Logan has just moved into an old house next to the house where Arthur and his grandmother live. Arthur informs the family that Myrtle Donaldson, the previous owner, had been murdered. Even though Logan's mother disapproves of Arthur's actions and vocabulary, the two thirteen year old boys become friends. They discover that The Magic Forest amusement park is closed for the season and want to 'scope out' the park. During their mission to solve the murder of Mrs. Donaldson, they discover that many of the old attractions at the park are still intact but covered with kudzu vine. Other members of the small town become involved in devious ways. As the boys continue their mission, there are many twists and turns that are unexpected. Do they solve the mystery? Other books by Mary Downing Hahn : Promises to the Dead; The Doll in the Garden; and The Old Willis Place.

Reviewed by: cj

Date read: 11/16/2009

ISBN-10: 054708451X

ISBN-13: 9780547084510

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Living in the town of Chewandswallow was wonderful. All your meals, cooked and ready to eat, rained, snowed, or hailed down from the sky. Each day, the town's people would carry their plates, glasses, and silverware outside to catch whatever the weather served. Sometimes it would rain soup and juice. Other days it would snow mash potatoes and green peas. You never knew what the weather would bring. Each day, the town's Sanitation Department did a remarkable job of cleaning up the leftovers. Life in Chewandswallow was perfect, until one day the weather started to get out of hand. The food falling from the sky started to get larger, heavier, overcooked, or undercooked. A storm of pancakes and maple syrup nearly destroyed the whole town. The Sanitation Department couldn't keep up. So the town's people did the only thing they could do. They made ships out of bread and sailed away to find a new home. After sailing on the open seas for a few days, they finally reached a small town. There, they were welcomed with open arms. Everyone from Chewandswallow was happy with their new lives. However, it did seem odd to them that now they would have to get their meals from the grocery store instead of the sky.

Similar authors: Chris Van Allsburg;

Similar books: The Marshmallow Incident by Judi Barrett Never Take a Shark to the Dentist by Judi Barrett Pickles to Pittsburgh: the sequel to Cloudy with a Chance of Meatball by Judi Barrett Zathura by Chris Van Allsburg

Reviewed by: mb

Date read: 7/1/2011

ISBN-10: 0689707495

ISBN-13: 9780689707490

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Mr. Merlin, the new third grade teacher, used to be a spy. When Amber Lee reveals she received an anonymous letter, Mr. Merlin challenges the class to solve the mystery. Will Noelle and Todd solve the mystery before Amber Lee solves it herself? This first entry in the Third-Grade Detectives series is great for readers new to chapter books who like to solve puzzles.

Similar books: A to Z Mysteries by Ron Roy; Jigsaw Jones Mystery Series by James Preller; Encyclopedia Brown Books by Donald Sobol

Reviewed by: emc

Date read: 9/29/2010

ISBN-10: 068986471X

ISBN-13: 9780689821943

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As a small girl, Birch visited Grandma's and Grandpa's house each summer. She can remember Grandpa talking about his WWII flying days, and how he wished he could fly all the way across the country in his antique Piper Cub. But now that Birch's grandma has died, and Grandpa has decided to sell his plane, and move into a retirement home, it looks like his dream will never be a reality. That is until Birch talks Grandpa into a journey of a lifetime- the two of them fly from South Carolina to California in his beloved Piper Cub. This is a great read for anyone interested in flying antique aircraft.

Reviewed by: sc

Date read: 3/27/2009

ISBN-10: 0440409268

ISBN-13: 9780440409267

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After his father dies fighting in the Civil War, Jacob runs away from home to join his father's old regiment as a drummer boy. On his way, he comes upon two Rebel drummers practicing a call for safe passage on their drums. He observes them, and learns the call, which becomes useful to him later, when his unit takes part in an attack.

Reviewed by: sc

Date read: 4/13/2009

ISBN-10: 0780796543

ISBN-13: 9780780796546

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