Dirk Bones and the Mystery of the Haunted House (I Can Read Book 1) [Paperback]

Doug Cushman (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: K and up | Series: I Can Read Book 1

What could be haunting a couple of ghosts? Find out as ace reporter Dirk Bones uncovers the clues!

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 2–Dirk Bones, a skeleton newspaper reporter for The Ghostly Tombs, is dispatched to a haunted house on Ghoul Street, where the residents complain about spooky noises coming from their cellar. Dirk's investigation leads him to the nearby graveyard, where the sounds are traced to a crypt containing a bubbling soup pot and a vampire who is writing a cookbook. Cushman's illustrations are delightfully silly and spirited; his hilarious plot will please youngsters who often claim that they want horror but are relieved to get humor instead. This title has more sentences per page and more sophisticated puns than the usual Level 1 reader. However, librarians, whose focus is not exclusively decoding, will welcome this addition to the primer shelves both at Halloween time and throughout the year.–Gloria Koster, West School, New Canaan, CT
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

K-Gr. 2. In what is presumably the first in a new I Can Read! series, a seasoned creator of easy-to-read mysteries introduces a skeleton investigative journalist. After a pair of spooked spooks report unusual noises coming from their cellar, Dirk Bones investigates, tracking the "clack, cluckity-cluck bing, blub, blub" to a surprising source. Young readers will relish both the carefully contained moments of tension and the contrasting elements of whimsy, as the town of Ghostly's ghoulish residents reveal unexpectedly benign natures. Having said that, Cushman's bony hero isn't quite as winning; his trenchcoat and rakish fedora never quite compensate for the vacant expression about his eye sockets. Still, all but the most easily scared children will follow the manageable declarative sentences to the end, where a gently amusing resolution to the mystery awaits. The book doesn't expressly mention Halloween, but its setting will especially suit the witching time of year. Jennifer Mattson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (June 2, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060737670
• ISBN-13: 978-0060737672
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #171,099 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Spooky and Silly, March 13, 2011

By 

A. T. Milton "GMom of 4" (Suffield, CT) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Dirk Bones and the Mystery of the Haunted House (I Can Read Book 1) (Paperback)

My grandchildren and I enjoy a good mystery, and Doug Cushman is a super writer and illustrator of kids' books. We have four of his books, and I plan to buy more! This book looks at being scared by noises we can't identify in the dark. Helps kids to think about night noises and to find out what makes them - takes the scary out of the dark.

5.0 out of 5 stars Another spooky hit with beginning readers!, October 28, 2010

By 

Z Hayes (TX, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Dirk Bones and the Mystery of the Haunted House (I Can Read Book 1) (Paperback)

My kindergartener loves spooky stories, and as a beginning reader who is improving in fluency, I felt the Dirk Bones stories were perfect for her. She loves a good mystery and spooky story, and this series was pitched right at her level. Though this is characterized as a Level One reader (containing simple sentences for new readers), I would actually characterize it as more of a Level Two reader where the sentences are longer, and contain some complex vocabulary.The story itself is engaging, and there are many illustrations throughout the book. The story features skeleton Dirk Bones, who is a reporter working in the town of Ghostly. His creepy adventures are full of fun and never get too scary for young readers. This is a wonderful series for beginning readers and I hope there will be more (currently I think there are only two titles in the series) as the stories are engaging and promote confidence in young children who are beginning to read independently.