Nate the Great and the Snowy Trail

Nate the Great #7

by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat, Marc Simont (illustrator)

Nate the Great has his work cut out for him. Rosamond has lost his birthday present! But how can Nate find his missing present when Rosamond won't tell him what it is?

Genres: Mystery, Childrens, Chapter Books, Fiction, Picture Books, Juvenile, Mystery Thriller

80 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1982

About the author

Marjorie Weinman Sharmat was an American children's writer. She wrote more than 130 books for children and teens and her books have been translated into several languages. They have won awards including Book of the Year by the Library of Congress or have become selections by the Literary Guild.
Perhaps Sharmat's most popular work features the child detective Nate the Great. He was inspired by and named after her father, who lived to see the first Nate book published. One story, Nate the Great Goes Undercover, was adapted as a made-for-TV movie that won the Los Angeles International Children's Film Festival Award. Sharmat's husband Mitchell Sharmat expanded Nate's storyline by creating Olivia Sharp, his cousin and fellow detective. Husband and wife wrote four Olivia Sharp books published 1989 to 1991. During the 1990s, their son Craig Sharmat (then in his thirties) wrote three Nate books with his mother. In the late 2010s, their other son Andrew Sharmat co-wrote the last two Nate books written while Marjorie Weinman Sharmat was alive. With Marjorie Weinman Sharmat's passing in 2019 Andrew has continued writing the series with Nate the Great and the Earth Day Robot (2021).
In the mid-1980s Sharmat wrote three books published in 1984 and 1985 under the pseudonym Wendy Andrews.
Sharmat also wrote the Sorority Sisters series, eight short novels published in 1986 and 1987. They are romantic fiction with a sense of humor. They are set in a California public high school (day school for ages 14 to 18, approximately).

Reviews

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book because I like mysteries. I did not like this book because I do not like snow footprints in the snow. Snow footprints sometimes get me lost because I usually follow them.

[Jane Maple · Rating 4 out of 5]

As Nate is building a snowman and snowdog, Rosamond comes along and says she lost Nate's birthday gift (despite the fact that Nate's birthday is in July. She says that she was pulling a sled with her four cats and the present and suddenly, while going under a tree, the sled felt lighter and despite going around the sled she couldn't find the gift. She won't tell Nate what the gift was. She visits with Annie (who is building a snow Fang - Fang chases Sludge and he jumps over a large snow pile without leaving a mark) and Claude (who saw Rosamond buy a birthday card and 6 cartons of milk. Nate then goes over to Rosamond and since there is no milk in the fridge says that is his gift, but Rosamond says no she fed it to her cats. Nate goes home has pancakes and figures out the solution based on Sludge's jump and the extra milk. Rosamond bought him a cat (Super Duper Hex) who jumped into the tree thus no marks in the snow.

Extras: Facts on Icicles; Facts on the Trails Cats Leave (paw prints); How Cats Leap; How to Make Ugly Cate Cupcakes; How to make Chocolate Frosting; People who have birthdays on July 12th (Nate's birthday); Who Shares Your Birthday; Cat Jokes

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great series to introduce the mystery genre to kids. Fun, silly & creative.

[Asho · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the third Nate the Great book the girls and I have read recently. The first two we read were both about missing kid artwork, but now I realize that was just a coincidence because this one went in a different direction. It still featured pancakes and the Hexes, though! L (7) and F (3) are really enjoying the Nate the Great series. L just laughs and laughs, especially at Rosamond (and I agree, she is a funny character!). L is also getting much more fluent with her reading. I occasionally toss a shorter page to her to read, and she can read many of these pages completely on her own. She sometimes fights me about reading out loud--I think she just likes to relax during our storytimes, which I understand--but she doesn't usually fight me about these.

[Elizabeth Meadows · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been enjoying several Nate the Great books lately in my search for awesome kid detectives. However, I thought this one needed more resolution. Both Nate and Rosamond should have acted a little more responsibly to decide what would eventually end up happening with the "present" and not just left it there.

[nathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

“How can I find something if I do not know what I am looking for?”

Which way does one look when looking for a clue? Up? Down? All around? Again, Nate the Great is met with how to think about the box. Creativity wins again when looking for clues to a fun mystery that not even a birthday can allow him to escape from his job !

[Kira · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don`t really like it. I generally like mystery books, however I think this one is too confusing and a little too long. I also don't understand some of the words and sentences so I have to ask my friend.

[Ginetta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun children’s book. Cute pictures. In this one Nate goes looking for his strange birthday present his funny, strange friend Rosamond bought him but lost. The problem is, Rosamond won’t tell him what it is.

[Michael Guillot · Rating 3 out of 5]

I half guessed this one, changed my answer and was sure of it, and then got it dead wrong. Ha! I love that Nate HATES cats. Hates 'em! Rosamond was wilding with that gift. I would never. This book is so cozy. I wish I was eating pancakes while it snowed outside!

[Maren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Growing up, I loved reading Nate the Great mysteries and had appreciation for his pancake-loving dog and the cozy weirdness of Rosamund. This one might be my favorite.

[Drusilla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nate the Great books were Benjamin's absolute favorites as a child. However, I just cannot get into reading them to my students.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun book that I read to my grandchildren.

[Villain E · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this one pretty entertaining. Rosamond has a present for Nate which somehow disappears off of the back of her wagon without leaving any extra tracks in the snow.

[Sam Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun early reader chapter book series to introduce “mysteries” to kids! My boys 7 and 5 LOVE these!

[Smars · Rating 4 out of 5]

the humor is there as always and this is what makes me adore the series and rate it highly. but particular mystery wasn't particularly memorable. no matter. I still enjoy taking time reading.

[Bryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not our favorite of The Nate the Great series. Not enough clues for reader to follow.

[Rosa Cline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nate the Great is a little boy and with his dog Sludge solves the neighborhood mysteries, mostly lost things. He follows clues until he solves the case. In this one the neighbor girl has gotten him a very early birthday gift (his birthday isn't until summer but it's still winter)but she looses it on the way to his house. The thing about it is she won't tell him WHAT he's looking for, or how big it is or shape it is etc. The story itself I probably would have given it a 5 star but the way it was written had to much repeatative stuff that had nothing to do with the story itself... like repeating his name over and over again...it was like "okay we get he's Nate the Great" but the story itself was really neat how he followed clues and in the end did find his birthday gift with very little clues to start him with!

[Kaulin · Rating 4 out of 5]

You got 5 right out of 5.
You receive 100 points for this book!

You will not be able to quiz on this book again.

Take a look at the Prizes page to see all the great prizes you can earn with your points from these quizzes!


Right : 1. How did Nate's birthday present get lost?
Right : 2. What was Nate the Great building?
Right : 3. Why did Rosamond think Nate's present was beautiful?
Right : 4. What was the gift Rosamond wanted to give Nate?
Right : 5. What is Nate the Great?

[Mango · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nate the Great books aren't that great. I hated them when I was a kid, yet I would always read them.The endings of the books were always the same, they figured out what or who did it. And where are Nate's parents? They just let their son walk around everywhere and question people. That is very irresponsible of them. Nate the Great books always made me fall asleep and always wasted my time. I would not recommend this book to anyone, especially little kids. If kids want real mystery, they should read Sherlock Homes.

[Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

We listened to this. He loved it--five stars he says, but since this is my goodreads account, my opinion wins. I did get a little annoyed with the reader of the audiobook overemphasizing "I, Nate the Great" repeatedly. It was like a speed bump in the listening experience. Ian was thrilled to read that the author lives in our city.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

School reading! Chapter books already! A fun little mystery (series) about Nate, "supersleuth" who needs to solve the case of his missing Birthday present... even though it is not his Birthday.

I had to re-read the beginning after hearing the second half read to me. I adored the cleverness of the ending & look forward to reading more in this series.

[babyhippoface · Rating 3 out of 5]

This early chapter-book series is very popular among our 2nd graders. Nate is observant, smart, and always solves the mystery.

Personally, I like Rosamond. She's weird and creepy. If I'd known her in real life as a 2nd grader I'd have been scared to death of her.

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nate the Great books are fun, but a little odd. This book is no different, but it's a good book to read aloud and it is good for children to try out their skills at deduction and solving the mystery.

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Dear Mother,
I am going out into the cold world to look for something strange. I will be back.
Love,
Nate the Great"


Rosamond has gotten Nate a strange birthday present, but she lost it on the way to his house and can't find it. Nate is determined to crack this very mysterious case.

[Jeremy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This whole series is ok.... Not great... ok.

I read this, in fact, read this multiple times to my kids. It's not that the book is "bad", I guess I was mostly annoyed by the "nude kid"...... Just weird..... to put "nude kid" into a childrens reading book.....

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked when Nate said the cat was very,very,very fat, it was funny. I liked this book because it was a mistery and I like mysteries. I recommend this book to fourth and fifth graders. My favorite part was when Nate's friend wouldn't tell him what his present was so he couldn't find his present.

[yusi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nate took a strage case from Rosamond.
She lost his birthday present but didn't tell him what it is.
He found a clue from her saying, "Sled felt lighter."
He did not notice her saying "Your present was gone"

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

We had an extra copy of this one and gifted it to a friend who recently had a Nathan of her own.

[Quintae Wyatt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like I said before it's the best book you could ever read

[Sheila · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun Nate the Great story as he sets out to solve another mystery with his sidekick dog.