The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity (Brixton Brothers, #1)

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The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity (The Brixton Brothers #1)

by Mac Barnett, Adam Rex (Goodreads Author) (Illustrator)

3.85 of 5 stars 3.85 · rating details · 969 ratings · 257 reviews

Steve Brixton always wanted to be a detective... until he found out he already WAS one.

It all starts here: The thrilling story of Steve Bixton's first case. Our hero has a national treasure to recover, a criminal mastermind to unmask, and a social studies report due Monday -- all while on the run from cops, thugs, and secret-agent librarians.

Since when can librarians rappe...more

Hardcover, 192 pages

Published October 6th 2009 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

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May 04, 2011 Ceridwen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Younger Richard

Recommended to Ceridwen by: Tommy Tomato

Shelves: america-and-environs, childrens, detectives

Recently I was hanging out with my friend Liz, who has a son my son's age. We were talking about books for our boys, how hard it is to find books for them. We rattled off the usual suspects: The Magic Tree House Books (Dinosaurs Before Dark is the first, but there are like a million more) which are beloved of teachers for being so educational, and aren't as boring as that would imply; Diary of a Wimpy Kid and sequels, which are beloved of precocious 7-year-olds, but maybe slightly annoying in th...more Recently I was hanging out with my friend Liz, who has a son my son's age. We were talking about books for our boys, how hard it is to find books for them. We rattled off the usual suspects: The Magic Tree House Books (Dinosaurs Before Dark is the first, but there are like a million more) which are beloved of teachers for being so educational, and aren't as boring as that would imply; Diary of a Wimpy Kid and sequels, which are beloved of precocious 7-year-olds, but maybe slightly annoying in their reinforcement of early onset middle-schooler slouchery; Captain Underpants, trashy fun; Franny K. Stein's Crate of Danger, less trashy fun...

Then we sort of ran out of ideas. The problem is that while I occasionally dabble in YA - a genre which seems to be just brimming with interesting stuff these days - I almost never willingly pick up something aimed at 8-12 year olds. Add in the fact that while the boy is reading at an older than 7-year-old level in a nuts-and-bolts linguistic way, he is not actually older than seven, so plenty of things that he can read he can't read. Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, etc, he can read these, but they're just not that interesting because thematically, they're above him.

So, a certain brilliant Tomato I know mailed the boy some books, and I finally started through them. Reading a novel aimed at TEH CHILDREN is still a novel, and requires a commitment of time I am normally resentful of - I could be selfishly reading things about zombies and not engaging with my kids. But yay! This was hilarious fun, and totally worth it.

Steve Brixton is a 12-year-old kid who is obsessed with a series of pulp detective novels for children, which sound like a cross between Encyclopedia Brown and the Hardy Boys. He falls into an entirely ridiculous plot involving a McGuffin Quilt (wink), a place called The Red Herring (wink), and other tomfoolery. Burnett throws in enough winks to amuse me, adult reader, with things like a character description of someone as "a nasty, brutish and short man" and jokes about the word "chum", but he never loses sight of the fact that he's writing for children. It's a tough line to walk, I think, and the world is littered with annoying failures like the later Schrek movies. Burnett isn't playing to me, he's playing to the kids, and that is the best thing about it.

(Also, random thought: I looooooved the Encyclopedia Brown books as a kid - Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective being the first - and my husband and I went into a big reverie about them - how we could never ever solve them, wondering what the heck was up with the weird crown Jughead hat that the nemesis wore. Seriously, what is up with that hat? I told Richard I wanted to time travel back and give him this book - Steve, for example, has a book with a secret compartment in it, a concept which makes Richard's eyes roll back in his head even now. Richard then went on about how he'd use time travel for more lucrative ends, but he is not a book romantic like me.)

Also, the art by Adam Rex is great. I'm already on record as being a ridiculous fan-girl when it comes to Rex - so much so that I drunkenly sent him a friend request here on Goodreads. He graciously accepted, and I'm hoping he's not on often enough to see my embarrassing squee about how much I love his art. (less)

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Jan 10, 2013 Nicole added it

The case of the case of Mistaken Idenity identiy is about a boy named steve brixten and his favorite writer is Mac Bart. I think that is realy cool that steve has a favortie writer because you can read the whole seres or just the one book and know they are good because it is your favortie author. He writes letters to Bart and one day he gets one back form Mac. I was really exited when i heard that he gets a letter because it is so awsome that he got a letter from his favorite author,then he gose...more

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Feb 28, 2013 Pranav Murali rated it 5 of 5 stars

Title: The Case of the Case of Mistaken
Author: Mac Barnett
Genre: Mystery/Adventure
Pages: 179
Date started: Feb 2nd
Date ended: Feb 16th

Steve Brixton has gotten himself into big, BIG, trouble. He’s now on the run from secret-agent librarians. Wait-librarians? Yup, librarians. It all started in the 1700s when Washington was president. He had too many secrets to maintain, and he needed people who were trustworthy. He needed people who were never to be suspected. He needed librarians. He had given a...more

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Feb 25, 2013 Chris rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery, humor, light, j, guys-read

A note was siting on the kitchen counter, illuminated by moonlight. Steve strained to read it:
Steve,
The police say you are in trouble. I am with Rick looking for you. If you're reading this, call my cell phone. The police can help you.
I love you.
Love,
Mom
Steve grabbed a pen from the top of the microwave and turned the paper over. He wrote:
Dear Mom,
I won't be home this weekend because I'm wanted for treason and I have to clear my name. Also, I took the last Sprite from the fridge.
Love,
Steve
Steve p...more A note was siting on the kitchen counter, illuminated by moonlight. Steve strained to read it:
Steve,
The police say you are in trouble. I am with Rick looking for you. If you're reading this, call my cell phone. The police can help you.
I love you.
Love,
Mom
Steve grabbed a pen from the top of the microwave and turned the paper over. He wrote:
Dear Mom,
I won't be home this weekend because I'm wanted for treason and I have to clear my name. Also, I took the last Sprite from the fridge.
Love,
Steve
Steve put the note on the counter, took the last Sprite from the fridge, and tiptoed to the bottom of the stairs. Everything he did, he did quietly--the Librarians could have the place bugged.

Steve was very good at moving silently through his house. He was always sneaking around at home, practicing the Bailey Brothers' methods of stealthy sleuthing.

Steve has read every book in the Bailey Brothers mystery series and constantly studies The Bailey Brothers' Detective Handbook, practicing all the skills that will make him a detective. He's very smart and capable. It's just that the books are very old, which mean his tools and methods are very out of date and that Steve calls his best friend his "chum" and uses other old-fashioned terms and language.

No one notices or cares, though, since much more ludicrous things are afoot. When Steve checks out a library book for his school research assignment, he is arrested by a secret operations team of librarians who accuse him of treason. They say he is working for Mr. E and want to know all of his secrets. Steve has no secrets, but now he's on the run, trying to find Mr. E for the cops and librarians to clear his name.

The height of silly hilariousness, this is a mystery book that has a ton of fun not making much sense. And how could I not rate it well, with this over-the-top pander?

"You see, Steven, Librarians are the most elite, best trained secret force in the United States of America. Probably in the world."

"No way."

"Yes way."

"What about the FBI?"

"Featherweights."

"The CIA?"

Mackintosh snorted. "Don't make me laugh. Those guys can't even dunk a basketball and read a book at the same time. Every Librarian is a highly trained agent. An expert in intelligence, counterintelligence, Boolean searching, and hand-to-hand combat. . . .

"Listen, Steven: Librarians are the guardians of knowledge. And yes, we make sure knowledge is available, gratis, to everyone. 'Just loaning them books,' as you so crudely put it, is an important job." He paused and looked right at Steve. "But it's not the reason we're proficient in seven different kinds of martial arts."

Steve shifted in his seat.

"You see, Steven, some information is so secret that only a highly trained secret-keeper can keep it. United States Librarians make sure America's secrets don't fall in front of the wrong eyes. Trust me, Steven: Librarians are just about the only thing holding this country together."(less)

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Dec 22, 2012 Christina G rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: tweeny-boppers, the-boy-problem, kidstuff

My coworkers and I each chose a genre of books to read and study up on over the next few months, and I chose "books marketed to tween boys." Here's the first one I picked up.

*skip the next two paragraphs if you want to read about the book rather than my feelings on boys and reading*
I have a lot of opinions on the "boys' reading problem" and labeling books as "boy books" or "girl books." People moan about how boys don't read as much as girls, they do worse on reading skills tests, they aren't goi...more My coworkers and I each chose a genre of books to read and study up on over the next few months, and I chose "books marketed to tween boys." Here's the first one I picked up.

*skip the next two paragraphs if you want to read about the book rather than my feelings on boys and reading*
I have a lot of opinions on the "boys' reading problem" and labeling books as "boy books" or "girl books." People moan about how boys don't read as much as girls, they do worse on reading skills tests, they aren't going to college at the same rates, blah blah blah. And that's true, and it's something that needs to be addressed. But a lot of the talk in librarian circles becomes about how we as librarians, educators, parents, and writers are failing boys- "We write/assign/promote too many books with strong female protagonists and romance that boys don't want to read about." I have two objections to that. One is that boys are not delicate little flowers that can only read about boys like themselves - I've seen a ton of boys at my library gush over Babymouse, The Hunger Games, and Coraline. Boys like good books, just like anyone else. And two - the problem seems to be with hegemonic masculinity rather than publishing industry or the educators. People with privilege are so rarely forced to consider the experiences of people who are othered. Why are we catering to that with boys?

BUT it's true that I get a couple of boys or their parents a week coming up to the reference desk, asking for books for reluctant male readers. They've already read the Diary of the Wimpy Kid and Captain Underpants and The Lightning Thief or whatever, and they're desperately looking for something that the kid will actually enjoy. And I will recommend to them the books that are marketed to boys. But I'll also promote the books that are marketed to girls, because who am I to decide what they will or won't like?
*end rant*

But regardless of my feelings on it, I'm going to start reading some books marketed to boys, that I will start recommending to kids regardless of gender.

This one was really great, and I'm definitely going to recommend it to kids in 4th-7th grade who like funny mysteries. It's a fun, fast read that I'm also going to recommend it to librarians, because there are a ton of great jokes about us in here.
(less)

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Dec 06, 2012 Melissa K. marked it as to-read

Steve Brixton always wanted to be a detective, until he found out he was one. Just giving cereal box tops and $1.95 for handling and shipping you get a detective lisence. One day, Steve was given a homework assignment on needlework, though he would have rather written about detectives whom his best chum, Dana got. When Steve goes to the library, he shows the librarian his "detective lisence" and wants to get the book on american needlework, things start to go wrong. The library thinks Steve work...more Steve Brixton always wanted to be a detective, until he found out he was one. Just giving cereal box tops and $1.95 for handling and shipping you get a detective lisence. One day, Steve was given a homework assignment on needlework, though he would have rather written about detectives whom his best chum, Dana got. When Steve goes to the library, he shows the librarian his "detective lisence" and wants to get the book on american needlework, things start to go wrong. The library thinks Steve works for Mr. E, an international criminal. Something got to be interesting with this book, Steve has been chased by librarians, police, a guy who works for Mr. E, and Rick (Steve's mother's boyfriend.) Steve must find a way to get out of this dilemma, otherwise he will be put under bars. Using his Bailey Brother's detective book, Steve manages to escape the librarians and police by hiding in the most unthinkable places, for example, a grandfather clock. Together, Dana and Steve uncover who Mr. E really is and where the quilt was. Want to know who Mr. E actually is? Want to know who stole the quilt? Read the book to find out!
I really liked how the author used a book inside of a book, for example, Mac Barnett put the detective book inside of the actual story. I never knew that librarians would ever become top-secret agents, even in stories because it doeesn't make any sense. Why don't they just have the FBI instead of the librarians? I was surprised that Steve succeeded the mission because all he followed was a detective book. I also really liked how the author uses hilarious quotes, for example, "You see, Steven, Librarians are the most elite, best trained secret force in the United States of America. Probably in the world."
"No way."
"Yes way."
"What about the FBI?"
"Featherweights."
"The CIA?"
Mackintosh snorted. "Don't make me laugh. Those guys can't even dunk a basketball and read a book at the same time.” I really recommend this book to you because it is funny and mysterious.(less)

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Nov 06, 2012 Cameron G. rated it 5 of 5 stars

I recently finished the book, The Brixton Brothers by: Mac Barnett. It is about a young student named Steve Brixton who goes on an in expected adventure. One day, Steve was at the library to check out a quilting book for a school report. He thought that it was just a normal book, but it turns out that it holds all of the government's secrets. When he checked the book out his life changed for ever. Everything went black and he got kidnaped by a bunch of librarians who claimed that they were the n...more

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Nov 02, 2012 Melanie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s-literature, 5th-grade, 6th-grade, mysteries, friends, librarians, quilts, police, books, reading, humorous-stories, mistaken-identity

Twelve-year-old Steve Brixton, like so many 12-year-olds, has a passion. His happens to be the Bailey Brothers detective novels. He has read every single one in the series at least once. He longs to be a dective himself. He's not to bad when it comes to solving riddles and small crimes. For example, when his mother's boyfriend, the police detective, is having trouble figuring out who stole an old lady's jewelry out of her house with no forced entry, Steve is able to deduce that it was a crow. Ju...more

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Nov 02, 2012 Ethan rated it 5 of 5 stars

the title of my book is the case of the case of the mistaken identity. the author of the book is mac Barnett.this book is about a boy who is doing a book report on knitting and goes to the library for a book. when he checked out the book he accidentally gave a brixton brothers card. people started crashing through windows and they captured him. along the book he gets in lots of trouble because everyone thinks he stole the famous thread and they want to get him, he finally finds out who took the...more

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Aug 03, 2011 Heidi rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Ages 8 - 12

Shelves: juv-mystery, series

Steve Brixton, a 12-year-old wanna-be detective, has been studying “The Bailey Brothers’ Detective Handbook” and is a huge fan of the 58 books in the series “Bailey Brothers Mysteries” (a Hardy Boys style series). However, Steve is about to rely on those sleuth skills/tips when he is assigned an essay on early American needlework (not his 1st choice). While checking out the book “An Illustrated History of American Quilting” at the public library, Steve stumbles unknowingly into a mystery about a...more

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Jul 05, 2011 Sophia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-12-bluebonnet-nominee

The boys in my elementary library would not leave this book on the shelves long enough during the school year for me to read it. And when they kept coming in asking me for more like it, I knew I had to read it myself just so I would know what they are looking for!

This book has all the classic elements that boys are looking for in a book -- mystery, detective work, a little humor, and lots of very SHORT cliffhanger chapters that will leave them saying, "OK, just one more chapter!"

The illustration...more

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May 01, 2011 Charlyn Trussell rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Charlyn by: Texas Bluebonnet Award Reading List, 2011-12

Shelves: adventure, detective, fiction, humor, mystery, series, tba

At school, Steve Brixton really wanted to do his report on the subject his chum Dana was given, detectives. Steve's "career" as a detective is modeled upon the Bailey Brothers, a rather hokey fictional duo whose adventures and advice guide Steve. But Steve drew the topic early American needlework and Ms. Gilfeather would NOT let him exchange it. And that's how Steve ended up at the local library researching needlework in a book on quilts that led him to be charged with treason against the U.S. Y...more

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Apr 18, 2011 Jackie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-fiction, criminals, mystery, library, books, humor, quilts, edgar-award-nominee

What do kid detectives, librarians, and quilts have in common? Well...A Brixton Brothers Mystery, of course! The Case of the Case of the Mistaken Identity takes Steve Brixton on an adventure full of fast-paced sleuthing (as Steve's friend, Dana refers to detective work) in the small town of Ocean Park. His teacher, Ms. Gilfeather gives the class a weekend project to research individual topics and write a report for Monday (is she crazy?). Steve picks Early American Needlework out of the hat of t...more

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Nov 28, 2010 Eva Mitnick rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: children, mystery

Steve's faith in the dated, stilted Bailey Brothers novels and handbook to teach him everything he needs to know about detecting is hilarious, both because it's clearly misguided and also because, strangely, everyone he runs across, from criminals to policemen, takes it for granted that he must be a detective, even though Steve himself insists he's just a kid. There's something delightful about adults taking his ludicrous mail-order Bailey Brothers detective license seriously and saying things l...more

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May 10, 2010 Treasa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure, books-for-boys, chapter-books, children, grades-3-5, mystery

Twelve-year-old Steve Brixton has always dreamed of being a detective. He hopes one day to be like the Bailey Brothers, the heroes of his favorite books. When Steve is assigned a topic for an essay, his life gets very strange very quickly. Suddenly he finds himself in the middle of a mystery as the suspected criminal, and he needs to use all those skills he learned from the Bailey Brothers to save himself and the world. Who knew early American needlework could be so interesting?

This book cracked...more

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Apr 12, 2013 Allison rated it 5 of 5 stars

As an adult reader who has read many Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys books, I know that Mac Barnett has done his homework. He respectfully and cleverly pokes fun at the formulaic mysteries that many of us read as kids.

For young readers, Brixton Brothers is fast-paced, clever, fun, and funny. Steve Brixton worships the Bailey Brothers, the young supersleuths who star in the mystery book series that Steve has read over and over again. He has a secret notebook, a magnifying glass, a secret book hiding p...more

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Jan 02, 2013 Lisa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: childrens, mystery

I'm not completely certain, but I'm pretty sure that I read every single one of the original Nancy Drew mystery books when I was in fourth and fifth grade. I longed to crack codes, solve puzzles, and find secret passageways. If you've ever contracted Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew fever, then you'll probably love this book. It's a funny, but kind of sweet story about a boy named Steve Brixton who is obsessed with the Bailey Brothers mystery series (the author's fictional stand-in for the Hardy Boys)....more

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Feb 14, 2010 Michael rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery, read-in-2010

Part Encylopedia Brown, part Hardy Boys homage and parody, the first installment in the Brixton Brothers mystery series is a lot of fun and one of those books that kids will get a kick out of while older readers smile at the jokes and references.

Steve Brixton is an ordinary kid who loves reading the fictional adventures of the Baily Brothers (his favorite is whichever in the 50 plus series he's reading at the time). Steve is assigned a school project to write about the history of quilt making, s...more

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Aug 31, 2011 Nobies57 rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery-ya

Steve Brixton has no brother. In this first book of the Brixton Brothers mystery series you may ask youself why is it called the Brixton Brothers up to the last page which is where Steve will finally answer that question.
Steve is 12 and an avid reader of the Bailey Brother mystery series. He dreams of being a detective and is pretty good at solving mysterious cases. Like the case of the missing diamond, that stumped his mother's boyfriend, Rick, who is a pretty pathetic example of a cop.
In thi...more

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Jan 22, 2013 Jeremy rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review is on the book “The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity” by Mac Barnett. I would recommend this book to readers who like mystery books with humor and non-stop action. This book is now one of my favorite books, but unfortunately it’s one the very few books of its genre. It has many positive traits that make the book very interesting, one of which being its humor. This trait made the book very unique and fun to read. On page 64, when steve was at the police station after being tied...more

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Jan 30, 2011 Eileen Corbett rated it 4 of 5 stars

Twelve year old Steve Brixton is a huge fan of the Bailey Brothers detective series. Although Steve is fascinated by the detective stories he reads, he is surprised to actually find himself in the middle of a real case - a case that involves one of America's most important secrets. Steve discovers he is the main suspect in the case and the only way to clear his name is to solve the mystery himself.

This mystery is filled with suspense and plenty of humor. Those who have read The Hardy Boys series...more

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Mar 11, 2010 Sharon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: humor, juvenile-fiction, cpl-best-of-the-best, mystery

An astonishingly clever, funny, refreshing, and referential little book, creating a wholly new mystery series for kids by deconstructing the very idea of child detectives. Hero Steve Brixton has been obsessed with detecting and the Bailey Brothers child detective series for a long time---he even has his own book box with a secret compartment, a magnifying glass, and a clue notebook. But he's not really a detective---or is he? When at the library on a routine homework assignment to find info. on...more

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May 20, 2012 Tami rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: juvenile-mystery-adventure

I read this as a bedtime story with my kids. The main character, Steve Brixton, is a drop-dead fan of the Bailey Brothers Detective Series of books (kind of like the Hardy Boys—i.e. slightly outdated in terminology and theory). Steve does indeed have a gift for deduction—and proves it by inadvertently solving a baffling crime for his mother’s new boyfriend—a police detective, who dismisses Steve’s theory only to have it proved correct later on.

It firmly held the attention of my 8 & 9 year ol...more

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Mar 16, 2010 S2wilk rated it 2 of 5 stars

Sarah loved it. I didn't. I kept thinking, "Are you kidding me?" "Who would seriously believe this?" In my opinion, if an author wants me to suspend disbelief long enough to read a book, then they have to be convincing. This book wasn't. A character/ hero/ protagonist needs to have some scrap of likeability/ humanity. If the author had said his main character was in 3rd or 4th grade, I might have been willing to go along with it, but in 7th? This kid would be seriously made fun of for being so g...more

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Aug 14, 2011 Amy rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was fun! Sort of Hardy Boys meets Nate the Great meets Leave it to Beaver. Steve (never Steven!) consults his Brixton Brothers (like the Hardy Boys) Detective Handbook for advice on everything. This comes in handy with the Librarians accuse him of trying to steal one of America's great knowledge secrets- a quilt-- from the library. (Because Librarians are more skilled than FBI or CIA agents, didn't you know). Meanwhile, the evil schemer trying to get the quilt, Mr. E (like mystery, get it?)...more

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Jul 22, 2011 Kelly rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2011

I really enjoyed this book, especially the parts with the librarians. I always knew that librarians were awesome (I am one, after all), but I never realized that librarians were the "most elite, best trained secret force in the United States of America. Probably the world." Cool.

This first offering in the Brixton Brothers series is great for kids who love mysteries with a bit of humor. Steve Brixton falls prey to every private detective stereotype there is, but he still manages to solve a couple...more

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Mar 03, 2011 Miss Pippi the Librarian rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adolescent-audio-adventures

Men in black rappel from the ceiling while a sinister man reaches through a bookshelf to capture a young man reading a book. That's just the cover! Writer, Mac Barnett, weaves an amazing story about a young man named Steve Brixton who lives and breathes sleuthing. Steve adores the Bailey Brothers Mysteries series and works on becoming a detective just like his literary heroes. As luck would have it, Steve stumbles into a whopper of a mystery by visiting the library to checkout a book for his soc...more

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Oct 22, 2011 Grace rated it 4 of 5 stars

Steve Brixton is the ultimate Bailey Brothers fan. He's read all the books, and he has learned everything about being a detective by reading the Bailey Brothers guidebook. When his class has to do a report about a different topic, he gets assigned to the most boring topic ever. The History of America's Quilts. He takes a book out of the library to help him with his report, but suddenly, he finds himself being chased by Librarians. They think that Steve is working with someone that wants to sell...more

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Aug 24, 2010 Robin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s-lit-mystery

Another listen on our recent family vacation. A good storyteller, Arte Johnson, brings excitement to already thrilling material here. Twelve year old Steve Brixton is a detective (whether he is willing to admit it or not) who has studied the Bailey Brothers Detective novels (seem to be very close to the Hardy Boys) to an intense degree. He displays powers of observation that rival Sherlock Holmes and becomes involved in a mystery regarding a quilt that holds America's most important secrets. Wor...more

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Nov 29, 2009 Bobby rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure, humor, mystery

Steve Brixton is obsessed with the Hardy Boys-like mystery series, The Bailey Brothers. He wants to become a detective because of the books, taking many of the books' sleuthing tips to heart. Unfortunately those skills aren't the most useful when Steve, because of a case of mistaken identity, is thrust in the middle of a battle for a coded quilt, which a group of librarians, among others, are after.

A fun and funny homage to those slightly cheesy mystery series of yore. Steve and his attempts of...more

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About Mac Barnett

Born to non-farmers in a California farming community, Mac now lives near San Francisco. He's on the board of directors of 826LA, a nonprofit writing center for students in Los Angeles, and he founded the Echo Park Time Travel Mart, a convenience store for time travelers.

More about Mac Barnett...

Books by Mac Barnett

Oh No!: Or How My Science Project Destroyed the World

Billy Twitters and His Blue Whale Problem

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Quotes from The Case of the Case o...

“He checked out his surrounding. More books. A drinking fountain. A poster showing a guy slam-dunking a basketball with one hand and holding a book in the other, urging kids to READ! Weird, thought Steve. How can he even see the hoop?

...

You see, Steven, Librarians are the most elite, best trained secret force in the United States of America. Probably in the world."
"No way."
"Yes way."
"What about the FBI?"
"Featherweights."
"The CIA?"
Mackintosh snorted. "Don't make me laugh. Those guys can't even dunk a basketball andd read a book at the same time.” — 10 people liked it

“Dear Mom,
I won't be home this weekend because I'm wanted for treason and I have to clear my name. Also, I took the last Sprite from the fridge.
Love, Steve” — 5 people liked it

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6281385-the-case-of-the-case-of-mistaken-identity?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1344395780l/6281385.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6281385-the-case-of-the-case-of-mistaken-identity?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity by Mac Barnett[/url]

The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity (The Brixton Brothers #1)

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