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Hardy Boys: Clues Brothers #5
The Dinosaur Disaster
A master of special effects brings an exhibit of dinosaur movie models to Bayport Elementary only to find that the best of all--an iguanodon--is missing, leaving Frank and Joe Hardy with a monster of a mystery. Original.
80 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 1998
About the author
Franklin W. Dixon
963 books1,018 followersFranklin W. Dixon is the pen name used by a variety of different authors who were part of a team that wrote The Hardy Boys novels for the Stratemeyer Syndicate (now owned by Simon & Schuster). Dixon was also the writer attributed for the Ted Scott Flying Stories series, published by Grosset & Dunlap.
Canadian author Leslie McFarlane is believed to have written the first sixteen Hardy Boys books, but worked to a detailed plot and character outline for each story. The outlines are believed to have originated with Edward Stratemeyer, with later books outlined by his daughters Edna C. Squier and Harriet Stratemeyer Adams. Edward and Harriet also edited all books in the series through the mid-1960s. Other writers of the original books include MacFarlane's wife Amy, John Button, Andrew E. Svenson, and Adams herself; most of the outlines were done by Adams and Svenson. A number of other writers and editors were recruited to revise the outlines and update the texts in line with a more modern sensibility, starting in the late 1950s.
The principal author for the Ted Scott books was John W. Duffield.
Canadian author Leslie McFarlane is believed to have written the first sixteen Hardy Boys books, but worked to a detailed plot and character outline for each story. The outlines are believed to have originated with Edward Stratemeyer, with later books outlined by his daughters Edna C. Squier and Harriet Stratemeyer Adams. Edward and Harriet also edited all books in the series through the mid-1960s. Other writers of the original books include MacFarlane's wife Amy, John Button, Andrew E. Svenson, and Adams herself; most of the outlines were done by Adams and Svenson. A number of other writers and editors were recruited to revise the outlines and update the texts in line with a more modern sensibility, starting in the late 1950s.
The principal author for the Ted Scott books was John W. Duffield.
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Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review
November 19, 2020
You need to take creative privilege's when the very iconic characters are about ten years younger than everyone knows them as. What worked and what didn't.
Cover
I do like this cover. It's pretty risky how they've made the Hardy Boys rebrand into The Clues Brothers. This cover doesn't scream Hardy Boys Mysteries but it is interesting. With the theme of Dinosaurs we have toys, wall paper, bedsheets and framed picture on the cover to encourage this theme. Also why did they just use a cropped image of the cover on the back? Makes no sense and doesn't add anything. Using the classic Hardy Boy image would have made a ton more sense.
Interior
Story
Over all the story is great. But I do have some reservations. Within the first ten pages a lot of characters are thrown at you. Thankfully some familiar faces such as Chet, Biff, and Tony but also adding new friends by name really started bogging down the beginning of the story.
I actually have some reservations with the introduction to Tanya. To me she felt more like a fan made character than a character from this universe. She seems overly tough and really she disappears half way through the book for no apparent reason.
The biggest risk in this book is their age. I have to say keeping them young you actually see a different side of these characters as they play basketball, doing school and overall being a child to the point solving mysteries is more of a side passion project than being an Encyclopedia Brown dedication.
Also I have to admit with them just being kids they aren't playing an A Game performance. Chet literally admits to trying to create a distraction to pull a suspects attention away from his room right in front of their suspect. Kid mistakes that really hit home your not reading about their latter years and it adds a nice touch to the story.
Their over suspicion of everyone did start getting to me with how the Dino model could be anywhere. I was having flashback to The Bobbsey Twins' Search for the Green Rooster with the amount of over the top suspicion and accusations they had for everyone.
With that begin said they really start with no suspects and spend the whole book picking one suspect after another because of how the clues are laid out.
The end resolution is a touch of a let down but understandable and a bit creative. I would say it's not bad as a mystery great for little kids starting to read.
Illustrations
I really like the illustrations and they are very reminiscent to the original series.
After thought
I'm sorry I have to ask Why does the symbol have two disembodied eyeballs? It's creepy.
Also MRS HARDY IS ALIVE? I need to go back to the classics to confirm but Mrs. Hardy is present in this series.
Cover
I do like this cover. It's pretty risky how they've made the Hardy Boys rebrand into The Clues Brothers. This cover doesn't scream Hardy Boys Mysteries but it is interesting. With the theme of Dinosaurs we have toys, wall paper, bedsheets and framed picture on the cover to encourage this theme. Also why did they just use a cropped image of the cover on the back? Makes no sense and doesn't add anything. Using the classic Hardy Boy image would have made a ton more sense.
Interior
Story
Over all the story is great. But I do have some reservations. Within the first ten pages a lot of characters are thrown at you. Thankfully some familiar faces such as Chet, Biff, and Tony but also adding new friends by name really started bogging down the beginning of the story.
I actually have some reservations with the introduction to Tanya. To me she felt more like a fan made character than a character from this universe. She seems overly tough and really she disappears half way through the book for no apparent reason.
The biggest risk in this book is their age. I have to say keeping them young you actually see a different side of these characters as they play basketball, doing school and overall being a child to the point solving mysteries is more of a side passion project than being an Encyclopedia Brown dedication.
Also I have to admit with them just being kids they aren't playing an A Game performance. Chet literally admits to trying to create a distraction to pull a suspects attention away from his room right in front of their suspect. Kid mistakes that really hit home your not reading about their latter years and it adds a nice touch to the story.
Their over suspicion of everyone did start getting to me with how the Dino model could be anywhere. I was having flashback to The Bobbsey Twins' Search for the Green Rooster with the amount of over the top suspicion and accusations they had for everyone.
With that begin said they really start with no suspects and spend the whole book picking one suspect after another because of how the clues are laid out.
The end resolution is a touch of a let down but understandable and a bit creative. I would say it's not bad as a mystery great for little kids starting to read.
Illustrations
I really like the illustrations and they are very reminiscent to the original series.
After thought
I'm sorry I have to ask Why does the symbol have two disembodied eyeballs? It's creepy.
Also MRS HARDY IS ALIVE? I need to go back to the classics to confirm but Mrs. Hardy is present in this series.
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review