Encyclopedia Brown Boy Detective

My 8-year old son does not like to read. The fact makes me especially sad, because the rest of the family is full of avid readers. But "Encyclopedia Brown" books kept his interest up. The books are collections of short stories with a mystery in them. Sometimes it takes logic, attention to details, and sometimes it takes some real knowledge to solve them. These are great books to read together, and I think I will always remember fun times of reading them with my son. My son and I wish there were more of them.

I remember listening to a camp counselor read me Encyclopedia Brown mysteries years ago and being captivated by the short, though tricky cases. This summer, I became the counselor, and though my campers were reluctant to have me read to them at first, these books had an incredible impact on them. They quieted down and listened intently for as long as I would read and after each mystery would excitedly participate in a discussion about the solution. It also inspired several of them to start reading their own books or to ask me to borrow some of mine. These are very fun stories, well written, and have tremendous appeal for kids. I would recommend them to anyone who wants to read good books to kids or any kids who would like to provide themselves with hours of entertainment.

I read the Encyclopedia Brown series in the early 1970s, when I was in elementary school. I learned about being humble and smart, analytical and tricky (in a good way!).A lot about life can be learned from observation. The evidence was often in clear view of Leroy, and he noticed this evidence. Your children will learn that before their eyes is where the answer often is.I still remember how Leroy determined the cuprit by realizing the length of a knife can't be known while stuck inside a watermelon.I fully recommend this book.Anthony Trendl

"Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective" is a wonderful book for kids from about six years to about 12 or so. Published in 1963, it has a sweet tone reminiscent of 1950's TV shows. The fun, though, lies in tracing and anticipating young Brown's using logic, a little science, and keen observation to solve minor crimes and mysteries. Sometimes, he's helping his police chief father; other times kids bring the mysteries directly to him.Your child may successfully solve the mystery on his or her own (each of the 10 cases ends with a question, e.g., "HOW DID ENCYCLOPEDIA BROWN KNOW THIS?," or, after trying to find the culprit, they can turn to the back for the brief answers. There's no tricks, though at least one story assumes a little more knowledge than might be expected from the average grade schooler. For example, one hint is that "Bull Run" was the Northern name for the Civil War battle, not the Southern name (although this solution has an easier clue as well).A wonderful, captivating series of vignettes (ten cases covering 78 pages, not including solutions), I recommend this very highly. It's also a great book for readers from about grades two through about six.