Who Stole Uncle Sam? (A Chickadee Court Mystery) - Hardcover

Martha Freeman has written nine books for children and young adults, including "The Trouble with Cats", and the "Chickadee Court" mysteries. Kirkus Reviews praised her First Kids Mystery #1, The Case of the Rock 'n' Roll Dog, for its "Snappy narrative" and called her First Kids Mystery#2, The Case of the Diamond Dog Collar, a "gem." A native of Southern California, she lives in State College, Pennsylvania. Learn more on her website, www.marthafreeman.com.

Grade 4–6—Best friends Alex and Yasmeen once again use their detective skills to unmask a criminal. This time, the book centers around Memorial Day, and the misdeed in question is the kidnapping of an Uncle Sam impersonator who is also Alex's baseball coach and co-owner of a lawn-care business that uses a possibly dangerous chemical. The plot depends mostly on humorous misunderstandings to draw readers into the story, but its most winning feature is Alex's narration, which always sums things up in a funny, kid-friendly way. This fast-paced read packs in quick treatments of deeper topics like environmental terrorism, the Vietnam War, and civil disobedience. An appealing choice for mystery fans.—Emily R. Brown, Providence Public Library, RI
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