Summary - The intrepid Herculeah Jones helps her mother, a private investigator, solve a puzzling and frightening case.
Reviews
Move over, Encyclopedia, Sherlock, and Nancy - Herculeah is on the case. Byars's new heroine reminds the reader a bit of Bingo Brown as she finds herself in one tight spot after another. After all, with a police detective and a private eye for parents, Herculeah finds that curiosity and sleuthing come naturally. When Herculeah and her intrepid (if somewhat inept) sidekick, Meat, become intrigued by one of her mother's clients, a fast-paced mystery develops that doesn't require much effort from the reader to deduce or enjoy the puzzle. A welcome entry into the field for young mystery fans. ~ Elizabeth S. Watson
Gr 5-7. Move over Nancy Drew, Herculeah Jones has arrived! Strong and agile, she lives up to her name and seems capable of solving any case that comes her way; with a private investigator mother and police detective father, she has a natural interest in mysterious situations. In this first volume of what is sure to be a popular series, Herculeah becomes fascinated with a forbidding estate and a frightening-looking client of her mother's. She capitalizes on her contact in the police department (her father) and listens to her mother's recorded interviews with her client; by refusing to follow rules set by her parents when she is driven to get closer to the truth, she succeeds in closing a case. She escapes after being locked in a dark and musty basement and discovers a hidden staircase, at the bottom of which lays the long-missing dead owner of Dead Oaks. Byars has created a likable cast of main characters, Herculeah's friend Meat serves as the perfect comic foil for her intensity; he seems as if he could be a first cousin to Bingo Brown. There is plenty to laugh at in this book, including classic chapter headings guaranteed to cause shivers for the uninitiated; practiced mystery readers may feel that they are in on a bit of a joke and appreciate the hint of parody. This is a page turner that is sure to entice the most reluctant readers. - Ellen Fader
I found this to be an intriguing book, if not a bit formulaic. Young readers just beginning their foray into chapter books will enjoy this young mystery solver and the pen and ink drawing included with each chapter will assure they won't go into withdrawals from books including art. The protagonist may be a young girl but even reluctant male readers will find her antics enticing.
Use this book for...
Introductions to literacy circles and book reports would be a good way to use this book. Librarians could read a chapter of this and another Herculeah Jones book to begin a study of series books, discussing how the two book are similar and different.
References
Byars, Betsy Cromer. The Dark Stairs : a Herculeah Jones Mystery. New York : Viking, 1994.
Summary retrieved from Syndetic Solutions, Inc., Richardson Public Online Catalog, August 6, 2011.
E.S.W.; Silvey, Anita. Horn Book Magazine, Nov/Dec94, Vol. 70 Issue 6, p730-730, 1/4p
Fader, Ellen. School Library Journal, Sep94, Vol. 40 Issue 9, p214, 1/6p
Photograph retrieved from http://hip.cor.gov/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=13131695CRX71.129516&profile=rpl-kids&uri=link=3100007~!10333~!3100001~!3100002&aspect=basic&menu=search&ri=7&source=~!horizon&term=The+dark+stairs+%3A+a+Herculeah+Jones+mystery+%2F&index=PALLTI#focus
Series books - Hank the Cowdog #1 and #56
Summary
| When Loper puts him on Cheapo brand dog food and he gets in trouble for eating out of Sally May's birdfeeder, Hank the Cowdog hopes that he can get back in their good graces by thwarting the coyotes' plan to go after the chickens. Reviews Hank the Cowdog, the humorously self-important "Head of Ranch Security" who was first introduced in 1983, reappears in The Original Adventures of Hank the Cowdog: Deluxe Edition by John R. Erickson. Gerald Holmes has added color to his original illustrations and supplied four new ones; the book also includes a map of Hank's ranch and an author's preface. those who would like to join Hank's Security Squad fan club can recieve a boxed membership kit for $10.95. Ages 9-up. - Publishers Weekly And So... I read the first and the latest books in this humourous series of easy to read chapter books. While there wasn't much of a case for the "Head of Security" to solve, it was at the least entertaining. However, the dialect may be difficult for some urban readers to comprehend, as Hank is definitely a "cowdog". It is great way to get young readers to look into the meaning of what is written, to look past the speech patterns of the storyteller. Use this book for... This book would be a good model piece for writing dialect. It also would be great for teaching young writers about voice. In the library, you can introduce easy reader chapter books, or explain the shelving of series books using this titles from this prolific series. |
References
Erickson, John R. The Case of the Coyote Invasion. New York : Viking, 2010.
Erickson, John R. Original Adventures of Hank the Cowdog. Perryton, Tex. : Maverick Books, 1983
Roback, Diane; Brown, Jennifer M.. Publishers Weekly, 11/10/97, Vol. 244 Issue 46, p76, 3/4p
Book #1 photograph retrieved from http://hip.cor.gov/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=G313G71426656.130499&profile=rpl&uri=full=3100001~!51962~!69&ri=2&aspect=subtab35&menu=search&source=~!horizon&ipp=20&spp=20&staffonly=&term=Hank+the+Cowdog+%3B&index=PSERIES&uindex=&aspect=subtab35&menu=search&ri=2#focus
Book 56 photograph retrieved from http://hip.cor.gov/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=G313G71426656.130499&profile=rpl&uri=link=3100007~!411774~!3100001~!3100002&aspect=subtab35&menu=search&ri=6&source=~!horizon&term=The+case+of+the+coyote+invasion+%2F&index=PALLTI#focus
No comments:
Post a Comment