Something's Fishy, Hazel Green

Hazel Green #2

by Odo Hirsch

Every year Mr. Petrusca-the best fishmonger in town-finds the biggest lobsters for one of his very best customers, Mr. Trimble. But when a thief steals the two splendid lobsters, Mr. Petrusca is more upset than anyone can understand. Hazel Green knows there's something fishy going on, but what could it be? Through clever sleuthing, guesswork, and observation, Hazel discovers that Mr. Petrusca can't read. Hazel promises not to tell anyone, and she finally solves the mystery without giving away Mr. Pertrusca's secret. But will catching the thief solve all of the problems that this fishy mystery has created?

Genres: Childrens, Fiction, Adventure

208 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Odo Hirsch was born and grew up in Melbourne, where he trained to be a doctor. He now lives in London and writes excellent books that are published not only in Australia but also in the US, UK, Netherlands, Korea, Germany, and Italy.

For more information, please see http://www.answers.com/topic/odo-hirsch

Reviews

[Paula Vince · Rating 5 out of 5]

In many ways, this is my family's favourite of the four Hazel Green novels. The tightly-woven plot is a perfect vehicle for the mixture of hilarity and sensitivity.

Hazel enjoys watching Mr Petrusca, the cheerful fishmonger, fatten up two enormous lobsters for a prized customer, Mr Trimbel. When a thief nicks off with the lobsters and leaves a note in code on their tank, poor Mr Petrusca is more devastated than anybody would expect. It sends him into a tailspin of such deep despair, his indignant friend Hazel is determined to track down the robber.

The first matter is cracking the code, and the only person who could possibly help is her bashful but freakishly clever friend Yakov, aka the Yak. Finding out how the strange and funny aspects of the storyline slot together is great fun. Not one scene in this book turns out to be wasted. The reason why Mr Petrusca initially chooses to do nothing about the letter is understandable and thought-provoking. The method Hazel and the Yak use to catch the thief had us in fits of laughter. That person's identity turns out to be as huge a surprise to readers as it was to the two children.

Once again, Hazel's determination to not accept the status quo but stand up for what she knows is right brings closure and relief. You just have to admire this girl's stubborn persistence.

[Leafyseadragon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Odo Hirsch does it again! Now matter how old I get, I love his books. I can picture myself as an old granny toasting my toes in front of the fire and still reading this and laughing at Hazel's and the Yak's - I mean, Yakov's - conversations. Awesome.

[Natalie Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an entertaining and light hearted mystery book, perfect for children of primary school age. The protagonist Hazel may be familiar from the other three books written about her. The plot is simple: surrounding the mysterious theft of some expensive lobsters, but the bond between Hazel and her intelligent friend Yak is endearing and the different parts of the story come together to create a surprisingly interesting adventure.The book is filled with hilarious, slapstick moments and there is a real twist at the end when the culprit is revealed.
Hazel is a true heroine, a determined and feisty female who all children immediately warm to. This book doesn't offer much in the form of discussion or further conversation, but it is very entertaining.

[Rachel Bookish · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book aloud to my 6 year old daughter and 8 year old son. There's not much action in this book, and the kids were restless at times. Hazel has a very mature way of dealing with people and is a good role model, she thinks about how her actions affect others and goes out of her way to help people. My daughter particularly liked this, there's much to admire about Hazel. The story deals with the issue of an adult who cannot read, this prompted a lot of discussion in our household. Overall, it was a good read-aloud and would probably be suitable for thoughtful children 9 year olds and older to read independantly.

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 4 out of 5]

A 1001 CBYMRBYGU.
Something’s fishy at the fishmonger’s shop. Two enormous lobsters, procured for a picky client, have gone missing, with a note left as the only evidence. But what does the note mean? Who has taken the lobsters? And why? A mystery for Hazel Green and her friends to solve.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hazel green lives in an apartment and below her are shops like a fish store, flower shop, and bakery. On the fish shop someone just stole two lobsters which were the owner's prized posessions.In the end they found the thief after they solved a bunch of riddles.

[Tania · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book 5 of 2012.

[Nell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hazel is like a pint-size sleuth in her apartment building, puzzling out her neighbors' strange behaviors, and you can rarely predict the way she will think and how she will act.

[Infamous Sphere · Rating 4 out of 5]

For book week in year 5 I dressed up as one of the lobsters in Something's Fishy, Hazel Green. I made my own costume from cardboard and stockings and painted it a mysterious murky dark green. This kid called Bartek then mansplained lobsters to me, saying that I should be red if I were a lobster. I insisted that because I was a live lobster, I wouldn't be red, because only cooked lobsters are red. Whenever I reread this excellent book I'm reminded of how full of crap Bartek was.

[N · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know that this series is aimed at age 10-12 but it has such important themes and I enjoy the humour and wit.

As far as Hazel could tell, 'antique' seemed to mean any old thing that people didn't want to use anymore. Hazel had some slippers at home that she had a grown out of, and supposed that would make them antiques as well.

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes, I am going through my old collection of Y.A. books and what of it?
As good as I remember it.

[Anna Krjatian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Odo Hirsch's books are magical, kind and with a beautiful moral. The Hazel Green series is no exception. Highly recommend for children and adults alike.

[Mae Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This instalment of the series has a special spot in my heart. The issues around illiteracy, education, and shame, as well as the mystery and codes in the book and the ever endearing Yak and Hazel, make it a delight to me. Children's books sometimes can depict the real world and some of its issues in a more poignant way for their innocence, and this is a prime example.
I wonder if this book is what started my passion for tutoring and teaching.

"...That's exactly why people don't ask for help, because they're frightened others will make fun of them. Hazel, that's one of the worst things any person can ever do to another, to stop them asking for help by making them feel ashamed about needing it. We all need help sometimes- it's never something to be ashamed about." -Mrs Gluck