• Age: 10 to 12
• Grade: 4
• Reading age: 7 to 12

What keeps Marty Chan's mysteries fresh is his positive sense of humour and his ability to get inside a child's mind. This remains true for the latest offering, The Mystery of the Mad Science Teacher.

The plot once again seems straightforward: When Trina's bicycle is stolen, Marty and Remi gear up to solve the case. Once they start their investigation they are both surprised and perplexed that the evidence leads them to the doorstep of their new elementary school teacher. The problem of the confrontation ensues as Mr E seems to be quite resourceful as an opponent and the new girl at school, Ida, lends additional energy to foil their attempts to catch the school kleptomaniac.

To add additional depth to the action, Marty discovers that he and Remi share the same feelings toward Trina and then finds out that Trina likes him, a fact he must hide from Remi at all costs because he cannot risk losing him as his best friend.

Who would think that life as a young solver of mysteries could suddenly get so complicated? But for Marty, friendship, loyalty, and trust suddenly seem less straightforward when the mystery of girls is involved.

Raised in Morinville—a small town north of Edmonton, Alberta—Marty Chan is a playwright, radio writer, television story editor, and young adult author. Marty graduated from the University of Alberta in 1989 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree (English major/drama minor). He fell into improv comedy when he joined Edmonton Theatresports, but his paralyzing stage fright resulted in ”penguin arm“ acting, forcing him to abandon performing and take up writing. His signature play, Mom, Dad, I’m Living With A White Girl, has been produced across Canada, published three times, and broadcast as a radio drama. The stage play won an Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Award for Best New Work and the Adams Chinese Theatre Award at Harvard University. In October 2004, the play had a successful Off Broadway run in New York. Marty was a regular contributor to CBC Radio Edmonton from 1994 to 2000. His weekly commentary series, ”The Dim Sum Diaries,“ recounted his misadventures as the only Chinese kid in a small prairie town. These weekly commentaries were adapted into a half-hour television program (The Orange Seed Myth) which won a Gold Medal for Best Television Pilot at the Charleston World Film and Television Festival, and earned Marty a Gemini nomination for best writing in a children’s program. In 2004, Thistledown Press launched Marty’s first young adult novel, The Mystery of the Frozen Brains, which has become a hit with young readers across Canada. Resource Links magazine rated listed it as one of the Best Books of 2004 for grades 3 to 6. Marty was the first playwright in residence at the Citadel Theatre. He also served as the chair of the Edmonton Arts Council and taught playwriting at the U of A. He received an Arts Achievement Award and a Performance Award from the City of Edmonton. He also earned a Horizon Award from the university for his contributions to theatre. Currently, Marty resides in Edmonton with his wife Michelle and their two cats, Buddy and Max.

Marty Chan's profile page

The Mystery of the Mad Science Teacher