Phoebe Danger, Detective: The Case of the Two-Minute Cough

by Paul Fleischman, Margot Apple (Illustrator)

The first case to come to Phoebe Danger's detective agency involves a priceless cough syrup bottle, a group of Canadian ornithologists, and a shop specializing in Latin American curios.

58 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1983

About the author

Paul Fleischman grew up in Santa Monica, California. The son of well-known children's novelist Sid Fleischman, Paul was in the unique position of having his famous father's books read out loud to him by the author as they were being written. This experience continued throughout his childhood.
Paul followed in his father's footsteps as an author of books for young readers, and in 1982 he released the book "Graven Images", which was awarded a Newbery Honor citation.
In 1988, Paul Fleischman came out with "Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices", an unusually unique collection of poetry from the perspective of insects. This book was awarded the 1989 John Newbery Medal. Factoring in Sid Fleischman's win of the John Newbery Medal in 1987 for his book "The Whipping Boy", Paul and Sid Fleischman became to this day the only father and son authors to both win the John Newbery Medal.

Reviews

[Aura Keaton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since having read a biography on author Paul Fleischman , I thought it appropriate to read one or more of his books. I chose "Phoebe Danger, Detective..." in honor of "May is Mystery Month." This is a short 58-pg young reader for ages 8-10 about two 10-yr-olds who start their own detective agency after having read sleuth books and magazines.

When their first client calls about a missing antique medicine bottle, Phoebe Danger is eager to solve the case! As she drags her pal Dash all over town following various clues, they run into obstacles that lead them to a museum, a hotel, and even a Latin-American Imports shop. Phoebe and Dash never give up even though time is running out as the culprit (hiding in plain sight) tries to derail the investigation.

Although I was slightly annoyed with the "always jumping to conclusions" mindset of Phoebe, I had to remind myself that that's what 10-yr-olds do. Overall, this was an entertaining read.

[JD Waggy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of those books that you see the plot coming a mile away and you're happy to just watch it come closer. Phoebe and her bird-obsessed friend Dash have opened a brand-new detective agency (omitting in their ad that they're 10) and get a case of a lost collector's bottle. The whole of it is super transparent, but the way the kids get to cracking the case and also the way they play off of each other make this a pair I wouldn't mind reading more about; they're very well written in terms of being clearly different characters but not caricatures of either gender or age. Way to be a detective, Phoebe.

[Marfita · Rating 2 out of 5]

What do you do if you're ten years old, have all summer off, and have been reading too many detective stories? You start your own agency, of course. Phoebe and her would-be-twitcher friend Dash investigate the disappearance of a valuable antique bottle of cough medicine from a collector's safe. It was face-paced and silly, but obvious. Where you have more than one collector of any particular item, you have motive - just ask P. G. Wodehouse.