From Library Journal
Grade 4-6-Police Chief Brown's 10-year-old son Leroy, better known as Encyclopedia, is still busy keeping Idaville safe from criminals and mischief-makers. Some of the cases the supersleuth encounters involve a dead cockroach, a runaway judge, a peacock's egg, and a stolen surfboard. Of course, the young detective solves these mysteries with ease, which is more than will be said for his many readers. Encyclopedia got his name "because his brain was filled with more facts than a reference book." In order to solve the cases, children will need to know a vast amount of trivial information, something most youngsters do not have. However, fans of the sneaker-clad sleuth will still be happy to see volume 22 in the series sitting on their library shelves.
Elaine Lesh Morgan, Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Ten-year-old supersleuth Leroy "Encyclopedia" Brown is back in a book that will most likely be as popular as others in the series despite stereotypes like bad guy Bugs Meany and over-the-top dialogue ("We've got to stop the game, Sally! That man never worked as an umpire before. He's a major-league liar!") The series' success lies in its format. Budding detectives love the excitement of trying to solve cases on their own or with a buddy, and, as usual, solutions for the cases presented here are provided at the end of the book. Many youngsters also like the fact that the mysteries are only a few pages long: they can read a complete story with a beginning, middle, and end without a big investment of time. The 10 new mysteries are pretty good, considering how difficult it is to set up the elements of a story in such a limited space. The best part is, once kids are hooked on this book, there are 21 others to try, with the possibility of more to follow.
Lauren Peterson
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
