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Children's Fiction Mysteries & Detective Stories

Ghost and Max Monroe, Case #3, The

The Dirty Trick

by (author) L.M. Falcone

illustrated by Kim Smith

Publisher
Kids Can Press
Initial publish date
Sep 2015
Category
Mysteries & Detective Stories, Horror & Ghost Stories, Boys & Men
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9781771380195
    Publish Date
    Sep 2015
    List Price
    $6.95
  • Hardback

    ISBN
    9781771381550
    Publish Date
    Sep 2015
    List Price
    $12.95

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Recommended Age, Grade, and Reading Levels

  • Age: 6 to 9
  • Grade: 1 to 4
  • Reading age: 6 to 9

Description

“I really need your help!” said the woman on the phone. “A note has been slipped into my purse. It says, Beware ... a dirty trick!” Max Monroe can't believe Rhonda Remington, his favorite author, is calling the Monroe Detective Agency looking for his help! It's hours before Rhonda competes for a spot in the Mystery Hall of Fame, and she's desperate to find out who wrote the note and what kind of dirty trick they're planning for her big night. Max is thrilled to take her case. He may be only ten years old, but he's a clever detective. And of course he has his partner, Uncle Larry, to help him. Well, as much as an uncle who's a ghost can help!

With funny dialogue and a cast of oddball characters, author L. M. Falcone (a former private investigator herself) continues to delight with this third title in her early chapter book series about a super-talented boy detective who solves cases with the ghost of his uncle Larry. Though having a ghost sidekick that no one else can see creates opportunities for hilarious misunderstandings and mayhem when Max and Uncle Larry are out in public, at its heart, this is a true whodunit. The slowly building storyline allows children to exercise their critical-thinking skills as Max gathers clues and draws up a list of suspects. And the segmented chapters, short sentences and line drawings throughout add to the appeal of this mystery series for newly independent readers.

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.

L.M. Falcone's profile page

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.

Kim Smith's profile page

Awards

  • Winner, Best Books for Kids & Teens, Canadian Children's Book Centre - Canada

Editorial Reviews

Readers ... will enjoy the amusing cast of characters, the witty dialogue, and the mix-ups that inevitably occur when Max talks to a ghost that no one else can see or hear.—Resource Links

A good choice for beginning chapter book readers...—School Library Connection

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