Salt Water Taffy, vol. 3: The Truth About Dr. True

Salt Water Taffy #3

by Matthew Loux

Eleven-year-old Jack Putnam and his eight-year-old brother Benny are being dragged against their will on a summer-long vacation with their family. And not to somewhere cool like Disney World, but to a little port town in Maine named Chowder Bay, far away from anyplace fun. But what promises to be a very bleak summer quickly becomes a series of exciting adventures in one of the most mysterious places on earth!

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Mystery, Adventure, Graphic Novels Comics, Fantasy, Middle Grade

96 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2009

Reviews

[Rahul Unnikrishnan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read on a lazy afternoon. The artwork is good and there are funny quips from the characters intermittently. The characters of the town and the brothers are likeable. Definitely will reach out for the rest of the books.

[Alyson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a fun series! See http://www.eatreadandbemommy.com/2017... for details.

[Bruce Gargoyle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ten Second Synopsis:
In this third outing for Jack and Benny, forced to spend their summer holiday in tiny Chowder Bay, Maine, the boys stumble across an old bottle and with it, a murder mystery that cuts to the heart of the town. But will they solve the mystery before the townsfolk do something they’ll regret?

This is a fun, quick read for middle graders who like a bit of mystery and adventure in an easy-to-digest package. I hadn’t read the two prior stories in the series, having chosen to start with number three because the blurb sounded more like my cup of tea than the other two stories, but the book works well as a standalone anyway. While I wasn’t overly excited by the story itself – the answers seemed to be provided to the boys via verbose townspeople or excessively helpful spirits rather than through the boys’ endeavours – there is enough adventure here to satisfy middle grade readers looking for a brain-break and a bit of escapism. The book is nicely presented too with the front and back covers bearing vintage-looking ads related to the story and the cartoon style art is eye-catching and easy to read.

[Wayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading books like this make me a better retailer. Sometimes, with so many comics and graphic novels to choose from, quality books fall through the cracks. This book is a perfect example. I've seen these books in Previews magazine, even special ordering them for customers, but never really bothered to read them. As with many books I had to read for the Eisner judging, I was pleasantly surprised.The story revolves around Jack and his brother Benny as they search out the truth about a decade old murder in their small town. A book like this is great for the youngsters , sure, but I really liked it too. I like it enough that I will be ordering the fist two books to sell in the store. One of the most asked questions in my store nowadays comes from parents when they ask what is good for their kids to start reading.The author and artist Matthew Loux has another series too called Sidescrollers. Now I have to check that out too. Highly recommended.Now I have something new to recommend to parents when they come in.

[Samantha · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really enjoying this series up until this installment. This time, Jack and Benny learn a lot about the history of Chowder Bay. The boys are lead to believe that maybe the town's biggest hero isn't quite what he seems and that perhaps the taffy shop's namesake was murdered! The story got pretty unbelieveable for me when the ghosts got involved. The townspeople were so ready to believe whichever ghost was talking at the time instead of doing research. I was hoping a town librarian would play a role in this book, but I was let down. Full of action and continuing great characterization of the two boys, but overall doesn't live up to previous volumes for me.

[J. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have to say I'm pretty disappointed in this issue. The mother gets no part except being a stereotypical nagging mother; she gets no scenes to be real like the others do. I'm also bothered that in 3 volumes, we know even minor characters' names, and we still don't know hers. The storyline falls apart under some close scrutiny. After how good the first two issues are, this one surprised me by being not so great.

[Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the third installment of Jack and Benny, the boys learn a lot of history about their little town. The hero of Chowder Bay may not be all that people think he is, actually he might be a murderer!! When the boys happen upon a bottle that has a trapped spirit, they learn that the spirit may not rest until his murder is avenged. Well that might be harder than it looks as everyone from back then is dead. Will Jack and Benny find the truth or will the "truth" lead them astray??

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

<3

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

My least favorite of the volumes so far because the story isn't as interesting, but it's still a fun series overall and worth a read.

[Cana · Rating 1 out of 5]

Mommy says: Cana does not like this series. She says it's weird.

[Pturingan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful! This whole series is great summer reading for all ages.