Hardy Boys Clue Book: Fall Mysteries by Franklin W Dixon

Mysteries are an automatic must-read when Halloween comes around, and Hardy Boys are known to keep those mysteries coming. So, I was excited to get my hands on a a 3-in-1 mystery novel with, at least, one of the tales circling around Halloween. I have the sneaking suspicion that there might be another one about ghosts, too. So, let's open this book up and take a look!

FALL MYSTERIES

Hardy Boys Clue Book 3-in-1

by Franklin W Dixon

Illustrated by Santy Gutierrez

Aladdin

Children's Mystery

288 pages

ages 6 to 9

Brothers Frank and Joe Hardy tackle three spooky investigations in this fall-themed Hardy Boys Clue Book three-books-in-one paperback bind-up!

In The Bad Luck Skate, Frank and Joe are excited to be supporting their friends on the Bayport Checkers hockey team. But when someone dumps paint all over the team’s lucky skate, their star player worries their luck has run out. Then his stick breaks before he takes the ice! Has the team really lost their luck or is someone trying to psych them out so they lose the game? Without a clear suspect, Frank and Joe are on thin ice.

After Frank and Joe’s friend Jason wins a treasure map at Bayport’s Pirate Palooza, a message in a bottle warns him not to hunt for the treasure! Could it be the legendary ghost of Captain Scurvydog? In The Pirate Ghost, the Hardy Boys are on the case to prove that spirits definitely do not exist…or do they?

In The Great Pumpkin Smash, Frank and Joe can’t wait to celebrate Halloween at Bayport’s annual party, Boo at the Zoo. But when the brothers go to check out the painted pumpkin display, they’re all completely squashed! The two detectives must find out who pummeled the pumpkins or else this will be the last Boo at the Zoo.

GOODREADS     /     AMAZON    /      PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

Mystery fans get to dive into three, exciting tales with two sleuths, who are known to find the culprit every time.

This is a collection of three tales, which feature Frank and Joe Hardy in their younger years. This is a book for those readers, who are sure of their words and are edging toward middle grade novels but not quite there yet. It includes three tales, which each take place during the Fall season. One centers around a hockey team's good luck being ruined, another takes on a Fall festival surrounding pirates, and the last jumps into the Boo celebration at the local zoo. Each one heads in an original direction, and the culprit of each mystery is good at covering their tracks. But Frank and Joe know how to concentrate on the five 'W' questions (Who, What, When, Where, and Why) and are very good at collecting clues. 

Each read is around 70-80 pages long. They are broken down into almost a dozen chapters to let readers take breaks as necessary...but it's not easy to set these tales down, since each one keeps the pacing high. There are lovely illustrations sprinkled in, and there is a page of questions to encourage readers to see if they can figure out the mystery themselves. 

Each story involves friends, neighbors, and other characters from Joe and Frank's town. This gives it a nice, community atmosphere . Although crimes are committed, these stay aligned to the intended age group, and the solutions offer wholesome goodness, too. The mysteries aren't easy to guess, so readers won't necessarily be able to predict the ending. Each scene carries familiarity, too, to let readers sink right in.

It's an enjoyable collection of stories for young, mystery fans.

And here they are...

Franklin W. Dixon is the author of the ever-popular Hardy Boys books.

Santy Gutierrez resides in the seaside city of La Coruña, Spain. He has won acclaim as the Best Spanish Young Editorial Cartoonist and Best Galician Caricaturist, among others. 

An Octopus Named Houdini by Zana Fraillon

I've been waiting to pick up today's read for a few months now. First, I find the cover grabbing...what is the girl's relationship with the octopus? Is it a fantasy or contemporary? I'm really curious. Second, it's written in verse. While I'm not a huge poetry fan, I do enjoy a well done one. I'm hoping this read falls into that category because a well done book in verse is a treat.

So, let's open it up and find out what these pages hold.

AN OCTOPUS NAMED HOUDINI

by Zana Fraillon

Illustrated by Corinna Luyken

Simon & Schuster

Middle Grade  /  Novel in Verse

160 pages

ages 8 to 12

COMING NOVEMBER 24th!!!

Odder meets Growing Home in this “tender and insightful” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) illustrated middle grade novel in verse about an octopus named Houdini, her unexpected friendship with the aquarium owner’s daughter, and her deep yearning to return to the sea.

All day long we can hear
that Sea howl prowling wild
inside our brains and every part of us is straining
to feel it taste it twirl it whirl it swirl it
inside our body
again.

Houdini the octopus lives in an aquarium, but she misses her home in the wild Sea. She doesn’t like the visitors who bang on her tank. Or the way she can’t feel the sun on her skin or the wind rippling the water. It’s a dull existence for a creature with nine brains.

Then one day she meets someone who is different than the others. Juno’s busy brain buzzes with so many questions and thoughts that Houdini’s skin tingles with wonder.

But the singing of the Sea is growing stronger and harder to resist. Can Houdini make Juno understand what she needs before it’s too late?

GOODREADS     /     PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

By diving into the head of an octopus, readers see aquariums and humans from a different view and are left wishing they could become friends with this sea creature, too.

Houdini has lived in the aquarium for a long time but still dreams of escaping to the sea. While the caretaker does his best to keep her entertained, he doesn't realize that she's waiting for a chance to escape. She already takes occasional journeys through the halls and has been caught once or twice. Still, she knows that the humans have no clue how intelligent she is...or what she's planning. While she patiently waits for the big day to come, a small human joins the caretaker, a young girl who is so different from the normal groups of kids which pound on the glass all day. Houdini immediately feels a connection to the girl, and it appears that this is reciprocated. But true understanding is difficult between Houdini and the human girl...and Houdini's time is running out.

This is a carefully laid tale with tons of heart. The poetic writing matches the flow wonderfully. Each page holds  a scene, which gains its setting, meaning, and the point of view its coming from with a short title at the top of the page. The text flows very smoothly, carries exactly what is needed, and hits just right. It's never overly wordy or flowery but lets the personality and concerns of Houdini come across naturally. It's easy to sympathize with Houdini and her plight..and also that of the girl. The forming friendship touches the heart, while enough hope that Houdini can escape adds tension. There's also a gentle humor woven in as Houdini outsmarts the humans in little ways. 

Readers will come out of this with a new respect for octopi and aquariums, in general. The message fits the age group well, and even works great for school and homeschooling situations. It's a relatively quick read and the poetic form makes sure the plot stays on point, without wandering in unnecessary directions. It's an enjoyable read with heart.

And here they are...

Zana Fraillon (she/they) is an internationally acclaimed, multi-award-winning author of books for children and young adults. Her work has been published in over fifteen countries and is in development for both stage and screen. She has a doctorate in creative writing and degrees in history and teaching. Zana’s passion for empowering young people to find their voice is a feature of both her books and her work with writers of all ages.

Corinna Luyken is the author-illustrator of numerous picture books, including the New York Times bestselling My Heart, the “sublime” (The Wall Street Journal) The Book of Mistakes, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library selection ABC and You and Me, and NCTE Notable Poetry Book The Tree in Me. She also illustrated Patchwork by Matt de la Peña, a New York Times and Kirkus Reviews Best of the Year. Corinna lives in Washington near the Salish Sea, where she likes to dig in the dirt, surf, and read with a cat (or two) on her lap. You can see more of her work at CorinnaLuyken.com.

Time-Traveling Chickens by Kaz Windness

 

TIME-TRAVELING CHICKENS

Nugget and Tenders's Eggcellent Adventure

A Star Chapter Book #2

by Kaz Windness

Simon Spotlight

Science Fiction   /   Graphic Novel

112 pages

ages 5 to 9

COMING NOVEMBER 24th!!!

Star Chapter Books are the perfect bridge for kids moving beyond beginning readers but not yet ready for longer chapter books. With short chapters, bold two-color illustrations, and fast-paced, funny stories, these confidence-building books make reading fun and rewarding.

Two chicken friends use their time machine to foil an evil plot for world domination in this second tale in the rollicking Time-Traveling Chickens series from Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor–winning author-illustrator Kaz Windness!

Nugget and Tenders discover that evil scientists are hatching a plan for world domination—and chicken is definitely on the menu! To make matters worse, the fowl friends’ baby chick, Waffles, has been kidnapped by the scientist ringleader. Nugget and Tenders are going to need help from the greatest minds in history to rescue Waffles and stop the scientists, so they fire up their time machine and jump through history to recruit the perfect team. Can they work quickly enough to save their baby…and the world?

Each Star Chapter Book is 112 pages long, divided into six to eight short chapters with illustrated panels on every page to keep kids engaged from start to finish. This highly visual early chapter book format supports the transition from leveled readers to chapter books, making Star Chapter Books a perfect fit for independent reading, classroom libraries, or shared story time.

Look for more Star Chapter Books adventures to help kids grow confident and develop a love of reading, including the chickens’ first adventure, Bawk to the Future!

GOODREADS      /       PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

Nugget and tender humor meets historical figures and quirky adventure to form a read which even time can't categorize.

Nugget and Tender can't believe it—chicken is back on the menu! An evil scientist has plans to use the perfect chicken, Nugget and Tender's chick, to rule the world. Nugget and Tender can only jump into the time traveling chicken bucket and try to stop the horrible plans, but time-travel is a tricky thing, and they find themselves everywhere...and nowhere useful. Meanwhile, their poor chick is about to be used, but then, the evil scientist isn't exactly as hard as everyone thought. Instead, there's another super villain behind all of it, and his plans are truly monstrous.

I didn't read the first book in the series, but that wasn't an issue, since this one is no problem to sink right into. This is a very quirky adventure with an unique humor surrounding chickens, life and food, robots, time travel, evil plans, and...well, so much more. It took me a few pages to settle into the humor and adventure, but the characters are easy to like. While action and adventure drive every scene forward, there's also historical goodness woven in. The author incorporates some of the brightest, female scientists into the weirdness and has them helping in unexpected ways. Did you know a time-traveling chicken bucket might need repair? Well, these women might be just right for that and many other jobs. 

The graphics are in shades of white and gray with just a detail or two in each scene highlighted in bright red. It works very well with the chicken tale and gives the world an unique visual atmosphere to fit the quirky plot. The text works well for those readers, who are sure of their words but need a little more practice before hitting middle grade reads. Still, the influx of the historical figures does lean toward knowledge of middle graders. So, this book works for both age groups.

This one is for those readers, who love humor and adventure...and are looking for something different.

And here she is...

Kaz Windness is the author-illustrator of picture books Swim, Jim!; Bitsy Bat, School Star; Bitsy Bat, Team Star; and Bitsy Bat, Snow Star. She created the Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Level 1 Ready-to-Read Graphics book Worm and Caterpillar Are Friends, and its sequel, Worm and Butterfly Are Friends, Always; the Star Chapter Book Time Traveling Chickens series; and the Level 1 Ready-to-Reads Cat vs. Vac; Go! Go! Dino!; and Squid in Pants. Kaz is also the illustrator of Ollie, the Acorn, and the Mighty Idea by Andrew Hacket and the author of When You Love a Book, illustrated by Heather Brockman Lee. Kaz lives in Denver, Colorado with her husband, two children, and Boston terrier. Visit her at WindnessBooks.com.

Adventure in Witch Land by Ana Punset

It's time for some witchy fun! With Halloween only a couple weeks away, I'm going to be dropping in more and more fitting reads for the season. This one isn't really Halloween directed but includes witches...and unicorns. Oh, and see that skull on the side behind the mouse on the cover? That screams Halloweeny, right? But I'm betting this one has little to do with frights and scares. It's also the 2nd in the series, and I haven't visited the first book yet. So, I'm heading into this one with fresh eyes. It's for those readers out there, who know their words but aren't ready for full-fledged novels, yet. And I believe this has more to do with friendship and sparkling (or non-sparkling) unicorns than anything else. But let's just open it up and find out, shall we?

ADVENTURE IN WITCH LAND

Unicornia Unicorn Rescuers

by Ana Punset

Illustrated by Diane Vicedo

Candlewick

Chapter Book

144 pages

ages 5 to 7

The second in a new full-color series set in the magical Unicornia universe, featuring an exciting journey to Witch Land!

Claudia, Pippa, and Sara are off on another unicorn-rescuing mission, this time to Witch Land, where the witches are expert liars and time moves in mysterious ways. Worse still, nobody is allowed to fly! Can the Unicorn Rescuers save the day before their own unicorns fall under a spell?

GOODREADS     /     AMAZON     /      PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

Unicorn fans are going to smile as they join this trio of friends on their next, unicorn rescue adventure.

Claudia, Pippa, and Sara are secret members of the unicorn rescue division...which means nobody is allowed to know. When a group of butterflies appears outside of the classroom window with a letter, they need to act fast to find a diversion before the other students see what's happening. But then, these girls are ready to handle anything...in their own way and save their identities from discovery. The letter sends them on their next mission to find a unicorn, which disappeared in Witch Land. Not only is it filled with witches, but time runs differently there. Plus, they are prewarned that these witches might be prone to lie. But what the trio doesn't know is that this case may cost them their own freedom and find their own unicorns being captured as well.

This is quite the adventure, and I say that in a good way. The plot holds a few layers, which I really appreciate since it doesn't talk down (or dumb-down) for readers. Instead, this is a full, small adventure with mystery, twists, a little tension, surprises, and some character growth, too. Still, it stays very appropriate for the intended age and reading group and never grows dark, but keeps a wholesome undertone adding lightness the entire way through. The adventure keeps the readers in the pages, especially since it's not clear what will happen next. Nor is the solution overly easy. So, it's a well-rounded tale to enjoy with the lightness to keep it fun and age appropriate.

The writer lets the reader get involved by asking direct questions, every now and then. This direct conversation adds some fun, while still allowing the story to flow nicely. 

The writing works well for those readers who are very sure of their words and are edging toward longer, middle grade reads. It pushes the vocabulary and slowly allows readers to grow accustom to longer chapters. The font is larger, and there are lovely illustrations sprinkled throughout. Oh, and the beginning has a nice run-down of the Unicorn Rescue team and their unicorns...plus, there's a cute, rescuer saying that they join in on before heading on their adventure. This reminded me a bit of Sailor Moon and Co., and adds a nice touch, especially for those reading the entire series.

And here they are...

Ana Punset is a best-selling author of books for children, including the other books in the Unicornia series. She lives in Barcelona and has always dreamed of flying with unicorns.

Diana Vicedo has been a freelance illustrator for more than ten years. Her illustrations have appeared in children’s books and on designs for children's fashion, games, motion graphics, and apps. She is the illustrator of the other books in the Unicornia series. She lives in Valencia, Spain.

Spooky Scouts by Kimberly Shrack

Only18 days left, and it's Halloween! Today's read brings in some monsterly fun and mixes it with the excitement of heading to camp. This could be a fun read, and that's why I want to take a peek. So, let's do that!

SPOOKY SCOUTS

by Kimberly Shrack

Margaret K McElderry

Picture Book

40 pages

ages 4 to 8

When a camping trip falls under the full moon, wolf girl Luna schemes to hide her transformation from her fellow Spooky Scouts in this sweet and playfully subversive debut picture book perfect for fans of I’m Not Scary and Hardly Haunted.

Tonight is the annual Spooky Scouts’ camping trip, and wolf pup Luna can’t contain her excitement. But when the forecast calls for a full moon, her delight turns to dread. Because Luna has a every full moon, she transforms into something…strange—a creature so beastly and bizarre it’s sure to give her whole troop the ick!

If she doesn’t want to be branded a weirdo, Luna must use all her scouting skills to stop the transformation before it starts. And hopefully in time for s’mores. Full of camping adventure and unexpected surprises, Luna’s efforts to hide lead to new discoveries about friendship, bravery, and the true Spooky Scout spirit.

GOODREADS    /    PUBLISHER     /     AMAZON

MY TIDBITS

It's off to camp but with a very monsterly twist...and one that surprises in a lunar way.

Luna is so excited! It's time for Spooky Scouts' camp, which means smores, playing outside, and more. Best of all, she'll get to spend time with her other, monsterly friends. After she arrives and is marching along with them, realization hits. It's the full moon that night, which means Luna's biggest secret will be exposed...a terrible secret. Since there's no way she can leave camp, she must figure out a way to keep her secret safe.

This is a lively book with bold illustrations and a variety of friendly monsters, all excited for camp. It comes across with a touch of chaos matching the excitement and atmosphere of those first days. Each monster carries personality and at times, there are even side comments they make, which are added in speech bubbles. While the tale rolls along letting readers sink into camp with Luna, soon Luna's panic takes over as she tries to come up with a solution. It's easy to sympathize with her...especially since her transformation is so awful looking (according to her). So, her situation grabs as well as the silly ways she wants to stop it. The illustrations let all sorts of small incidences and details pop in to add an extra level of fun. As said, at times it comes across chaotic, but it fits so well with this lively bunch.

This makes a nice read-aloud for groups as well as individual settings, and listeners will want to have a little time to soak in a few of the scenes a tiny bit to get the extra humor. Luna's secret adds a smile-worthy twist with a dash of originality to make it a lovely surprise. The messages swings around knowing that everyone has their 'quirks', and that's okay, which adds wholesomeness as well.

And here she is...

Kimberly Shrack is an author and illustrator based in the Pacific Northwest. Like Luna, she is a s’mores enthusiast. Unlike Luna, she has not yet earned her badge for Dragon Fire Safety. Spooky Scouts is her debut picture book. Visit her at KimberlyShrack.com.