In the elementary grades, reading is the subject that unlocks the excitement of education. Early readers move from wordless board books to illustrated picture books. As children gain reading competence, they frequently ask for chapter books. Youngsters skilled in reading move seamlessly into higher level stories.
But many students need formula stories to increase their love of reading. Famous formula series from the past, such as the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew, helped several generations of readers discover the pleasure of reading.
In the last 20 years a number of popular series have been written. Of these, the Encyclopedia Brown series has been extremely popular. Donald Sobol has written more than 20 books in this series and children like to read the tales. The name of this interesting book is "Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Slippery Salamander." This particular story describes 10 different cases that Encyclopedia Brown successfully solves.
Ten-year-old sleuth Leroy Brown frequently helps his father, Chief Brown, the commander of the local police, to solve crimes. Leroy is so knowledgeable at discovering criminals that everyone simply calls him Encyclopedia Brown.
A particularly difficult case has just arisen at the local aquarium. The chief tries to figure out who might have stolen a recently purchased tiger salamander. This amphibian is so valuable that it can be sold on the black market for a large sum of money. Only three people could have stolen the tiger salamander. The first is Mrs. King, a volunteer at the aquarium. Mrs. King is a likely suspect as she has a tremendous fascination with salamanders and has dozens at home as pets. Why not top off her collection with the famous tiger salamander?
The second person is Sam Maine, the director of maintenance for the aquarium. Maine has access to the entire building and has proudly told the chief that he has worked with salamanders and other lizards for 19 years.
The third suspect is Dr. O’ Donnell, an expert on reptiles and amphibians working for the aquarium. But Chief Brown is stumped because each suspect has an alibi. Mrs. King was seen by a cashier at the time of the theft in the cafeteria. Sam Maine told the policeman that he was cleaning the cages at the time the tiger salamander was stolen. Several people vouched that they had seen Sam working during the time period. Dr. O’Donnell was known to have been examining a new crocodile all morning, which eliminated him as a suspect. This was turning into a very difficult case. The Chief asked Encyclopedia for help. The young detective closed his eyes and cogitated on the facts. When he opened his eyes, the answer was clear.
What clues had given away the true thief? Why was the real crook so obvious to Encyclopedia? Have you ever solved a puzzle? What helped you find the answer? Why is Encyclopedia Brown so effective in solving crimes? To find the answers to these questions, go to the library and check out "Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Slippery Salamander."
The Encyclopedia Brown books have been popular for the last two decades. Donald Sobol (1924-2012) created the Encyclopedia Brown series for reluctant readers. The series makes no pretense about being "serious" or "life changing." The books are written to be enjoyed, and the series has never been out of print. Right before his death, Donald Sobol finished his final book in the series. Children in many countries will be grateful for this last literary present. I hope you get a chance to encourage the children in your life to read these entertaining books. Enjoy!
