The books in the Encyclopedia Brown mystery series by Donald J. Sobol, for pre-teen and early teen readers, are great books on a number of levels. The stories are short and to the point, packing a lot of detail into just a few pages. The mysteries are not esoteric, but they do require some thought and concentration on the story for the reader to solve them.
Encyclopedia Brown is a fifth-grade detective who always gets his man….and his man is usually Bugs Meany or one of his semi-delinquent friends, who are more interested in mischief than in math and reading. Using a variety of clues (Civil War swords, stuffed penguins…) and an enchanting admixture of wit and common sense, with a touch of light humour, Mr. Sobol has put together an extensive series of books that are perfect for the whole family to share. Adults and kids alike will enjoy matching wits with Idaville’s boy detective!