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Encyclopedia Brown #22
Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Slippery Salamander
1. The Case of the Slippery Salamander
2. The Case of the Banana Burglar
3. The Case of the Dead Cockroach
4. The Case of the Roman-Numeral Robber
5. The Case of the Runway Judge
6. The Case of the Peacock's Egg
7. The Case of the Umpire's Error
8. The Case of the Calculating Kid
9. The Case of the Presidential Auction
10.The Case of the Stolen Surfboard
A new title in the bestselling series about the world's greatest supersleuth in sneakers!
A slippery salamander, a banana burglar, a judge who's run away, and a presidential toothbrush . . . these are just some of the clues that the world's greatest young detective must use to solve 10 all-new mysteries. Young readers can try to solve the cases alongside Encyclopedia--the answers to all the mysteries are in the back of the book.
2. The Case of the Banana Burglar
3. The Case of the Dead Cockroach
4. The Case of the Roman-Numeral Robber
5. The Case of the Runway Judge
6. The Case of the Peacock's Egg
7. The Case of the Umpire's Error
8. The Case of the Calculating Kid
9. The Case of the Presidential Auction
10.The Case of the Stolen Surfboard
A new title in the bestselling series about the world's greatest supersleuth in sneakers!
A slippery salamander, a banana burglar, a judge who's run away, and a presidential toothbrush . . . these are just some of the clues that the world's greatest young detective must use to solve 10 all-new mysteries. Young readers can try to solve the cases alongside Encyclopedia--the answers to all the mysteries are in the back of the book.
96 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
59 people are currently reading
319 people want to read
About the author
Donald J. Sobol
183 books224 followersDonald J. Sobol was an award-winning writer best known for his children's books, especially the Encyclopedia Brown mystery series. Mr. Sobol passed away in July of 2012.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
May 27, 2020
Neo and I enjoy reading these sets of Encyclopedia Brown mysteries, having read many of the books. We quickly read this group of stories, filled with some unique mysteries we can process in a few minutes, connecting with one another as we guess the all but obvious solutions. The kid detective still works his magic in Idaville, USA, keeping the town crime-free and collecting his coins from those who can pay. Encyclopedia helps keep himself from being framed by Bugs Meany, disrupts a fake presidential auction, and foils a watch robbery. These wonderful five-minute mysteries seek to entertain and exercise the brain of both child and adult, but require some keen sleuthing. Neo and I have used them as a before bedtime activity and we are getting much better at piecing the clues together in a timely manner. Young sleuths in the making may want to sharpen their skills with the massive collection of stories.
Neo really likes the stories that keep him thinking. I remember having these stories read to me when I was young as well, helping me want to pass along the tradition. Neo thoroughly enjoys listening to the stories and making an effort to uncover the clues that will help solve the cases. He mentioned that these are perfect stories for parent-child reading, but would be great for a good reader when they have time or are on a road trip. A note to parents: the stories are dated (even as they author writes in the 1990s) and some of the terminology or word choices might not be as correct as you would like your young reader to use on a daily basis.
Did you know Neo’s has his own GR account for reviews? Check him out: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1...
Neo really likes the stories that keep him thinking. I remember having these stories read to me when I was young as well, helping me want to pass along the tradition. Neo thoroughly enjoys listening to the stories and making an effort to uncover the clues that will help solve the cases. He mentioned that these are perfect stories for parent-child reading, but would be great for a good reader when they have time or are on a road trip. A note to parents: the stories are dated (even as they author writes in the 1990s) and some of the terminology or word choices might not be as correct as you would like your young reader to use on a daily basis.
Did you know Neo’s has his own GR account for reviews? Check him out: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1...
May 27, 2020
My dad and I enjoy reading these sets of Encyclopedia Brown mysteries, having read many of the books. We quickly read this group of stories, filled with some unique mysteries we can process in a few minutes, connecting with one another as we guess the all but obvious solutions. The kid detective still works his magic in Idaville, USA, keeping the town crime-free and collecting his coins from those who can pay. Encyclopedia helps keep himself from being framed by Bugs Meany, disrupts a fake presidential auction, and foils a watch robbery. These wonderful five-minute mysteries seek to entertain and exercise the brain of both child and adult, but require some keen sleuthing. We have used them as a before bedtime activity and we are getting much better at piecing the clues together in a timely manner. Young sleuths in the making may want to sharpen their skills with the massive collection of stories.
I really like the stories that keep him thinking. My dad remembers having these stories read to him when he was young, helping to pass along the tradition. I enjoys listening to the stories and making an effort to uncover the clues that will help solve the cases. These are perfect stories for parent-child reading, but would be great for a good reader when they have time or are on a road trip. A note to parents: the stories are dated (even as they author writes in the 1990s) and some of the terminology or word choices might not be as correct as you would like your young reader to use on a daily basis.
I really like the stories that keep him thinking. My dad remembers having these stories read to him when he was young, helping to pass along the tradition. I enjoys listening to the stories and making an effort to uncover the clues that will help solve the cases. These are perfect stories for parent-child reading, but would be great for a good reader when they have time or are on a road trip. A note to parents: the stories are dated (even as they author writes in the 1990s) and some of the terminology or word choices might not be as correct as you would like your young reader to use on a daily basis.
July 24, 2020
Imo, not one of the strongest entries. Too much reliance on those encyclopedic facts, some of which would not be in an encyclopedia. I prefer when the puzzles are more logical, with the necessary clues given in the story. But hey, maybe I'm just feeling bummed because of those that stumped me because I don't know those bits of trivia.
December 11, 2024
I'm TECHNICALLY reviewing the paperback version with the same cover as the hardcover, but I ALSO have this version. They appear to be functionally identical inside, after some changes to the inside front/back covers that aren't really worth mentioning (besides that this green cover edition removes/fails to include the artist's credit OR the red cover version FINALLY includes it—hard to tell which actually came first).
Always a little confused by how many reprints these books have gotten, though. A lot of the cases are horribly dated, like the calculator one! Who uses calculators anymore? (haha just kidding)
It's still strangely comforting how familiar the books are, all the same:
Case 1: Rehash of how Idaville's greatest detective is Police Chief Brown's son Leroy, known to everyone as "Encyclopedia." Case is recounted and solved at 13 Rover Avenue, over dinner.
Case 2: Encyclopedia sets up his detective agency in the garage, putting up his sign advertising his services for 25 cents/day plus expenses (a direct subject of The Onion's ribbing, that this never changes). Case involves Bugs Meany, leader of the gang of bullies called the Tigers. Joke about how they should call themselves the [something else], since they were always [euphemism for causing and/or getting into trouble].
Case 3: Bugs Meany always wants revenge on Encyclopedia but never has the guts to do anything physical, because Sally Kimball—the prettiest girl in Idaville—is the strongest girl in Idaville and can knock Bugs for a loop without breaking a sweat.
Cases 4-10: (assorted other standalone topics)
No doubt I've written this out before and forgotten, but it's fine. It's all kind of the same. Pretty much any review of Encyclopedia Brown I write will be about like this, only difference being if he does something particularly bad—like feed chocolate to a dog—then I have to mention it.
Offhand, the cases in this volume (these volumes?) seem... fine... but I'm not excited about their team being called the Indians. Anyone ever name their team the Caucasians or the Whiteys?
Actually, I don't want to know. Forget I asked.
Recommended for nostalgia... again, this volume isn't BAD, but it feels so dated despite TRYING to be "timeless" that I'd sooner recommend something like a Timmi Tobbson book, which is a little more contemporary and friendlier to read for younger detectives! Depends on the young reader, of course.
Always a little confused by how many reprints these books have gotten, though. A lot of the cases are horribly dated, like the calculator one! Who uses calculators anymore? (haha just kidding)
It's still strangely comforting how familiar the books are, all the same:
Case 1: Rehash of how Idaville's greatest detective is Police Chief Brown's son Leroy, known to everyone as "Encyclopedia." Case is recounted and solved at 13 Rover Avenue, over dinner.
Case 2: Encyclopedia sets up his detective agency in the garage, putting up his sign advertising his services for 25 cents/day plus expenses (a direct subject of The Onion's ribbing, that this never changes). Case involves Bugs Meany, leader of the gang of bullies called the Tigers. Joke about how they should call themselves the [something else], since they were always [euphemism for causing and/or getting into trouble].
Case 3: Bugs Meany always wants revenge on Encyclopedia but never has the guts to do anything physical, because Sally Kimball—the prettiest girl in Idaville—is the strongest girl in Idaville and can knock Bugs for a loop without breaking a sweat.
Cases 4-10: (assorted other standalone topics)
No doubt I've written this out before and forgotten, but it's fine. It's all kind of the same. Pretty much any review of Encyclopedia Brown I write will be about like this, only difference being if he does something particularly bad—like feed chocolate to a dog—then I have to mention it.
Offhand, the cases in this volume (these volumes?) seem... fine... but I'm not excited about their team being called the Indians. Anyone ever name their team the Caucasians or the Whiteys?
Actually, I don't want to know. Forget I asked.
Recommended for nostalgia... again, this volume isn't BAD, but it feels so dated despite TRYING to be "timeless" that I'd sooner recommend something like a Timmi Tobbson book, which is a little more contemporary and friendlier to read for younger detectives! Depends on the young reader, of course.
March 19, 2024
Again, a perfectly fine collection. A couple of stories that fall short, but a couple that stand out. I thought this one was pretty solid.
Slippery Salamander - Takes a bit of knowledge to spot the error, but the stories aren't meant to be obvious. Not bad for the introductory "staring despondently at dinner" story (although the spaghetti instead of soup was a nice touch--don't want to get in a rut).
Banana Burglar - I liked the setup for the story. Pablo's a decent recurring character. The solution didn't work for me, unless I missed something. I figured it out. The story seemed to point to what the answer should be. But it didn't actually seem to give the actual clue, just implying that it may or may not have existed.
Dead Cockroach - Assuming it's true, the solution's pretty good. It's one of those ones that makes you think, "Really? Always?"
Roman-Numeral Robber - A bit of a two-part solution. I knew one part, and I saw the other part. Wasn't aware that I should connect them, but it works better if you do.
Runaway Judge - Yet another "I could just tell you, but I'll leave a cryptic note and hope that you have an insightful ten-year-old on the case who can claim it's closed conclusively based on a hunch" case. Not that I particularly mind them, but they seem implausible.
Peacock's Egg - Another two-part solution, but I got them both this time.
Umpire's Error - My personal favourite. It's somewhat obscure knowledge that, even as a baseball fan for decades, I didn't ever realize. A well-written story that shows you where you should find the clue but then keeps it just out of reach.
Calculating Kid - This one seemed a bit obvious. A disappointing follow-up to the previous story. Maybe a more complicated message could have helped.
Presidential Auction - Really underscores how gullible the people of Idaville are. If they didn't have a fifth grader constantly having their foolish purchases refunded, the majority of the population would be broke.
Stolen Surfboard - Again, some recurring characters. I've come to appreciate that in the series. Not a bad solution, either. If you see it, it's obvious, but a reader could skim by the one necessary detail.
Slippery Salamander - Takes a bit of knowledge to spot the error, but the stories aren't meant to be obvious. Not bad for the introductory "staring despondently at dinner" story (although the spaghetti instead of soup was a nice touch--don't want to get in a rut).
Banana Burglar - I liked the setup for the story. Pablo's a decent recurring character. The solution didn't work for me, unless I missed something. I figured it out. The story seemed to point to what the answer should be. But it didn't actually seem to give the actual clue, just implying that it may or may not have existed.
Dead Cockroach - Assuming it's true, the solution's pretty good. It's one of those ones that makes you think, "Really? Always?"
Roman-Numeral Robber - A bit of a two-part solution. I knew one part, and I saw the other part. Wasn't aware that I should connect them, but it works better if you do.
Runaway Judge - Yet another "I could just tell you, but I'll leave a cryptic note and hope that you have an insightful ten-year-old on the case who can claim it's closed conclusively based on a hunch" case. Not that I particularly mind them, but they seem implausible.
Peacock's Egg - Another two-part solution, but I got them both this time.
Umpire's Error - My personal favourite. It's somewhat obscure knowledge that, even as a baseball fan for decades, I didn't ever realize. A well-written story that shows you where you should find the clue but then keeps it just out of reach.
Calculating Kid - This one seemed a bit obvious. A disappointing follow-up to the previous story. Maybe a more complicated message could have helped.
Presidential Auction - Really underscores how gullible the people of Idaville are. If they didn't have a fifth grader constantly having their foolish purchases refunded, the majority of the population would be broke.
Stolen Surfboard - Again, some recurring characters. I've come to appreciate that in the series. Not a bad solution, either. If you see it, it's obvious, but a reader could skim by the one necessary detail.
September 28, 2021
I found a surprising error in chapter three, "The Case of the Dead Cockroach." A scorpion was entered in Idaville's Annual Insect Race. Encyclopedia never mentions that scorpions are not insects, but are arachnids. He would have noticed this obvious violation of the rules. Nevertheless, Encyclopedia never discussed the issue with his client who was entering a cockroach in the same race.
April 22, 2019
I liked it and I solved some cases and some where a little hard.
June 6, 2020
Encyclopedia is a fun quick read!
March 9, 2021
I wonder how you steal a salamander.
November 10, 2022
Fun puzzle book for an easy read. Definitely looking forward to reading more of these short stories to try and keep my brain firing on all cylinders!
July 1, 2024
Toch de helft van de raadsels kunnen oplossen
August 6, 2024
Another good one - although one story I think is an exception that can't be solved with the information provided!
October 12, 2024
Nice!
November 27, 2016
Usual cast of characters
From my eight year old son -- I really liked the last mystery because the lifeguard yelled at Benny's cousins.
From mom -- this collection of mysteries is clever for young kids. The cast of recurring characters from books to books make these stories easy to fall into while also making them instantly familiar. The mysteries can be silly for adults but my son is enthralled.
From my eight year old son -- I really liked the last mystery because the lifeguard yelled at Benny's cousins.
From mom -- this collection of mysteries is clever for young kids. The cast of recurring characters from books to books make these stories easy to fall into while also making them instantly familiar. The mysteries can be silly for adults but my son is enthralled.
March 6, 2012
In my childhood I read about every one of these books. Over time the stories have run together in my mind, but I still back with a nostalgic satisfaction at those books that fed my curiosity and started filling my head with sometimes meaningless yet sometimes useful facts. I would suggest these books for grade schoolers or for parents to suggest to grade schoolers, though helping them understand that knowledge is power could be dangerous in the wrong hands. :)
February 16, 2014
An EB re-read with my dad.
As always, EB books never fail to make me laugh. Encyclopedia's ridiculous conclusions are so fun, especially those that don't actually prove anything half the time.
As always, EB books never fail to make me laugh. Encyclopedia's ridiculous conclusions are so fun, especially those that don't actually prove anything half the time.
December 12, 2012
Quotes!!"They called themselves the Tigers. They should have called themselves to Tea Bags. They were always getting into hot water." Pg. 9.
Again, this series exercises the brain and leaves you with a smile.
Again, this series exercises the brain and leaves you with a smile.
August 12, 2010
Encyclopedia Brown is good at discovering people who have tried to trick him and steal stuff. He is a boy detective. My favorite chapter in this book was 'The Case of the Dead Cockroach'.
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March 6, 2016Placeholder for re read of Fair Game by Patricia Briggs
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews