Admit it. You might be old enough to have read the old Encyclopedia Browns when the covers had drawn illustrations on them. Well I sure am. And am proud of it. My son was introduced to Leroy Brown through a copy that my husband's mom kept. She kept everything, so we have all the now-socially-inappropriate books (like Little Black Sambo - don't get me started) we could want. But Encyclopedia is one I'll keep. My son read it first with his dad, because it was daddy's book and I think my son like that. But then he started checking out others in the series on his own. I start with "The Case of Pablo's Nose" only because this is the most recent one my son checked out from the library. I don't think I'll be reviewing every volume, as they are, actually, all very nearly the same. But that doesn't reduce the enjoyment of the series - at least for us.
From Booklist: "'Encyclopedia' Brown only needs to ask one question to solve a problem. His dad, who is chief of police, can always depend on him. The 10 crimes here range from bullies taking totem poles to safe cracking to kidnapping and more. Encyclopedia's solutions are listed in the back of the book. This newest addition to the lengthy series is a good choice for critical thinkers or for getting children to start problem-solving."
If you don't know about Encyclopedia Brown, here's the basic gist of the series: Encyclopedia Brown (real name, Leroy) is a 10 year old boy who solves mysteries around his town. He has his own detective agency that he runs out of his garage. Sometimes people come to him to ask for his help, but often as not he merely stumbles upon a mystery that he then helps to solve. He has two best buddies that help him (a boy and a girl - cool) and a police chief daddy. Encyclopedia is called that because he's so smart, and everyone knows it. He is great at figuring things out - mainly by paying attention to details and using background knowledge. Each chapter is it's own mystery. At the end of each chapter there is a question (eg, how does Encyclopedia know this person is lying?) and a reference to a page on which is the "answer" to the question / mystery.
One of the best things about the Encyclopedia Brown series is that the main character is a smart boy. He doesn't rely on a cape, or magic powers, or super speed. He's just smart. And is known, and admired for his smartness. I like that. I also like that the mysteries are short chapters (versus some series that take the entire book to solve). I like this because we (or lately, just he) can read a complete story in the car, or before bed. It's a great book for the car ride to school. My son is still at the stage where he will "peek" at the solution at the back of the book before he can really figure out the mystery, but it's really neat talking the problem out with him (when he gives me the chance. Lately he doesn't want good ole mom reading with him anymore... too independent).
There are a few stories with tension (that bully is in almost every book) but again, Encyclopedia holds his own, with his smarts and his friends. The recommended age for this series is 9-10, but if you have an accelerated reader like I do, it's nice to have a book that challenges them reading-wise, and is still non-threatening content-wise.
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