Nathan picked this book as his free Barnes & Noble Summer Reading program book. The main characters are four first grade students, but their older siblings (who are featured in Roy's A to Z mysteries)play into the plot. These books are a great length for him. I have read him the whole book in one sitting and just a few chapters at a time. We've already read this book several times since he got it. This series follows the little siblings of the A-Z Mystery gang. I like Roy's clear, direct writing, but found the set-up a little confusing. The characters didn't seem like separate people - it was hard to get a clear picture of each of the kids. Kids will likely have a clear picture of the original group from the A-Z Mysteries: Dink, Josh and Ruth Rose. But Roy is adding four new characters: Brian and Bradley, Josh's twin brothers; Lucy, Dink's cousin; and Nate, Ruth Rose's little brother. In the series opener, all 7 kids are involved in the mystery and it's hard to keep them all separate, much less distinct characters. The second installment, February Friend, establishes the characters a little more clearly and has less of the original characters in it.
What do You think about January Joker (2009)?
J PBK R Ron Roy Calendar MysteriesBeginning chapter book
—Kekoaa