Alvin returns in another thrilling adventure in Alvin Fernald, Foreign Trader. This time his “Magnificent Brain” has created the prize winning tasty concoction of "Fernald’s Fireballs" that propels him, his friend Shoie, and his sister Daphne on a whirlwind European tour.
Alvin’s Secret Code is another Bethlehem Books winner. I confess; I polished it off in one day (It helps if you are stuck in an airport for a 2 ½ hour layover without any interruptions). My 8-year-old, Kateri, also polished it off in record time. She was so completely absorbed in it that she read it in two afternoons.
In this fun, mystery story, Alvin, his best friend Shoie, and Alvin’s younger sister combine their talents to unlock a secret message to buried treasure.
Nancy Carpentier Brown’s newest book, The Father Brown Reader: Stories from Chesterton, is an adaptation of four of G.K Chesterton’s Father Brown mysteries. It’s a delightful and captivating read-aloud, as well as a perfect book to hand to a young child to read on his own. The four stories – The Blue Cross, The Strange Feet, The Flying Stars, and The Absence of Mr. Glass – are all easy reads, short enough to read in just one sitting.
As an avid Chestertonian, I am frequently asked which G.K. Chesterton title I recommend for young people to read.
Entertaining detective stories are a significant and oft-overlooked segment of children's literature. They are good for sparking the interest of reluctant readers, encouraging analytical thinking skills and good clean fun. Being a professed fan of Donald Sobol's Encyclopedia Brown series since the age of eight, I was eager to read this title, just reprinted by Bethlehem Books. I wasn't disappointed.