Arthur's Mystery Envelope: An Arthur Chapter Book (Arthur Chapter Books) [Paperback]

Marc Brown (Author)

Book Description

Grade Level: 2 and up | Series: Arthur Chapter Books

Arthur's Mystery Envelope It looks like trouble when the principal asks Arthur to take home a large envelope marked CONFIDENTIAL. His friends try to guess what's inside. It might just be information on...summer school! Will Arthur face the consequences or pretend to lose the envelope? In chapter-book format, for children who are ready to read on their own, this mysterious adventure will surely be a hit among Arthur fans.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

K-Gr 3--These two titles are part of a series of chapter-book novelizations of PBS's Arthur episodes. Even though the covers proclaim "A Marc Brown Arthur" and show a photograph of Brown on the jackets, the books themselves have been written by someone else, and are based on teleplays created by yet other authors. The texts are interspersed with black-and-white illustrations. Arthur and the Scare-Your-Pants-Off Club deals with an unusual theme for primary-grade audiences--censorship. Angry parents have demanded that a series of scary books be banned from the public library because they believe they are frightening their children, and Arthur and his friends decide to fight back. Arthur's Mystery Envelope concerns the young aardvark's curiosity and anxiety when the principal gives him an envelope to take home marked "PRIVATE and CONFIDENTIAL." His desire to be honest is tempered by his fear of negative consequences as he wrestles with the dilemma of whether to deliver the envelope or to "lose" it. The reading level of these books is problematic: the vocabulary exceeds that of average third graders, yet the audience of the Arthur show is usually much younger. They could be used as read-alouds, and would undoubtedly appeal to children who watch the program and to precocious younger readers.

Linda W. Tilden, Cherry Hill Library, NJ

Copyright 1998 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Marc Brown is the creator of the bestselling Arthur Adventure book series and creative producer of the number-one children's PBS television series, Arthur. He has also created a second book series featuring D.W., Arthur's little sister, as well as numerous other books for children. Marc Brown lives with his family in Tisbury, Martha's Vineyard.

Product Details

• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (April 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316115479
• ISBN-13: 978-0316115476
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.2 x 7.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #114,176 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #7 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Popular Characters > TV > Arthur
  • #11 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators, A-Z > ( B ) > Brown, Marc

More About the Author

Marc Brown is the creator of the bestselling Arthur Adventure book series and co-developer of the children's PBS television series, Arthur. He has also created a second book series, featuring D.W., Arthur's little sister, as well as numerous other books for children. Marc Brown lives with his family in Tisbury, Massachusetts on Martha's Vineyard.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent children's book., July 7, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Arthur's Mystery Envelope: An Arthur Chapter Book (Arthur Chapter Books) (Paperback)

This is an excellent children's book. Especially for children making the transition to chapter books. It is well written and easy to read. It deals with problems in which children can easily idenitfy. Marc Brown gives great detail to Authur's anxiety of the unknown contents of the envelope. His writing certainly brings back my own childhood experiences. The pictures in this book allow children to identify with the charcaters and help them draw a mental picture of the story. The mystery has a wonderful happy ending and may help children understand that the unknown is not nesscessarily a bad thing. These are just some of the reasons I would recommend this book.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very good, but short mystery, May 4, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Arthur's Mystery Envelope: An Arthur Chapter Book (Arthur Chapter Books) (Paperback)

I like this book because it does have a style of it's own, and I don't like it because the chapters are so short. I think all the chapters should be a page longer, but that may because I am not a beginner reader. I did like the way the book was written, and how the author made you feel scared, if Arthur is scared. That is one good thing about the book. There are many other reasons why it is a good book, like the fact it is almost impossible to figure out. You would never guess what is in the envelope.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good mystery, December 8, 2001

By 

An 8-year old reader (Vermont) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Arthur's Mystery Envelope (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) (Marc Brown Arthur Chapter Books (Pb)) (School & Library Binding)

I really liked this book because I didn't know what was going to happen until the end. I really thought that Arthur was in trouble. It's a good mystery and you have to read it to find out what it's about. I'm not going to tell you.