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Encyclopedia Brown #12
Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Dead Eagles
Solve some more puzzling mysteries with super sleuth Encyclopedia Brown! Leroy Brown is back in the Encyclopedia Brown series. As Idaville's ten-year-old star detective, Encyclopedia has an uncanny knack for trivia. With his unconventional knowledge, he solves mysteries for the neighborhood kids through his own detective agency. But his dad also happens to be the chief of the Idaville police department, and every night around the dinner table, Encyclopedia helps him solve some of the most baffling crimes. With ten confounding mysteries, not only does Encyclopedia have a chance to solve them, but readers are given all the clues as well and can chime in with their own solutions. Interactive and fun, it's classic Encyclopedia Brown!
“I loved Encyclopedia Brown as a kid.”—Junot Diaz, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
“I loved Encyclopedia Brown as a kid.”—Junot Diaz, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
96 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1975
126 people are currently reading
377 people want to read
About the author
Donald J. Sobol
183 books224 followersDonald J. Sobol was an award-winning writer best known for his children's books, especially the Encyclopedia Brown mystery series. Mr. Sobol passed away in July of 2012.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
April 11, 2020
We realized that we had read this book before we began keeping track. Here is a short review:
Neo and I keep devouring through these sets of Encyclopedia Brown mysteries. Another collection, filled with some wonderful stories we can process in a few minutes, working as a team while guessing the all but obvious solutions. The kid detective still works his magic, mostly in Idaville, USA, keeping the town crime-free and collecting quarters from those who hire him. Encyclopedia solves the death of a number of eagles, sees the Tigers get into quite the brawl, and learns that frogs can sometimes be very odd. These wonderful five-minute mysteries seek to entertain and exercise the brain of both child and adult simultaneously, but require some keen attention. Neo and I have used them as a before bedtime activity and we are getting much better at piecing the clues together in a timely manner. Young sleuths in the making may want to sharpen their skills with the massive collection of stories.
Neo really likes the stories that keep him thinking. I remember having these stories read to me when I was young as well, helping me want to pass along the tradition. Neo thoroughly enjoys listening to the stories and making an effort to uncover the clues that will help solve the cases. He mentioned that these are perfect stories for parent-child reading, but would be great for a good reader when they have time or are on a road trip. A note to parents: the stories are dated (1960s and 70s) and some of the terminology or word choices might not be as correct as you would like your young reader to use on a daily basis.
Did you know Neo’s has his own GR account for reviews? Check him out: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1...
Neo and I keep devouring through these sets of Encyclopedia Brown mysteries. Another collection, filled with some wonderful stories we can process in a few minutes, working as a team while guessing the all but obvious solutions. The kid detective still works his magic, mostly in Idaville, USA, keeping the town crime-free and collecting quarters from those who hire him. Encyclopedia solves the death of a number of eagles, sees the Tigers get into quite the brawl, and learns that frogs can sometimes be very odd. These wonderful five-minute mysteries seek to entertain and exercise the brain of both child and adult simultaneously, but require some keen attention. Neo and I have used them as a before bedtime activity and we are getting much better at piecing the clues together in a timely manner. Young sleuths in the making may want to sharpen their skills with the massive collection of stories.
Neo really likes the stories that keep him thinking. I remember having these stories read to me when I was young as well, helping me want to pass along the tradition. Neo thoroughly enjoys listening to the stories and making an effort to uncover the clues that will help solve the cases. He mentioned that these are perfect stories for parent-child reading, but would be great for a good reader when they have time or are on a road trip. A note to parents: the stories are dated (1960s and 70s) and some of the terminology or word choices might not be as correct as you would like your young reader to use on a daily basis.
Did you know Neo’s has his own GR account for reviews? Check him out: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1...
March 13, 2019
Encyclopedia Brown is not your normal fifth grader. He's a regular Sherlock! And your kids will appreciate the genius way in which he's able to put clues together ... and how you have to turn to the back of the book for the big reveal! It's a clever format that enables you to have a chance at solving the mystery and checking your theory!
Ages: 9 - 13
Cleanliness: The word screwy is used. Golly, Gee Whiz, for Pete's sake, thank heavens and the like are used throughout. There are several town bullies and swindlers. There is usually a fist fight in each book (mostly referring to the time Sally beat up Bugs Meany, the town bully). Mentions hypnotism - it's not real - and a magician. Mentions Halloween and there is a case at a costume party. There is a tipsy guest at the party.
**Like my reviews? I also have hundreds of detailed reports that I offer too. These reports give a complete break-down of everything in the book, so you'll know just how clean it is or isn't. I also have Clean Guides (downloadable PDFs) which enable you to clean up your book before reading it!
Visit my website!
Ages: 9 - 13
Cleanliness: The word screwy is used. Golly, Gee Whiz, for Pete's sake, thank heavens and the like are used throughout. There are several town bullies and swindlers. There is usually a fist fight in each book (mostly referring to the time Sally beat up Bugs Meany, the town bully). Mentions hypnotism - it's not real - and a magician. Mentions Halloween and there is a case at a costume party. There is a tipsy guest at the party.
**Like my reviews? I also have hundreds of detailed reports that I offer too. These reports give a complete break-down of everything in the book, so you'll know just how clean it is or isn't. I also have Clean Guides (downloadable PDFs) which enable you to clean up your book before reading it!
Visit my website!
August 10, 2020
I'm so glad that these have been made available as ebooks. This one is noteworthy because some of the jokey word-play begs to be read aloud to others. And because I came up with answers that worked, but weren't the 'real' ones. pfft
April 11, 2020
We realized we read this book before tracking our reads here!! I blame my dad.
We keep devouring through these sets of Encyclopedia Brown mysteries. Another collection, filled with some stories we can process in a few minutes, working as a team. The kid detective still works his magic, mostly in Idaville, USA, keeping the town crime-free and collecting quarters from those who hire him. Encyclopedia solves the death of a number of eagles, sees the Tigers get into quite the brawl, and learns that frogs can sometimes be very odd. These wonderful five-minute mysteries seek to entertain and exercise the brain of both child and adult simultaneously, but require some keen attention. This is part of my bedtime routine and we are getting much better at piecing the clues together in a timely manner. Young sleuths in the making may want to sharpen their skills with the massive collection of stories.
I like the stories that keep me thinking. I enjoy listening to the stories and make an effort to uncover the clues that will help solve the cases. These are perfect stories for parent-child reading, but would be great for a good reader when they have time or are on a road trip.
We keep devouring through these sets of Encyclopedia Brown mysteries. Another collection, filled with some stories we can process in a few minutes, working as a team. The kid detective still works his magic, mostly in Idaville, USA, keeping the town crime-free and collecting quarters from those who hire him. Encyclopedia solves the death of a number of eagles, sees the Tigers get into quite the brawl, and learns that frogs can sometimes be very odd. These wonderful five-minute mysteries seek to entertain and exercise the brain of both child and adult simultaneously, but require some keen attention. This is part of my bedtime routine and we are getting much better at piecing the clues together in a timely manner. Young sleuths in the making may want to sharpen their skills with the massive collection of stories.
I like the stories that keep me thinking. I enjoy listening to the stories and make an effort to uncover the clues that will help solve the cases. These are perfect stories for parent-child reading, but would be great for a good reader when they have time or are on a road trip.
March 9, 2025
A nostalgia read that surprisingly talks about the importance of gun laws. Written in 75 but felt like a topic of today. I’d forgotten that it was more an anthology of several short mysteries with the solutions in the back.
Through a kids lens I would of ate this up! As an adult I wanted something more meaty, which makes it hard to rate.
Through a kids lens I would of ate this up! As an adult I wanted something more meaty, which makes it hard to rate.
August 6, 2024
I liked when Encyclopedia Brown solved the case of the dead eagle.
January 17, 2021
These are so fun! Although sometimes the answer is really confusing and something I think a lot of people wouldn't ever guess, I had many'a good time trying to figure it out. Encyclopedia and Sally are Very Smart™
December 11, 2017
Good, clean, short stories that make kids think.
March 6, 2016
Thanks to this book, I'm going to start using the expression, "Cut the 'balloon juice'" whenever someone is spewing hot air.
May 2, 2019
It's your average EB book; it's fun but you really have to pay attention to get it without looking at the answers first.
Recommended 9+ for mentions of bullying.
Recommended 9+ for mentions of bullying.
December 11, 2023
A decent collection, but some parts felt a bit dated. Some specific thoughts:
Dead Eagles - Perhaps unfortunately, when you read a bunch of these books back-to-back, you start to see small details jump out. Any small discrepancy from how Sobol usually describes a scene get you thinking that it's probably significant to the solution. That was the case here. A good solution, but it stood out before the case itself became clear.
Hypnotism Lesson - The solution to this one stood out as well, but if you're unaware of the necessary fact, it would be an interesting story and lesson.
Parking Meters - I don't see younger readers being able to solve this. Even when I was in school, film reel projectors were outdated.
Hidden Will - I don't remember most of the stories from this book, but I remember this one. Hard to judge it because I knew the solution, but I also remember enjoying the story as a kid. There was a small but non-essential piece of the solution I forgot, so it was nice to see that attention to detail in Sobol's writing.
Mysterious Thief - Another one that would have felt outdated decades ago.
Old Calendars - A fun story, as it takes place during a big brawl. The solution itself is pretty good as well, but the idea of all of the Tigers being beaten up simultaneously is memorable.
Lightfoot Louie - Should have had this one, but I didn't read closely enough.
Broken Window - I knew the culprit and the clue, but I was just short of putting it all together.
Gasoline Pill - Again, younger readers may find the big clue outdated. I figured it out and was satisfied with the solution. One of those small details that means a lot.
Pantry Door - I like the premise of a frog birthday party, but it shifted away from that. I didn't read this one as closely as I could have. That's two books in a row in which I didn't solve the final case. I'll need to focus more to break that streak.
Dead Eagles - Perhaps unfortunately, when you read a bunch of these books back-to-back, you start to see small details jump out. Any small discrepancy from how Sobol usually describes a scene get you thinking that it's probably significant to the solution. That was the case here. A good solution, but it stood out before the case itself became clear.
Hypnotism Lesson - The solution to this one stood out as well, but if you're unaware of the necessary fact, it would be an interesting story and lesson.
Parking Meters - I don't see younger readers being able to solve this. Even when I was in school, film reel projectors were outdated.
Hidden Will - I don't remember most of the stories from this book, but I remember this one. Hard to judge it because I knew the solution, but I also remember enjoying the story as a kid. There was a small but non-essential piece of the solution I forgot, so it was nice to see that attention to detail in Sobol's writing.
Mysterious Thief - Another one that would have felt outdated decades ago.
Old Calendars - A fun story, as it takes place during a big brawl. The solution itself is pretty good as well, but the idea of all of the Tigers being beaten up simultaneously is memorable.
Lightfoot Louie - Should have had this one, but I didn't read closely enough.
Broken Window - I knew the culprit and the clue, but I was just short of putting it all together.
Gasoline Pill - Again, younger readers may find the big clue outdated. I figured it out and was satisfied with the solution. One of those small details that means a lot.
Pantry Door - I like the premise of a frog birthday party, but it shifted away from that. I didn't read this one as closely as I could have. That's two books in a row in which I didn't solve the final case. I'll need to focus more to break that streak.
June 21, 2025
Cover:
I have this and a reprint, but I'm only reviewing this one since it's the one I'm using as a comparison for the other (which I'll flip through rather than actively read). Other than the updated cover and some slight layout changes, they seem to be identical, though.
The biggest issue is still that Encyclopedia still catches the culprit without any way to enforce it: he might catch somebody in a lie, but there's no way to actually *convict* or even ARREST that person, since he's just ten years old and often there are no adults around, nothing to keep the culprit from changing their story when the adults DO come around. Yet the being caught in a lie is enough for the guilty party to say, "Aw, you got me," and throw themselves in the slammer. If only real life worked that way!
The cases in this volume are... okay. The crimes (other than the dead eagles, which is pretty awful and they "let" the culprit get away with it) are really petty things, dealing with a petty person (Bugs Meany). Also, it's fairly dated, since it involves film—as in a projector—and who even knows what THAT is anymore!
The case about the missing will: Really tenuous clue. I get that it's supposed to be solveable by younger readers, though.
The mysterious thief: Encyclopedia suggests that if they have any leftover pizza after lunch, they can feed the ducks. DO NOT DO THIS. For all that Encyclopedia wanted to help the titular eagles, he sure doesn't care about ducks, huh? (Sally getting on the fact that, for all he knows, Encyclopedia is still a mannerless BOY, though—ha!)
On the whole, good thought exercise, but not GREAT thought exercise.
I have this and a reprint, but I'm only reviewing this one since it's the one I'm using as a comparison for the other (which I'll flip through rather than actively read). Other than the updated cover and some slight layout changes, they seem to be identical, though.
The biggest issue is still that Encyclopedia still catches the culprit without any way to enforce it: he might catch somebody in a lie, but there's no way to actually *convict* or even ARREST that person, since he's just ten years old and often there are no adults around, nothing to keep the culprit from changing their story when the adults DO come around. Yet the being caught in a lie is enough for the guilty party to say, "Aw, you got me," and throw themselves in the slammer. If only real life worked that way!
The cases in this volume are... okay. The crimes (other than the dead eagles, which is pretty awful and they "let" the culprit get away with it) are really petty things, dealing with a petty person (Bugs Meany). Also, it's fairly dated, since it involves film—as in a projector—and who even knows what THAT is anymore!
The case about the missing will: Really tenuous clue. I get that it's supposed to be solveable by younger readers, though.
The mysterious thief: Encyclopedia suggests that if they have any leftover pizza after lunch, they can feed the ducks. DO NOT DO THIS. For all that Encyclopedia wanted to help the titular eagles, he sure doesn't care about ducks, huh? (Sally getting on the fact that, for all he knows, Encyclopedia is still a mannerless BOY, though—ha!)
On the whole, good thought exercise, but not GREAT thought exercise.
January 20, 2026
My powers of observation are getting worse and worse. LOL I didn’t get any of the solutions. I have no idea in which direction the moon sets, what a lobster looks like before or after boiling, or seating etiquette for ladies versus gentlemen in a restaurant. I do think it is fun in all of the books to meet the neighborhood kids with their unique talents. In this one, there was Dixon, the champion worm racer and Twinkletoes Willis, the track star. It’s all goofily enjoyable as an adult.
May 31, 2019
Leroy "Encyclopedia" Brown, and his assistant Shirley put their thinking caps on to solve a slew of mysteries, and misdemeanors involving several residents of Idaville. These ten short stories involve theft, swindles, dead eagles, stolen stamps, and a missing will.
September 27, 2021
We really love reading about Encyclopedia Brown and his investigating strategies. Our boy loves figuring out the clues and helping solve the cases. He doesn't get them all right but I love hearing his take on what happened. I love seeing his mind work and his imagination at work.
January 8, 2018
One more exercise of the "little grey cells"!
Maria Carmo,
Lisbon 8 January 2018.
Maria Carmo,
Lisbon 8 January 2018.
August 20, 2018
Way too outdated. Film reels and traditional male-female roles are hardly solved by today's children. They are interesting, but don't expect to solve many.
May 5, 2022
The stories are outdated so somewhat unsolvable (who knows what side of a table a man sits on?) but still classic fun Encyclopedia Brown.
November 21, 2022
Fun puzzle book for an easy read. Definitely looking forward to reading more of these short stories to try and keep my brain firing on all cylinders!
December 31, 2023
childhood favorites - re-reading
January 1, 2024
Alright some of these are trick stories 🧐🧐 how am I supposed to know about worm racing
July 22, 2024
Good as usual!
July 18, 2025
So glad I decided to revisit one of my favorite childhood series. The format it absolutely unbeatable, I read the whole book in about a half an hour. 10/10 will be ordering more from my library ASAP
January 20, 2026
Read for #EBBR on #Litsy I gave it 3 1/2 stars but rounded up to 4 for nostalgia, it was a pretty good addition to the series.
November 5, 2023
The pizza parlor case was one that I'd read before, so I was both disappointed and excited that I could solve it.
June 7, 2009
We've been giving the boys some reading assignments because they're very good readers, but they won't stretch themselves if they don't have to. We assigned this book this past week for Drystan (almost 6 years old.)
We have an old copy of this book from when Seth was a kid, and I don't know if they've updated it. Drystan could read most of the words, but some of the context was dated enough that he struggled to understand it. For example, one of the stories hinged on something that had to do with someone going to a shoe repair shop. How many kids can relate to shoes needing to be repaired or being worth enough to have them repaired rather than replaced? And there was actually a story that I thought was a little objectionable. To solve one of the mysteries, Encyclopedia's dad, a police officer, directed him to wander alone through an adult Halloween costume party where Encyclopedia didn't know anyone, they were serving alcohol, and some of the adults were fall down drunk. In a modern context, that would have been totally unsafe.
The stories were okay, but I would hope that by the time a kid could follow new characters and details for each story, they'd want to move beyond simple language and vocabulary.
We have an old copy of this book from when Seth was a kid, and I don't know if they've updated it. Drystan could read most of the words, but some of the context was dated enough that he struggled to understand it. For example, one of the stories hinged on something that had to do with someone going to a shoe repair shop. How many kids can relate to shoes needing to be repaired or being worth enough to have them repaired rather than replaced? And there was actually a story that I thought was a little objectionable. To solve one of the mysteries, Encyclopedia's dad, a police officer, directed him to wander alone through an adult Halloween costume party where Encyclopedia didn't know anyone, they were serving alcohol, and some of the adults were fall down drunk. In a modern context, that would have been totally unsafe.
The stories were okay, but I would hope that by the time a kid could follow new characters and details for each story, they'd want to move beyond simple language and vocabulary.
May 19, 2011
I recommend Encyclopedia Brown. I was 8 when I first encountered this series. I loved it. It was recommended by a boy that I liked. What I liked about these books is that it taught me how to think before making wild guesses. Each book had several cases which were easy to read and follow for a child. I recommend this to any parent looking for helping their child to use logic and deductive reasoning. Great on how to look at relevant facts at a child's level.
August 6, 2019
RATING: 4.5 STARS
I loved this mystery series as a kid, but have not read them since so this review is based on my memories. My love of mystery started pretty early and Encyclopedia Brown was among my first series. Each book has several mysteries that you can solve along with Encyclopedia, complete with clues. I could not get enough of these books, and didn't realize that this series started in 1963.
These are easy to read chapter books for young kids.
***This is a series Review***
I loved this mystery series as a kid, but have not read them since so this review is based on my memories. My love of mystery started pretty early and Encyclopedia Brown was among my first series. Each book has several mysteries that you can solve along with Encyclopedia, complete with clues. I could not get enough of these books, and didn't realize that this series started in 1963.
These are easy to read chapter books for young kids.
***This is a series Review***
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews