Ron Roy has been writing books for children since 1974. He is the author of dozens of books, including the popular A to Z Mysteries®, Calendar Mysteries, and Capital Mysteries. When not working on a new book, Ron likes to teach tricks to his dog Pal, play poker with friends, travel, and read thrilling mystery books.
This was the third book we've read in this series after The Missing Mummy and The Absent Author. While my boys really enjoyed the first two, this one was either to old for them (5 and 3) or not as interesting. There were a lot of terms we needed to explain in this book, mostly nautical like "yacht," "dinghy," "foresail," "bow," and others related the fictional country this took place in. There were also about four suspects for a gold theft which were too many for our kids to keep track of.
As adults, I didn't find this one particularly satisfying either. It takes a few chapters before any theft happens, and even when it does we don't have a lot of experience where it's taking place so it's hard to figure out any clues. The big reveal in this book for who stole the gold doesn't come until the end of chapter 8, and there weren't really any good clues for the kids to figure it out ahead of then. Whereas most of these books we've gotten through in about 5 days, this one took us a few weeks to get the patience to sit through. Maybe they'll like it better when they're older.
This is Jace’s favorite childhood book and he just found it in his kid-box from when his parents moved 🥹. He wanted to see how fast I could read it 😂. It was honestly a decent mystery for a kids book! We will have to read it with our kids someday
In this book, Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose visit their friend Sammi. He is the prince of Costra. Costra is an island that has a castle and Sammi lives in the castle. One day they hear an alarm from the bank. Sammi goes to see and they go inside and there is a big tunnel that someone dug and there was a broken tile. Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose look in the tunnel and they found a note that said "I did it" but that was not true. Really somebody else did it. At the end they find out who.
I love buying and reading these types of books. Boats, yachts, historical events and books about the sea are generally excellent. If there are sequels in your series, I would love to read them.
The beauties of owning the books of important authors cannot be discussed. I'm looking forward to your new books.
For friends who want to read this book, I leave the importance of reading a book here. I wish good luck to the sellers and customers...
Top 10 benefits of reading for all ages:
1. Reading Exercises the Brain
As we read, we need to remember the different characters and settings of a particular story. Even if you enjoy reading a book in one sitting, you need to remember the details during the time you devote to reading the book. Therefore, reading is an exercise for your brain that improves memory function.
2. Reading Is a (free) Form of Entertainment
Did you know that most of the popular TV series and movies are based on books? So why not indulge in the original form of entertainment by immersing yourself in reading? Most importantly, it's free with your Markham Public Library card.
3. Reading Improves Concentration and Focus
We all agree that there can be no reading without focus, and we need to concentrate on every page we read to fully understand the story. In a world where gadgets only speed up and shorten our attention span, we must constantly practice concentration and focus. Reading is one of the few activities that requires your undivided attention, so it improves your ability to concentrate.
4. Reading Improves Literacy
Have you ever read a book where you come across a word you don't know? Books have the power to improve your vocabulary by introducing you to new words. The more you read, the more your vocabulary will improve as well as your ability to communicate effectively. Also, reading improves writing skills by helping the reader understand and learn different writing styles.
5. Reading Improves Sleep
By creating a bedtime routine that includes reading, you can signal to your body that it's time to sleep. Now more than ever, we rely on increased screen time to get through the day. That's why you put your phone away and pick up a book and tell your brain it's time to calm down. Also, since reading helps you relieve stress, reading right before bed helps calm your mind and anxiety and improve your sleep quality.
6. Reading Increases General Knowledge
Books are always full of fun and interesting facts. Whether we read fiction or non-fiction, books have the ability to provide us with information we might not otherwise know. Reading various topics can make you a more knowledgeable person and therefore improve your speaking skills.
7. Reading Is Motivating
By reading books about heroes overcoming adversity, we are often encouraged to do the same. Whether it's a romance novel or a self-help book, the right book can motivate you to never give up and stay positive.
15hrs in a small jet? With enough fuel? With no time zone jump?
Whoever was gifted the traditional outfit did not bring it to wear.
Why now? Why with the week of the king and queen missing, of all this time, is it the birthday weekend with the MC trio that the crime occurs? And why is there no public birthday celebration? Or even friends to invite other than foreigners?
The police spoke English, too many characters defaulted to it. The children totally contaminated a crime scene and disturbed evidence before the police could even look. Come to think of it, as this series has progressed the trio has given less care or respect to not contaminating scenes or chain of custody.
This series of books (okay, we started at Y, not A) came to me via my eight year old daughter. She knows I love a good mystery, and accurately predicted I'd enjoy this story. Perfect for an elementary school child, it is a quick read with just the right "who done it" twist. I was impressed by the scope of vocabulary it contained: lots of words related to sailing, scuba diving, and all things fish.
We've already request A - The Absent Author from our library.
Read these books when I was a kid and greatly enjoyed them, figured I'd give them a second read for kicks.
I certainly recommend any young mysteries fan devote time to this series, it's certainly a grand adventure for a young mind, the imagery of Ron Roy's words and his settings and unique character descriptions and personalities really help kids imagine a whole movie in their heads as they read each exciting page.
As always, the book features good friendships and good child-adult relationships. Since Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose go to the small, made-up country of Costra, I would have liked more variety between Costra's foods and customs and America's. Overall though, I enjoyed the story and think it's a good read for 1st and 2nd graders.
I read this to my six year old daughter in one sitting. I thought the plot was slightly more complex than other books on the series, which made it more interesting to me.
The kids travel to an imaginary country. I wish they went to a real place to squeeze in a little geography lesson. But the fake country works for the story.
Dink, Josh , and Ruth Rose visit their friend, Sammi, in his country. While there they do some snorkeling, attend a magical birthday party, and do some sleuthing. They help uncover the theft of the king's gold.
I can't believe we're almost done with the A-Z Mysteries, it's been fun for our family to read together. We plan on reading then Calendar Mysteries as well as the Capitol Mysteries.
This is another great kids’ mystery. The kids are in a small foreign country visiting a friend and the bank is robbed. I like the reasoning skills that are shown as the kids solve the mystery. Good stuff as usual.
I have never heard a chorus of "OHHHHH" so loud as I did when chapter 10 explained the green stripe clue 🤣 pretty sure the only book my kiddos have enjoyed more this year was haunted hotel. They loved this one!