Encyclopedia Brown keeps the peace

Gr 3-5-Leroy "Encyclopedia" Brown is the 10-year-old son of Idaville's chief of police. Whether solving a jewelry store robbery for his father while sitting at the dinner table or out in their garage running the Brown Detective Agency, this young super-sleuth keeps the criminal element at bay. In these ten stories (Dutton, 1969) by Donald J. Sobol, Encyclopedia twice confronts his juvenile adversary Bugs Meany, traps a tough teenager stealing money, and helps locate one of the FBI's most wanted fugitives. He also discredits a faked photograph, locates a valuable ring, and breaks the alibi of two thieves adrift at sea. With his partner Sally Kimball, he saves a child actor from an angry cook and exposes a scam artist. Greg Steinbruner provides expressive, well-paced narration, but doesn't give individual characters unique voices. The pause at the end of each story gives listeners the chance to solve the mystery before Encyclopedia Brown does. Mystery fans will enjoy matching wits with the young detective, and language arts teachers can anticipate lively discussions about possible solutions.-Mary Jean Smith, Southside Elementary School, Lebanon, TN (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.