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Fans of Dav Pilkey's The Adventures of Ook and Glook and Patricia Reilly Giff's ZigZag Kids will flock to this chapter-book mystery series full of slapstick humor and silly situations by the wildly popular Tony Abbott, author of the Secrets of Droon series.
Jeff, Brian, Mara, and Kelly are self-proclaimed goofballs. Since first grade these friends have been solving mystery among their schoolmates etc and now their reputation is expanding.
Rich kid Randall Crandall's horse, Thunder, goes missing and he calls upon the Goofballs to find him. Deciphering the clues that range from a flower delivery truck, a thunderstorm and a horse who's afraid of thunder, leads the Goofballs to recover missing Thunder, the flower-loving horse. In the meantime, they follow a trail of chomped-up flowers, disguise themselves as bushes in a florist shop and spend some time in a house that's bigger than the White House.
Fans of Dav Pilkey's The Adventures of Ook and Glook and Patricia Reilly Giff's ZigZag Kids will flock to this chapter-book mystery series full of slapstick humor and silly situations by the wildly popular Tony Abbott, author of the Secrets of Droon series.
Jeff, Brian, Mara, and Kelly are self-proclaimed goofballs. Since first grade these friends have been solving mystery among their schoolmates etc and now their reputation is expanding.
Rich kid Randall Crandall's horse, Thunder, goes missing and he calls upon the Goofballs to find him. Deciphering the clues that range from a flower delivery truck, a thunderstorm and a horse who's afraid of thunder, leads the Goofballs to recover missing Thunder, the flower-loving horse. In the meantime, they follow a trail of chomped-up flowers, disguise themselves as bushes in a florist shop and spend some time in a house that's bigger than the White House.
Due to publisher restrictions the library cannot purchase additional copies of this title, and we apologize if there is a long waiting list. Be sure to check for other copies, because there may be other editions available.
Due to publisher restrictions the library cannot purchase additional copies of this title, and we apologize if there is a long waiting list. Be sure to check for other copies, because there may be other editions available.
About the Author-
Tony Abbott was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and lived in a small house on top of a hill. There were tons of books in every room (because both of his parents were teachers) and he would say that these books were his first introduction to the world of literature.
He has been a bookseller, a publisher, and a library clerk, but it was only when he began reading bedtime stories to his daughters that the spark of writing finally turned to children's books. Since then, Tony has authored over 85 books for younger readers. He is currently a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, the Yale Center for British Art, and the Creative Writing MFA faculty at Lesley University. He presents writing workshops and seminars to children and adults nationwide. He lives in Trumbull, Connecticut with his wife, two daughters, and a pretty good dog. You can visit him online at www.tonyabbotbooks.com.
Reviews-
December 12, 2011 Abbott (Lunch-Box Dream) treads on silly turf in this launch to the Goofballs early reader series, named for a quartet of aspiring private eyes. The kids are hoping for a new case to crack when narrator Jeff receives a phone call asking the Goofballs for help. Reporting to a palatial home, the four learn that Thunder, a flower-loving pet pony belonging to a boy named Randall Crandall, has disappeared. A visit to a flower shop, disguising themselves as plants, and Thunder’s penchant for pizza all factor into their investigation. Targeting readers who like a lot of humor with their mysteries, Abbott includes a great deal of wordplay and slapstick, and stretches the goofball joke to its limit (Jeff’s dog even barks, “Goof! Goof!”). Madden’s cartoons add to the fun, and Abbott’s clipped, dialogue-driven text is accessible for beginning readers and creates just the hint of a noir atmosphere (“A private eye has to notice everything. You never know what will turn out to be a clue”). The Startling Story of the Stolen Statue pubs simultaneously. Ages 7–9. Agent: Sterling Lord Literistic. Illustrator’s agent: MB Artists.
March 1, 2012
Gr 2-4-The Goofballs are four fourth-grade friends who love a bad pun almost as much as they love a good mystery. Jeff, the group's founder, observes everything and keeps notes in his clue book. Brian builds gadgets. Mara and Kelly specialize in disguises and spotting suspicious behavior. This series opener finds the kids already famous for solving their last case: why pizzas mysteriously appeared all over their small town of Badger Point. Their newest challenge is to find the missing pony belonging to wealthy young Randall Crandall. The chief suspect is Joey Myers, the gang's nemesis since first grade, whom Jeff observes taking out books on horses from the public library the day Thunder disappeared. Mrs. Bookman, the children's librarian, supplies the Goofballs with books and jokes to encourage their sleuthing. The plot moves quickly from clue to clue, enabling readers to test their own powers of deduction. Thunder's disappearance is solved in comic fashion with a nod to the team's previous pizza mystery. The story takes place in an appealing small town and includes four quirky, distinct protagonists; a rival; and a network of caring adults. Bold black, white, and gray illustrations appear on almost every spread. Illustrations also suggest the multiracial makeup of the Goofballs. The humor consists of mostly pratfalls (tumbling into doorways, getting stuck in a chair) and puns ("don't leaf me here"), but early chapter book readers will enjoy this combination of mystery and silliness.-M. Kozikowski, Sachem Public Library, Holbrook, NY
Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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