Children's Fiction Mysteries & Detective Stories
Ghost and Max Monroe, Case #1, The
The Magic Box
- Publisher
- Kids Can Press
- Initial publish date
- Sep 2014
- Category
- Mysteries & Detective Stories, Boys & Men, Horror & Ghost Stories
-
Hardback
- ISBN
- 9781771381536
- Publish Date
- Sep 2014
- List Price
- $12.95
-
Paperback / softback
- ISBN
- 9781771380171
- Publish Date
- Sep 2014
- List Price
- $6.95
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Where to buy it
Out of print
This edition is not currently available in bookstores. Check your local library or search for used copies at Abebooks.
Recommended Age, Grade, and Reading Levels
- Age: 6 to 9
- Grade: 1 to 4
- Reading age: 6 to 9
Description
In this first title in the detective fiction series by L. M. Falcone, ten-year-old Max Monroe is intrigued to discover that the carriage house behind his grandpa's home was once the office of the Monroe Detective Agency. Then he learns the agency had belonged to his grandpa's dead brother, Larry. But Max didn't know he had a great-uncle. “Well, he's dead,” says Grandpa Harry, “but his ghost still haunts the detective agency.” It seems Uncle Larry died of a broken heart because he “never solved one measly case.” However, a surprise phone call from a magician named Marty the Magnificent with an offer of a detective job seems like the second chance Larry has been begging for. Except, Larry is a ghost --- he can't work a case in the real world. But Max can! With Larry's help, of course.
The offbeat idea of a boy detective with a ghost as a sidekick provides this story with lots of opportunities for inside jokes and misunderstandings. This is a terrific chapter book series for newly independent readers who are ready for something more challenging than a first reader, with simple sentences, humorous dialogue and very short chapters, designed to make the reading experience less daunting. The limited black-and-white illustrations (around one per chapter) by Kim Smith provide details that enrich the story. The series provides a great introduction to the mystery genre, perfect for honing critical-thinking and problem-solving skills.
About the authors
L.M. Falcone has worked as a teacher, a private investigator and a screenwriter. Her writing credits include television's popular preteen series Are You Afraid of the Dark?, as well as the novels Walking with the Dead, The Devil, the Banshee and Me and The Midnight Curse. She lives in Toronto.
Kim Smith lives in Calgary, Alberta. This is her first children's book. When not illustrating for children, Kim illustrates comics. Her illustrations have been featured in advertising as well as in two comic collections, The Anthology Project and The Anthology Project, Volume Two. She graduated from the Alberta College of Art and Design in 2008 with a Bachelor of Design specializing in character design.
Editorial Reviews
This beginning chapter book will engage youngsters who like mysteries mixed with silly characters.
School Library Journal
Young investigators will appreciate this accessible mystery, and they'll look forward to the next title, The Missing Zucchini (2014).
Kirkus Reviews
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