He likes her...but still sees her as a little kid in some ways. (He's a couple years older.)
It was also interesting for me to see what constitutes as a YA versus a juvenile mystery. In all the juvenile mysteries I've read so far, the murder victim was elderly--that may be a coincidence, but the victim certainly wasn't a young person. Zoe was not only young, but there was also some talk of whether she had flirted with someone who turned out to be a killer. That's pretty grownup subject matter. Other than that, this book seemed young. There was no swearing, and Cici was a young 15--especially in Jack's eyes.
The verdict: page turner with a loveable heroine.
How the parents got out of the picture: Kids have free rein at Crystal Lake, and eventually, Cici's parents go home, leaving her under the care of her relatives.
Cici's extended family doesn't talk much, but they meet each summer at Crystal Lake. That's where her grandmother and stepgrandfather, the Judge, live.
Cici's family missed last summer at the lake. Now, she is looking forward to seeing her cousins and the other lake kids--especially Jack, the Judge's cook's son. Cici is a big kid now, and hopefully Jack will see it that way.
When they arrive, Cici is shocked to learn that last summer a teenager named Zoe was murdered. Jack's brother Brody is now serving time in prison for the crime! The cook, Lina, has quit because the Judge wouldn't stand up for her son.
Cici doesn't believe Brody killed Zoe, a flirt who annoyed everybody. (Not that that's grounds for killing someone, which Cici acknowledges.) She begins to investigate by casually talking about the crime to families staying at the lake. She makes a list of possible suspects--including her own family. For one reason or other (I guess because she's always swimming and can't take the list with her,) she leaves it lying around the house, putting her own life at risk.
This is a real page turner and Cici's relationship with Jack--who is a sweetheart--is intriguing. He likes her...but still sees her as a little kid in some ways. (He's a couple years older.)
It was also interesting for me to see what constitutes as a YA versus a juvenile mystery. In all the juvenile mysteries I've read so far, the murder victim was elderly--that may be a coincidence, but the victim certainly wasn't a young person. Zoe was not only young, but there was also some talk of whether she had flirted with someone who turned out to be a killer. That's pretty grownup subject matter. Other than that, this book seemed young. There was no swearing, and Cici was a young 15--especially in Jack's eyes.
The verdict: page turner with a loveable heroine.
How the parents got out of the picture: Kids have free rein at Crystal Lake, and eventually, Cici's parents go home, leaving her under the care of her relatives.
Wait Till Helen Comes
Wait Till Helen Comes by Mary Downing Hahn (Sandpiper, 2008, reissue.) This is actually a ghost story rather than a mystery, but I read so many good reviews I had to dive in. First off, I would have loved this story as a kid. In fact, I vaguely remember the plot, as if my friend read it and told me the whole story.
Molly and Michael move with their mother and stepfather to an old church (remodeled to be a home) in the country. Their mother neglected to tell them that their backyard is a graveyard. Apparently, she thought it was no big deal. She seemed like a nice enough lady, but this oversight made me think she was a total dingbat. I mean, I'm a grown woman and if I was made to sleep anywhere near a graveyard, I would want some advance warning.
Well, as it turns out Molly and Michael have bigger fish to fry: their younger stepsister Heather. She is so bratty and manipulative, that Molly goes so far as to compare her to The Bad Seed. If you'll recall, the toe headed little girl in that movie is a stone cold killah. To make matters worse, Heather and Molly and Michael stumble upon a grave of a girl with the same initials as Heather. Doing some research at their local library, they learn that the dead girl is Helen, who died, along with her mother and stepfather, long ago in a fire. (Heather's mother also died in a fire. Coincidence? I think not. Actually, it is a coincidence.)
Heather begins warning Molly and Michael to "Wait till Helen comes. Then you'll be sorry." Note to Heather: this is the sort of thing that gets you labeled as a psycho by your new family. You might be wondering: what will they be sorry for? Who knows? Heather is always tattling on them to her daddy for things they didn't even do. I guess they'll be sorry for not really liking Heather.
According to town lore, Helen is a very real ghost. But only Molly believes this. Her pragmatic brother Michael, and her mother and stepfather do not. Guess who's right? Hint, this is a real ghost story--not a Scooby Do number--where the ghost turns out to be Old Man Higgins or whatever. You're right. Helen is real. But just how psycho is she--and is Heather really a bad seed? You'll have to see for yourself.
The verdict: This was an enjoyable ghost story that was creepy but kid-friendly.
How the author got the parents out of the picture: Molly and Michael are basically in charge of Heather while their mother and stepfather do artwork. This is realistic because they live in the country and have room to roam and explore. Needless to say Heather is a bit of a handful due to being a psychopath, but the parents don't know that.
Molly and Michael move with their mother and stepfather to an old church (remodeled to be a home) in the country. Their mother neglected to tell them that their backyard is a graveyard. Apparently, she thought it was no big deal. She seemed like a nice enough lady, but this oversight made me think she was a total dingbat. I mean, I'm a grown woman and if I was made to sleep anywhere near a graveyard, I would want some advance warning.
Well, as it turns out Molly and Michael have bigger fish to fry: their younger stepsister Heather. She is so bratty and manipulative, that Molly goes so far as to compare her to The Bad Seed. If you'll recall, the toe headed little girl in that movie is a stone cold killah. To make matters worse, Heather and Molly and Michael stumble upon a grave of a girl with the same initials as Heather. Doing some research at their local library, they learn that the dead girl is Helen, who died, along with her mother and stepfather, long ago in a fire. (Heather's mother also died in a fire. Coincidence? I think not. Actually, it is a coincidence.)
Heather begins warning Molly and Michael to "Wait till Helen comes. Then you'll be sorry." Note to Heather: this is the sort of thing that gets you labeled as a psycho by your new family. You might be wondering: what will they be sorry for? Who knows? Heather is always tattling on them to her daddy for things they didn't even do. I guess they'll be sorry for not really liking Heather.
According to town lore, Helen is a very real ghost. But only Molly believes this. Her pragmatic brother Michael, and her mother and stepfather do not. Guess who's right? Hint, this is a real ghost story--not a Scooby Do number--where the ghost turns out to be Old Man Higgins or whatever. You're right. Helen is real. But just how psycho is she--and is Heather really a bad seed? You'll have to see for yourself.
The verdict: This was an enjoyable ghost story that was creepy but kid-friendly.
How the author got the parents out of the picture: Molly and Michael are basically in charge of Heather while their mother and stepfather do artwork. This is realistic because they live in the country and have room to roam and explore. Needless to say Heather is a bit of a handful due to being a psychopath, but the parents don't know that.
Friday, June 11, 2010
The Absolutely True Story
The Absolutely True Story...How I Visited Yellowstone Park with the Terrible Rupes, by Willo Davis Roberts (Atheneum, 1994.)
Lewis and Alison are 11-year-old twins. Their new next door neighbors, the Rupes, seem like a nice family. Mrs. Rupe is a friendly lady. And Mr. Rupe is a good bowler. They have three cute kids, Harry, Ariadne and Billy. What's not to like? So Lewis and Alison's parents agree to let their twins go with the Rupes on a motorhome vacation to Yellowstone Park.
Now, the Rupes aren't really terrible. They're just terribly lax, and the kids, as a result, are terribly unruly. If this story were told once the kids reached high school, we might have a darker story. As it is, it's a funny story. Lewis' observations of the Rupes are hilarious. These kids are allowed to eat candybars and chips all day, steal cats from the motor park, throw stuff into geolical wonders at Yellowstone, etc. (Actually, that part is kind of scary.)
The Rupes invited Lewis as a friend for Harry, who is the same age. They invited Alison as a built in (and unpaid) babysitter for the younger Ariadne and Billy. This way, Mrs. Rupe can take it easy, which is her forte. (Her idea of multi-tasking is smoking and sitting in a lawnchair.) Mr. Rupe, meanwhile, has his hands full trying to operate their deluxe motor home, which they rented. Apparently, driving a motorhome is similar to driving an 18-wheeler. It's not something you teach yourself. Well, Mr. Rupe does. But Lewis has to coach him from the backseat based on what his grandpa taught him.
The motorhome is what gets them in trouble. Somebody has hidden money in there. Billy finds it and hides it someplace else (in the motor home.) Now the money hiders are following the family, waiting for them to leave the motor home somewhere not swarming with tourists (kinda hard in yellowstone.) Eventually, the bad guys find the motor home deserted, or so they think. The kids are inside, but the parents are out with friends.
The mystery is a not a hard case to crack, but it is exciting. And the location of the money had me fooled. (I thought it was in the the toilet.)
The characters are what drive this story: Mr. and Mrs. Rupe are really funny as clueless parents, and their kids are real characters. They are not portrayed as brats--more like unruly kids in a funny way. Of course, I kept thinking of what was going to happen once these kids were in high school, but that's just a personal worry. (They won't go to high school. It's a book!)
I thought this was an interesting way to get the parents out of the picture: cluelessness/lax parenting, without crossing over into the parents being neglectful. Somehow, they don't come across as bad people--or bad parents, even. Maybe because all is set right in the end. At the same time, the kids were free to solve the mystery on their own.
The Verdict: A funny story with a mystery embedded in it.
Lewis and Alison are 11-year-old twins. Their new next door neighbors, the Rupes, seem like a nice family. Mrs. Rupe is a friendly lady. And Mr. Rupe is a good bowler. They have three cute kids, Harry, Ariadne and Billy. What's not to like? So Lewis and Alison's parents agree to let their twins go with the Rupes on a motorhome vacation to Yellowstone Park.
Now, the Rupes aren't really terrible. They're just terribly lax, and the kids, as a result, are terribly unruly. If this story were told once the kids reached high school, we might have a darker story. As it is, it's a funny story. Lewis' observations of the Rupes are hilarious. These kids are allowed to eat candybars and chips all day, steal cats from the motor park, throw stuff into geolical wonders at Yellowstone, etc. (Actually, that part is kind of scary.)
The Rupes invited Lewis as a friend for Harry, who is the same age. They invited Alison as a built in (and unpaid) babysitter for the younger Ariadne and Billy. This way, Mrs. Rupe can take it easy, which is her forte. (Her idea of multi-tasking is smoking and sitting in a lawnchair.) Mr. Rupe, meanwhile, has his hands full trying to operate their deluxe motor home, which they rented. Apparently, driving a motorhome is similar to driving an 18-wheeler. It's not something you teach yourself. Well, Mr. Rupe does. But Lewis has to coach him from the backseat based on what his grandpa taught him.
The motorhome is what gets them in trouble. Somebody has hidden money in there. Billy finds it and hides it someplace else (in the motor home.) Now the money hiders are following the family, waiting for them to leave the motor home somewhere not swarming with tourists (kinda hard in yellowstone.) Eventually, the bad guys find the motor home deserted, or so they think. The kids are inside, but the parents are out with friends.
The mystery is a not a hard case to crack, but it is exciting. And the location of the money had me fooled. (I thought it was in the the toilet.)
The characters are what drive this story: Mr. and Mrs. Rupe are really funny as clueless parents, and their kids are real characters. They are not portrayed as brats--more like unruly kids in a funny way. Of course, I kept thinking of what was going to happen once these kids were in high school, but that's just a personal worry. (They won't go to high school. It's a book!)
I thought this was an interesting way to get the parents out of the picture: cluelessness/lax parenting, without crossing over into the parents being neglectful. Somehow, they don't come across as bad people--or bad parents, even. Maybe because all is set right in the end. At the same time, the kids were free to solve the mystery on their own.
The Verdict: A funny story with a mystery embedded in it.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
The Night Tourist
The Night Tourist, by Katherine Marsh, (Hyperion, 2007,) another Edgar Award Winner, in my mind is more of a ghost story than a mystery. I guess it falls under the family secret mystery category. In spite of suffering genre confusion (I like when things fall into neat little categories) I loved this book.
It's about Jack, a boy who is hit by a car and sent by his father to visit a mysterious psychologist in New York (because Jack is acting strangely.) While in New York, he tours the subway system, where he meets Uri. Uri takes him into the underworld of Greek mythology. Only this underworld is home to deceased New Yorkers--not Greeks. Jack is a classics scholar, so this all makes sense to him. I'm not, but it still made sense to me. In fact, I enjoyed learning about the underworld anew. It made me hope the Greeks were right.
By day, the dead are crammed into the underworld. But by night, they are free to roam the city. They can attend--or even write and perform plays, hang out at bars with poets, go sledding, or visit the library. There is a hilarious scene in which Jack watches a death orientation video in the library. It is a cheeseball training program in which cab drivers, police officers and others declare, "I'm a New York ghost!" Uri is not as enthusiastic about her ghostly status. She is hell-bent on coming back to life.
Some ghosts work or cultivate ghostly friendships, but many roam their old "haunts"-- wherever they hung out in life. See, they are only in the underworld because they have unresolved issues. Once those are solved, they go to something like heaven. Naturally, their "issues" lurk in the shadows of their old stomping grounds.
Now, Jack's mother is dead. So he decides to find her in the underworld. In fact, he believes this is his destiny and this is why he got a "golden ticket" into the underworld--a rare priviledge. But when he and Uri visit the records bureau, they see an asterick by her name--meaning she's done something taboo in the underworld. This is the family secret they are trying to solve. Meanwhile, Jack learns that Uri has a secret of her own. It's a tragic one, but it doesn't bring the whole world down with it, unlike some grownup books I've read. Together, Uri and Jack track down his mother and try to bring Uri back to the living world.
The verdict...a beautifully imagined family secret mystery populated with likeable main characters, quirky bit characters, a few laugh-out-loud funny parts, and a few heartbreaking ones, too.
It's about Jack, a boy who is hit by a car and sent by his father to visit a mysterious psychologist in New York (because Jack is acting strangely.) While in New York, he tours the subway system, where he meets Uri. Uri takes him into the underworld of Greek mythology. Only this underworld is home to deceased New Yorkers--not Greeks. Jack is a classics scholar, so this all makes sense to him. I'm not, but it still made sense to me. In fact, I enjoyed learning about the underworld anew. It made me hope the Greeks were right.
By day, the dead are crammed into the underworld. But by night, they are free to roam the city. They can attend--or even write and perform plays, hang out at bars with poets, go sledding, or visit the library. There is a hilarious scene in which Jack watches a death orientation video in the library. It is a cheeseball training program in which cab drivers, police officers and others declare, "I'm a New York ghost!" Uri is not as enthusiastic about her ghostly status. She is hell-bent on coming back to life.
Some ghosts work or cultivate ghostly friendships, but many roam their old "haunts"-- wherever they hung out in life. See, they are only in the underworld because they have unresolved issues. Once those are solved, they go to something like heaven. Naturally, their "issues" lurk in the shadows of their old stomping grounds.
Now, Jack's mother is dead. So he decides to find her in the underworld. In fact, he believes this is his destiny and this is why he got a "golden ticket" into the underworld--a rare priviledge. But when he and Uri visit the records bureau, they see an asterick by her name--meaning she's done something taboo in the underworld. This is the family secret they are trying to solve. Meanwhile, Jack learns that Uri has a secret of her own. It's a tragic one, but it doesn't bring the whole world down with it, unlike some grownup books I've read. Together, Uri and Jack track down his mother and try to bring Uri back to the living world.
The verdict...a beautifully imagined family secret mystery populated with likeable main characters, quirky bit characters, a few laugh-out-loud funny parts, and a few heartbreaking ones, too.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Closed for the Season
Closed for the Season, by Mary Downing Hahn (Clarion, 2009), begins where many juvenile stories seem to: with the main character moving--reluctantly--into a new house. In this case, it is the narrator, Logan. In spite of the stereotypical beginning, I kept an open mind. After all, this book won the 2010 Edgar Award for Juvenile Mysteries.
It didn't disappoint.
On page three, next door neighbor Arthur Jenkins stops by--a character that is an absolute breath of fresh air. Though the story isn't told from his point of view, he is the main character--in a Gatsby sort of way. Only instead of being an enigma like Gatsby, Arthur is a dork.
That, combined with an utter sense of self-confidence, make Arthur an edearing character. I wanted to cry for him when he got picked on, beat up, and dumped, but I couldn't. His dignity and optimism made feeling sorry for him seem disrespectful.
As soon as he walks through the door, Arthur tells Logan that the home's previous owner--Myrtle Donaldson--was murdered in the basement of the home. And we're off...
Before her death, Myrtle was accused of stealing money from Magic Forest, the amusement park she worked at. Having lost boatloads of cash, the park closed, and the land was sold to real estate developer/town big shot Mr. DiSilvio. Kudzu made swift work of the fairytale-style park, and it is now falling apart.
Logan and Arthur set out to find the murderer--and the real thief. (It wasn't Myrtle, bless her heart.) Danny, the late Myrtle's grandson, plays a minor role--that of beating up Arthur--until later in the story, when he moves in with Arthur and his grandmother. Hahn did a great job of portraying Danny as an angry young man without laying the sympathy on too thick. Yes, Danny has an abusive father, and yes, Danny, in turn, makes everybody else miserable. But he is portrayed as a character capable of making choices--not as a victim.
The other characters are mainly grownups: first, there are Logans' parents. His father is an art teacher. His mother is a--oh, how would I describe her? Well, you could call her up right now and say her son needs to take piano lessons or else he'll grow up to be a blithering idiot, and she would hang up and frantically dial a piano teacher. She'll take parenting advice from anybody, including:
-Her real estate agent Rhoda.
-And Nina, a newspaper reporter from another city.
Both advise Logan's mother to forbid her son from seeing Arthur. Rhoda does this because it is important to her that children--whether her own or other people's--be popular (don't you just love people like this?) Nina's reasons are more mysterious.
Then you have Logan's grandmother--who raises him, or, I should say, provides pop to him when he comes home from doing whatever the heck he wants, and subjects him to her clown collection. Logan, fortunately, uses his independence for good--namely, solving this crime.
Then there is the late Myrtle's daughter Violet, who has married the town wife-beater, Silas (Danny's mother and father.) Minor characters include Mr. DiSilvio, who is married to Rhoda, and Silas' cousins, who range from good-hearted aspiring criminals to full-fledged punkasses.
I'm lingering on the characters in this book because they're an absolute treat. You can't make up the details Hahn has lovingly--or frustratingly--bestowed on them--or maybe you can. I just have a sneaking suspicion that Arthur is based on a real little boy. At one point, when being bullied, he defends himself with a British phrase--in a British accent--which makes his attacker think he is all the more wierd. It just seemed so real.
The setting wasn't as magical as I thought it would be, given that some of the story takes place in an old timey overgrown amusement park. But I did get a sense of the town--how it was laid out. It was modern--having a Walmart and a highway running through it, which made it realistic. The best setting description, for me, was of Rhoda's McMansion, where, after Logan is forbidden from hanging out with Arthur, he is forced to have a playdate with Rhoda's arrogant son Anthony and his boring friends. (Note to Logan's mom: Logan is too old for playdates. Let him play with Arthur, you great big snob.)
The plot gets more exciting as time goes on, culminating in a chase through the Magic Forest, and a hilarious run-in with protesters who want to save the park (and are dressed as Fairytale characters.) By the end, this was a real page turner. But the characters--especially the unforgettable Arthur--and his friendship with Logan were what made this story a winner in my book.
It didn't disappoint.
On page three, next door neighbor Arthur Jenkins stops by--a character that is an absolute breath of fresh air. Though the story isn't told from his point of view, he is the main character--in a Gatsby sort of way. Only instead of being an enigma like Gatsby, Arthur is a dork.
That, combined with an utter sense of self-confidence, make Arthur an edearing character. I wanted to cry for him when he got picked on, beat up, and dumped, but I couldn't. His dignity and optimism made feeling sorry for him seem disrespectful.
As soon as he walks through the door, Arthur tells Logan that the home's previous owner--Myrtle Donaldson--was murdered in the basement of the home. And we're off...
Before her death, Myrtle was accused of stealing money from Magic Forest, the amusement park she worked at. Having lost boatloads of cash, the park closed, and the land was sold to real estate developer/town big shot Mr. DiSilvio. Kudzu made swift work of the fairytale-style park, and it is now falling apart.
Logan and Arthur set out to find the murderer--and the real thief. (It wasn't Myrtle, bless her heart.) Danny, the late Myrtle's grandson, plays a minor role--that of beating up Arthur--until later in the story, when he moves in with Arthur and his grandmother. Hahn did a great job of portraying Danny as an angry young man without laying the sympathy on too thick. Yes, Danny has an abusive father, and yes, Danny, in turn, makes everybody else miserable. But he is portrayed as a character capable of making choices--not as a victim.
The other characters are mainly grownups: first, there are Logans' parents. His father is an art teacher. His mother is a--oh, how would I describe her? Well, you could call her up right now and say her son needs to take piano lessons or else he'll grow up to be a blithering idiot, and she would hang up and frantically dial a piano teacher. She'll take parenting advice from anybody, including:
-Her real estate agent Rhoda.
-And Nina, a newspaper reporter from another city.
Both advise Logan's mother to forbid her son from seeing Arthur. Rhoda does this because it is important to her that children--whether her own or other people's--be popular (don't you just love people like this?) Nina's reasons are more mysterious.
Then you have Logan's grandmother--who raises him, or, I should say, provides pop to him when he comes home from doing whatever the heck he wants, and subjects him to her clown collection. Logan, fortunately, uses his independence for good--namely, solving this crime.
Then there is the late Myrtle's daughter Violet, who has married the town wife-beater, Silas (Danny's mother and father.) Minor characters include Mr. DiSilvio, who is married to Rhoda, and Silas' cousins, who range from good-hearted aspiring criminals to full-fledged punkasses.
I'm lingering on the characters in this book because they're an absolute treat. You can't make up the details Hahn has lovingly--or frustratingly--bestowed on them--or maybe you can. I just have a sneaking suspicion that Arthur is based on a real little boy. At one point, when being bullied, he defends himself with a British phrase--in a British accent--which makes his attacker think he is all the more wierd. It just seemed so real.
The setting wasn't as magical as I thought it would be, given that some of the story takes place in an old timey overgrown amusement park. But I did get a sense of the town--how it was laid out. It was modern--having a Walmart and a highway running through it, which made it realistic. The best setting description, for me, was of Rhoda's McMansion, where, after Logan is forbidden from hanging out with Arthur, he is forced to have a playdate with Rhoda's arrogant son Anthony and his boring friends. (Note to Logan's mom: Logan is too old for playdates. Let him play with Arthur, you great big snob.)
The plot gets more exciting as time goes on, culminating in a chase through the Magic Forest, and a hilarious run-in with protesters who want to save the park (and are dressed as Fairytale characters.) By the end, this was a real page turner. But the characters--especially the unforgettable Arthur--and his friendship with Logan were what made this story a winner in my book.
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