Detective Books for Kids

My husband and I are totally addicted to the Sherlock Holmes series from the UK.  Perhaps that's why when I read Friday Barnes I was charmed from the start.  I love that the book is not just one mystery, but a series of clever puzzles that need to be solved and Friday is just the girl to do it.

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Also, if you powers of deduction are keen, you will find my One Minute Book Talk at the end of this post.  Another clue into why this book will be a winner with your kids.

Title: Friday Barnes: Girl Detective

Author: R. A. Spratt

Target: Grades 4-6

Series: Yes

What this book is about: 

Friday Barnes is a delightfully quirky and eccentric child who is far more clever and intelligent than the other kids around her.  When she earns $50,000 for solving a bank robbery she decides to use the funds to attend an exclusive private school which she has heard is the finest in the country.  There she realizes that her attempts to stay under the radar simply make her stand out, and she discovers she has an arch rival, the extremely handsome Ian Wainscott. However, it is Friday’s ability to solve crimes which makes her indispensable to students and the headmaster and she takes on cases of missing homework and an elusive swamp yeti.

Why I love this book:

• First off the cast of characters is wonderful.  They are all less than conventional with some odd and outlandish traits, however, that only adds to how endearing many of them are.  In some ways they reminded me of the cast of Scooby Doo.

• The mysteries are all fun and engaging.  Friday works just like Sherlock Holmes as she deduces character traits and suspect’s motivations by just a few keen observations.

• The illustrations by Phil Gosier are a wonderful complement to the text.  They are charming and convey a lot of humor.

Who this book is for: 

This book is written by the wonderful author of the Nanny Piggins series.  If you kids loved those book they will definitely want to give this one a try.  Kids who like a series of engaging mysteries should also be excited about our gal Friday.

Final thoughts:  

This author is just a lovely import from Australia.  The only downside is that all her books are available there while we have to wait in the States for the latest installments!

To purchase this book:

Click on the following link to connect to Amazon: Friday Barnes, Girl Detective  A portion of each purchase will go to support this blog at no cost to you.  Thank you for your support.

One Minute Book Talk