Andy Russell, NOT Wanted by the Police [Hardcover]

David A. Adler (Author), Leanne Franson (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 7 and up | Grade Level: 2 and up | Series: Andy Russell

Andy Russell’s neighbors have asked nine-year-old Andy and his best friend, Tamika, to watch their house while they are away. But when Andy sees unexplained lights and movements, he becomes convinced there is an intruder next door! The problem is . . . whenever he tries to show his family and the police what he sees, everything is back to normal. Now Detective Andy Russell must prove that he's not just a pest--that there is something suspicious going on!

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 2-4-While his neighbors the Perlmans are on a research and sightseeing vacation, Andy watches their house. Helping the young detective is Tamika Anderson, who lived with them while her parents were recovering from an accident, but is now staying with the Russells. The children find trash in their neighbors' garbage can and signs that someone is in the house. The police investigate but determine there has been no break-in. Over the next few days, the friends' suspicions are aroused again. When they see a package delivered next door, they decide to call the Perlmans' phone number. They learn that the couple is letting an artist stay in their home. As simple as that, the mystery is solved. As implausible as the plot may be, beginning chapter-book readers and fans of Andy Russell may enjoy this tidy case.

Debbie Feulner, Northwest Middle School, Greensboro, NC

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 3-5. In this the fifth volume in the Andy Russell series, Andy once again must use his intuition and smarts, this time to solve a mystery next door. Andy and his friend Tamika are watching an absent neighbor's house when they spot signs of an intruder: there's unusual garbage in the trash can and Andy sees a light at the house late at night. The problem is that things seem perfectly normal when Andy tries to show his evidence to his family and the police. Since nobody will believe him, Andy sets out to uncover the truth with his own detective work. Friendly black-and-white drawings, humorous text, and a cast of likable characters will entice young readers, who will relate to Andy's predicament. Ellen Mandel
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books; 1st edition (October 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 015216474X
• ISBN-13: 978-0152164744
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #703,826 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I write both fiction and non-fiction. I begin my fiction with the main character. The story comes later. Of course, since I'll be spending a lot of time with each main character, why not have him or her be someone I like? Andy Russell is based, loosely, on a beloved member of my family. He's fun to write about and the boy who inspired the character is even more fun to know. Cam Jansen is based even more loosely on a classmate of mine in the first grade whom we all envied because we thought he had a photographic memory. Now, especially when my children remind me of some promise they said I made, I really envy Cam's amazing memory. I have really enjoyed writing about Cam Jansen and her many adventures. For my books of non-fiction I write about subjects I find fascinating. My first biography was Our Golda: The Life of Golda Meir. To research that book, I bought a 1905 set of encyclopedia. Those books told me what each of the places Golda Meir lived in were like when she lived there. I've written many other biographies, including books about Martin Luther King, Jr; George Washington; Abraham Lincoln; Helen Keller; Harriet Tubman; Anne Frank; and many others in my Picture Book Biography series. I've been a Yankee and a Lou Gehrig fan for decades so I wrote Lou Gehrig: The Luckiest Man. It's more the story of his great courage than his baseball playing. Children face all sorts of challenges and it's my hope that some will be inspired by the courage of Lou Gehrig. I am working now on another book about a courageous man, Janusz Korczak. My book One Yellow Daffodil is fiction, too, but it's based on scores of interviews I did with Holocaust survivors for my books We Remember the Holocaust, Child of the Warsaw Ghetto, The Number on My Grandfather's Arm, and Hiding from the Nazis. The stories I heard were compelling. One Yellow Daffodil is both a look to the past and to the future, and expresses my belief in the great spirit and strength of our children. I love math and was a math teacher for many years, so it was fun for me to write several math books including Fraction Fun, Calculator Riddles, and Shape Up! Fun with Triangles and Other Polygons. In my office I have this sign, "Don't Think. Just Write!" and that's how I work. I try not to worry about each word, even each sentence or paragraph. For me stories evolve. Writing is a process. I rewrite each sentence, each manuscript, many times. And I work with my editors. I look forward to their suggestions, their help in the almost endless rewrite process. Well, it's time to get back to dreaming, and to writing, my dream of a job. David A. Adler is the author of more than 175 children's books, including the Young Cam Jansen series. He lives in Woodmere, New York.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A FUN BOOK FOR THE LITTLE ONES!, September 20, 2005

By 

Betty L. Dravis "BETTY DRAVIS, author/reviewer" (Silicon Valley, CA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Andy Russell, NOT Wanted by the Police (Paperback)

I had the pleasure of reading this book to a friend's grandson. It was a joy to see his little face light up at the happy parts, to pucker at the mildly scary parts, and to laugh out loud during the funny parts of the book.

A good book for the little "little ones."

I recommend it highly.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not much of a mystery, August 2, 2005

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Andy Russell, NOT Wanted by the Police (Paperback)

I recommend this story to someone who likes silly stories - it starts out as a mystery but turns into nothing.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars andy is back, April 18, 2005

By 

Melissa Sack (georgia) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Andy Russell, NOT Wanted by the Police (Paperback)

Andy's neighbors are off on a business trip. Andy and his friend Tamica are watching over the house for them while they are gone. They start to see signs that there is someone living in the house. They call the police but they find no sign of forced entry. Andy and Tamica keep invetigating and find out that an artist couple has been given permission to stay at the house while the owners are gone.
This is the fifth book in the Andy Russell series. Kids will enjoy this if they have read others in the series.

I would recommend this book. I feel that kids can relate to the characters in the book well.