The Father Brown Reader: Stories from Chesterton

by Nancy Carpentier Brown, Ted Schluenderfritz (Illustrations), G.K. Chesterton

Four "Father Brown" short story mysteries by G. K. Chesterton adapted for young readers by Nancy Carpentier Brown and illustrated by Ted Schluenderfritz, featuring: A sapphire cross rescued . . . "The Blue Cross" A set of silverware recovered . . . . "The Strange Feet" A trio of diamonds restored . . . . "The Flying Stars" A magician's puzzle solved . . . . "The Absence of Mr. Glass" Recommended for 4th - 5th grade.

Genres: Mystery, Middle Grade, Childrens, Fiction, Short Stories

148 pages, Paperback

First published August 17, 2014

Reviews

[Luann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a huge hit as a read aloud for ages 10-17. Everyone was constantly begging for more.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I heard Nancy Carpentier Brown on the podcast of the Read Aloud Revival. Chesterton can be intimidating as an adult. But he is so creative and such a fabulous writer - and his writings are credited in the journey of C.S. Lewis' conversion to Christianity (say what?) When I heard about adaptations of some of his mysteries I thought that this would even be a great place for ME to start. I was shocked to find them in our local library system...and there was a wait! I got them in hopes that my mystery loving 8 year old would take a liking to them. She's not so sure. I may need to try to reintroduce them at a later time or just leave them lying around the house. Fun, quick, quirky, and sometimes humorous mysteries solved by an observant, well loved, short, Catholic priest.

I love Father Brown. I have the second reader waiting for me at the library. I am not so intimidated by the full set of stories that I have waiting for me on my kindle.

[Bethany Schultz · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great little collection of short Father Brown stories, adapted for younger audiences/readers. I read this aloud to the 4 oldest kids (ages 11, 9, 7, 6) and they very much enjoyed it, always asking for another chapter.

[Bonnie Garrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 8 year old couldn't get enough of this read-aloud.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

My kids and I found these retellings of G.K. Chesterton's Father Browns Mysteries just delightful and intriguing. There were always begging for more.

[Molly Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another enjoyable family read-aloud! I'm guessing the original stories were more clever, but we enjoyed the retellings (even if some of the storylines were a tad confusing for the younger kiddos.)

[Susanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed it and think it would make a good read aloud to my kids. It made me want to read the original Father Brown mysteries.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summer 2025 read-aloud with the kids - these little mysteries kept us all on the edge of our seats!

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read-a-loud book that the kids keep asking me to read. Finished the first story in this book and it was fantastic! (mom enjoyed this better than the original book but makes me want to go back to the original book when we finish this one)...krb 3/9/18

[N-boy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was awesome! Father Brown is a Catholic Priest who solves mysteries. He's after the same thief in the first three mysteries. In the last mystery was to figure out strange noises.

I would like to read the Father Brown Reader II.

[Hollowspine · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun read aloud with my folks, we all enjoyed the shortened adventures with Father Brown, perfect for a short ride, or just light reading before bed. Since I haven't read any of G.K. Chesterton's full works, I'm not completely certain about how true to form Carpentier Brown stays, but it sure felt authentic to me. The word choices and turns of phrase seemed unique and fun, certainly something many ages could enjoy together.

Fans of E. Nesbitt or Roald Dahl would probably enjoy the hijinks and funny events present in each story.

[Evan Hays · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love and have read all of the Father Brown stories. I even have a first edition of a collection of some of them that my father in law got me. So it was really fun to find this as an entry point. He loved them, and I wasn't really expecting that. He does like mysteries, but he doesn't really like to get scared, so I think the joy that pervades Chesterton's stories worked well. The author of this also did well to pick out some of the best stories that aren't murders.

[Cyndy Defnall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great for a read aloud; short chapters. I read this with me 7 year old son and we LOVED it. Before long my 9 year old daughter and grandmother came involved in this read aloud. Father Brown is a such and endearing character and so cleverly curious. You cannot help but to fall in love with the books. I am sure this will be a repeat read. :-)

[Jolie · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 7 year boy and I so enjoyed this book. The stories were short enough to do in one sitting and if we had extra time we could read more. We loved predicting what would happen. The characters were so well developed.

[Alicia Perrin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The kids and I enjoyed the retelling of 4 of the Father Brown stories. Nancy Brown did a good job making these stories accessible for younger readers while still capturing the essence of Chesterton's stories.

[Shana OkieCozyReader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this quick collection of 3 short stories about Father Brown. His clever solving of problems and paying attention when you don’t expect it, is endearing and reminds me of classic mysteries. My son loved reading these also. They are fun and delightful for all ages.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable. Easier than I expected - I know it's written for middle grades, but I'd heard it was more suitable for 6-7 graders. I think Ethan could easily read it, but I'm not sure he'd enjoy it as much as I did.

[Rachel Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this aloud with my older two kids (9 and 11), and it was just perfect. They enjoyed listening and trying to figure out the puzzle - and to see when Father Brown would pop in to the story! After that first story, they were hooked.

[Esther May · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed these simple mysteries. It was a fun book to read with my kids.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so fun!! My kids loved these stories and definitely got them thinking in a new and different way. It was great when they could guess the ending and possibly even be right.

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

We read this aloud as a family. The author has taken the original Father Brown stories and adapted them for children. It was fun.

[Evan Garrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm glad that there are more.It makes you want more.

[Kelli Sanders · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never tire of reading this aloud.

[Marissa The Great · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.8/5.0!

A good beginners mystery

(Review to be written)

[Aimee Spencer-Kruczek · Rating 4 out of 5]

A whimsical read, great mysteries, and excellent sleuthing!

[Matt The Best · Rating 5 out of 5]

Makes me want to read the original

[PottWab Regional Library]

SM

[Congetta · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have never read any Chesterton, so I decided to read this reader aloud to my son. It was a great way to introduce the Father Brown mysteries. We liked that Father Brown is someone that people would always overlook or misunderstand, but he was great at knowing and understanding people and human nature. It also brought up some discussions about Catholicism within Christianity. We also watched some of the Father Brown Mysteries on the BBC.

We will definitely get the second reader in the future.

[Betsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

First reviewed on Redeemed Reader

The Father Brown Reader is a collection of four famous Father Brown stories: “The Blue Cross,” “The Strange Feet,” “The Flying Stars,” and “The Absence of Mr. Glass.” The first three stories feature the famous villain, Flambeau.

“The Blue Cross” shows world famous detective Valentin tracking Flambeau when he notices a short, bumbling priest. His surprise at the end of the story at Father Brown’s subtle cleverness echoes the reader’s similar discovery.

In “The Strange Feet,” Father Brown’s sharp sense of hearing and keen wit discover a crime in progress; his clerical nature allows for Flambeau’s confession and escape (Father Brown never reveals what is said to him in confidence as a priest!).

“The Flying Stars” involves Flambeau once more in what is presumably his final crime. Once more, Father Brown solves the mystery while offering eternal wisdom.

The final story, “The Absence of Mr. Glass,” has Father Brown urging everyone again to look at the facts: How much more interesting the story is than the mere facts!

Father Brown is just as lovable and nuanced in this adaptation as he was in the originals; these four stories are well chosen to provide a nice, round portrait of the wise, humble small priest.

Adapted literary works often suffer from, well, adaptation. Original text, skewered and mangled, results in works that talk down to the young reader or which leave out important philosophical points. Not so in this marvelous collection. Indeed, the length of these stories is not so very different from the length of the original. Slightly simplified language keeps the reading level firmly middle grades. Line drawings and sketches provide young readers with helpful “hooks” on which to hang plot details, and each story is broken up into small chapters, furthering the reader’s ease. Chesterton’s stories are complex affairs, playing with wit and language as much as with plot. These adaptions preserve that complexity nicely and open up the door to a new generation of readers. Many adults find Chesterton difficult reading; they, too, will enjoy these stories.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the old fashioned short story mysteries. This edition was rewritten/adapted for the younger reader. They will make a clever addition to my class library. I may have to read the original Chesterton stories.