Dirk Bones and the Mystery of the Missing Books (I Can Read Book 1)
Kindergarten-Grade 2&mdash;Dirk Bones, skeletal investigative reporter forThe Ghostly Tombs, is interviewing author Edgar Bleek (a blue-skinned Frankenstein look-alike) when it is discovered that the only copy of his unreleased new book is missing. Bones and Bleek search everywhere but turn up only an unusual spotted leaf. Bones hurries to the Ghostly Library to research the origin of the leaf. He learns from the librarian that more Bleek books are missing, and he recovers a second spotted leaf from the scene. Sure that he has a valuable clue, the reporter hastens through the Green Lagoon toward the bookstore&mdash;and the source of the suspicious spotted leaves. Dirk Bones and the other ghastly inhabitants of Ghostly are fresh and attractive characters who will appeal to youngsters who enjoy slightly "spooky" books. Little touches, like the spiders reading in the library and the gleaming eyes along the shelves, will not go unappreciated. The book's design has the comfort of beginning readers in mind, and the simple sentences and dialogue are clear and well supported. This is an all-around fun read with much of the suspense of a mystery, but with a more satisfying ending than many such books.&mdash;Neala Arnold, St. Francis Elementary School, MNCopyright &copy; Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.