Parachuting Hamsters and Andy Russell

Andy Russell #4

by David A. Adler, Will Hillenbrand (Illustrator)

When Andy and his friend Tamika spend the weekend in the city with Tamika's aunt and uncle, he tries hard to follow all the rules of etiquette during outings to a French restaurant, an art museum, and the ballet, while using his detective skills to solve a mystery involving "parachuting" hamsters.

Genres: Childrens

112 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

David Abraham Adler is an American children's author. He was born in New York City, New York in 1947. He graduated from Queens College in 1968 with a bachelor's degree in economics and education. For the next nine years, he worked as a mathematics teacher for the New York City Board of Education, while taking classes towards a master's degree in marketing, a degree he was awarded by New York University in 1971. In that same year, a question from his then-three-year-old nephew inspired Adler to write his first story, A Little at a Time, subsequently published by Random House in 1976. Adler's next project, a series of math books, drew on his experience as a math teacher. In 1977, he created his most famous character, Cam Jansen, originally featured in Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Stolen Diamonds, which was published that year.

Adler married psychologist Renee Hamada in 1973, and their first child, Michael, was born in 1977. By that time Adler had taken a break from teaching and, while his wife continued her work, he stayed home, took care of Michael, and began a full-time writing career.

Adler's son, Michael S. Adler, is now the co-author of several books with his father, including A Picture Book of Sam Adams, A Picture Book of John Hancock, and A Picture Book of James and Dolly Madison. Another son, Edward, was the inspiration for Adler's Andy Russell series, with the events described in the series loosely based on adventures the Adler family had with Edward's enthusiasm and his pets.

As of November 2008, Adler has three sons and two grandsons. He lives in Woodmere, New York.

(source: Wikipedia)

Reviews

[寿理 宮本 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tamika is the worst sidekick. Sorry. NOBODY confesses (who doesn't already want to) when basically asked, "So, bank robbery, huh?"

(I'm trying to think of a non-spoiler comment, but basically that, the least subtle, "Did you do it?" A brick upside the head is more subtle.)

This was from 2000, but it definitely couldn't happen today the way it did, with closed circuit television in every public building worth its salt. Andy would have been off the hook in minutes! It's also not much of a mystery when there's basically one suspect, but I guess it's the younger reader version of Death Note, and the mystery is how to catch the crook.

Pros: It's apparently the fourth book in the series, but it's definitely readable by itself! Also, pet rescue! (Tom taking in the abused hamsters)

Cons: A little aggravating to read, given the aforementioned bad attempt at grilling the suspect, and... I know I haven't been in a "proper" French restaurant, but Andy's bewilderment aside, not looking where one is walking sounds like exactly the safety hazard that occurs in the story, and probably an OSHA matter.

Recommended for fans of Beezus and Ramona or Henry and Ribsy, since the story is kind of in the same vein (although those tend to be one "adventure" per chapter vs. this is one "big" story).

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great little mystery for boys and girls....

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

LFL find. Amusing, with interesting details about fancy city stuff that I would have loved when I was a child. No need to read earlier entries in the series, but if I do see them I will read them.

[Allie 2]

Andy heads to his friend Tamika's aunts apartment in New York for the weekend. Aunt Mandy believes in proper etiquette and so Andy practices his manners the whole time. When they arrive there are parachuting hamsters coming out of a top window to the apartment complex and Andy and Tamika care for the hamsters and want to find out who did this horrible thing. At first he is reluctant to spend the weekend there, but then likes it. They go to a nice restaurant where the waiter hates Andy, they go to a museum where another boy starts causing problems and tries to get Andy in trouble, and they go to a show. Andy puts clues together and realizes this boy is the one who let the hamsters parachute.

[Cana]

Mommy says: at 8.5yo, she is not interested in this book yet.

[Jacquelyn Suegay · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book was quite awesome. I loved how the hamsters were parachuting.There were buttery spots in the elevator, writing in the stalls , crumbs falling on a lady and parachuting hamsters. I loved it!

[Celeste · Rating 3 out of 5]

An amusing story about two kids trying to prove that a third is a troublemaker. Whole story would have been resolved by talking to a grown up sooner.