Nate the Great and the Monster Mess (Paperback)

by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat (Author), Martha Weston (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
Grade 1-3-When Nate's mom cannot find her recipe for his favorite monster cookies, the boy detective immediately sets out to find it. With the help of his dog, Sludge, Nate combs his home and neighborhood for clues. On his search, the supersleuth questions a cast of characters with whom readers of the series will be familiar, such as Annie, Oliver, and Rosamond. Using his problem-solving skills, Nate is finally able to figure out where the elusive recipe for Strawberry Draculas, Chocolate Frankensteins, and Cinnamon Werewolves was hiding. The short chapters and quick resolution of the mystery will be appreciated by beginning readers. Weston's colorful illustrations, done in the style of the series' original illustrator, Marc Simont, provide visual clues and break up the text nicely. Nate's many fans will eagerly sink their teeth into this treat.
Maura Bresnahan, Shawsheen School, Andover, MA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review
...Nate's many fans will eagerly sink their teeth into this treat. -- School Library Journal, December 1, 1999 --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Paperback: 80 pages
• Publisher: A Yearling Book (September 11, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440416620
• ISBN-13: 978-0440416623
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #19,602 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cinnamon Werewolves! Yes!, September 27, 2002

By	Mel Odom (Moore, OK USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Nate the Great and the Monster Mess (Hardcover)

For over twenty adventures now, Nate the Great, the young detective, has searched for his friends' missing things. He's searched for missing stamps, weeds, boring beach bags, missing pets, musical notes, stolen bases, and even saved the King of Sweden (kinda!). In all of this, his mom has been quietly supportive. He leaves a note on the refrigerator to tell her what case he's working on, that he will be back, and that he loves her. But in NATE THE GREAT AND THE MONSTER MESS, Nate investigates the disappearance of something his mother has lost: a special cookie recipe. If Nate and his dog Sludge cannot find the list, Nate will never again enjoy Strawberry Draculas, Chocolate Frankensteins, and Cinnamon Werewolves (his favorite cookie!). Nate is on the search, and he's reluctantly rounding up the usual suspects.

Marjorie Weinman Sharmat is the author of over twenty Nate the Great adventures, including NATE THE GREAT STALKS STUPIDWEED, NATE THE GREAT AND THE BORING BEACH BAG, NATE THE GREAT AND THE HALLOWEEN HUNT, and NATE THE GREAT AND THE MUSHY VALENTINE. She has written dozens of books for young readers. She named Nate the Great after her father. Her books have been named as Children's Choice books and Junior Literary Guild selections, and been picked as Books of the Year by the Library of Congress.

Although most of the Nate the Great series have been written as long stories, this book is one of the series' more recent additions to be broken into chapters. The short, punchy chapters make great stopping places for reading out loud when traveling, or to dole out as rewards-or for those nights when little listeners don't want to go to bed right away and can ask for "just one more chapter." Reading Nate the Great books out loud is always a treat, especially for the reader willing to do character voices and make the most of the terse, first-person narrative. In this book, Nate encounters Annie and her dog Fang, Rosamond and her cats, and Oliver who follows everybody-including Nate the Great on this case. Again, Marjorie Sharmat makes perfect use of logic and clues, building an intriguing mystery that young minds will ferret out and understand.

The entire Nate the Great series is recommended to younger readers and parents who love reading to their children that might have tired of (or memorized!) all of the rhyming Dr. Seuss books. This series makes a great transition to leap from to Nancy Drew or the Hardy Boys later.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nate the Great and the Monster Mess, December 6, 2006

By	Sophie Cacique Gaul (Austin, Tejas) - See all my reviews

Nate finds a note that had been slid under his door. It's from his mother. She's lost the recipes for her monster cookies. Nate loves those cookies, Strawberry Draculas, Chocolate Frankensteins, Cinnamon Werewolves. Even though Mom doesn't like werewolves, she bakes the cookies for Nate anyway.

It's up to him and his dog sludge to find that recipe. And so they go on the hunt, real detectives them in this learning to read book that, like all the Nate the Great books, is excellent for beginning readers. My girls love it and your children will too.

Sophie Cacique Gaul

5.0 out of 5 stars My son love Nate the great, December 28, 2008

By	C. Churchwell "C.C" (Elgin, SC, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a great book. My son is 6 and loves reading this book and feeling like a detective and he even dresses up and goes on hunts for clues like he is Nate the Great. It is also full of basic sight words, to get kids into reading chapter books. The words are easy, but the pages are longer so kids feel that they are reading harder material.