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Unsolved Case Files #1
Escape at 10,000 Feet: D.B. Cooper and the Missing Money
A minute-by-minute account of the only unsolved airplane hijacking in the U.S.
CASE NO. 001: NORJAK
NOVEMBER 24, 1971
PORTLAND, OREGON
2:00 P.M.
A man in his mid-forties, wearing a suit and overcoat, buys a ticket for Northwest Orient Airlines flight 305 bound for Seattle.
3:07 P.M.
The man presents his demands: $200,000 in cash and four parachutes. If the demands are not met, he threatens to detonate the explosive device in his briefcase.
So begins the true story of the man known as D.B. Cooper, and the only unsolved airplane hijacking case in the United States.
CASE NO. 001: NORJAK
NOVEMBER 24, 1971
PORTLAND, OREGON
2:00 P.M.
A man in his mid-forties, wearing a suit and overcoat, buys a ticket for Northwest Orient Airlines flight 305 bound for Seattle.
3:07 P.M.
The man presents his demands: $200,000 in cash and four parachutes. If the demands are not met, he threatens to detonate the explosive device in his briefcase.
So begins the true story of the man known as D.B. Cooper, and the only unsolved airplane hijacking case in the United States.
98 pages, Paperback
Published March 2, 2021
49 people are currently reading
588 people want to read
About the author
Tom Sullivan
6 books8 followersTom Sullivan is an author, illustrator, and graphic designer based in Boston, Massachusetts. He studied at the New England Institute of Art where he earned a Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design.
After spending the first ten years of his career as a freelance Art Director and Designer, Tom switched gears to pursue his love of storytelling. He is the author and illustrator of the Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins picture books I Used To Be A Fish, BLUE vs. YELLOW, Out There and the graphic novel series Unsolved Case Files.
After spending the first ten years of his career as a freelance Art Director and Designer, Tom switched gears to pursue his love of storytelling. He is the author and illustrator of the Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins picture books I Used To Be A Fish, BLUE vs. YELLOW, Out There and the graphic novel series Unsolved Case Files.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 165 reviews
June 27, 2021
I have a slight interest in the exploits of D.B. Cooper, though not enough to want to pour over a big, thick adult book on the subject. Luckily, Junior Library Guild sent us a copy of this slender volume that tells youngsters, and lazy readers such as myself, all about the legendary hijacker who vanished forever into a dark and stormy night.
Here, in less than 95 pages, all laid out in a cool, info-graphic style, is really all you need to know about what happened on November 24, 1971, and the aftermath.
Here's what I learned:
- The passenger known as D.B. Cooper actually purchased a plane ticket under the name Dan Cooper. A reporter mistakenly referred to the hijacker as D.B., and the name stuck.
- Cooper requested a paltry sum:
Nope. Even paltrier:
200,000 dollars as ransom for the plane and its passengers.
- Dressed in a business suit and loafers, parachute at the ready, his backpack filled with 10,000 twenty-dollar bills, Cooper had the rear staircase lowered while the plane was in flight, and leapt into the air somewhere over southern Washington state.
- About eight years after Cooper disappeared an eight-year-old boy discovered three decaying bundles of twenty-dollar bills near the banks of the Colombia River. The bundles had the serial numbers of some of the bills given to Cooper, and they totaled $5,800 dollars. Even after an extensive search, the rest of the money has never been recovered.
- After 45 years, the search for D.B. Cooper was formerly ended in 2016.
Thems the facts as far as we knows 'em.
And, there's still $194,200 out there somewhere.
Just sayin' . . .
Here, in less than 95 pages, all laid out in a cool, info-graphic style, is really all you need to know about what happened on November 24, 1971, and the aftermath.
Here's what I learned:
- The passenger known as D.B. Cooper actually purchased a plane ticket under the name Dan Cooper. A reporter mistakenly referred to the hijacker as D.B., and the name stuck.
- Cooper requested a paltry sum:
Nope. Even paltrier:
200,000 dollars as ransom for the plane and its passengers.
- Dressed in a business suit and loafers, parachute at the ready, his backpack filled with 10,000 twenty-dollar bills, Cooper had the rear staircase lowered while the plane was in flight, and leapt into the air somewhere over southern Washington state.
- About eight years after Cooper disappeared an eight-year-old boy discovered three decaying bundles of twenty-dollar bills near the banks of the Colombia River. The bundles had the serial numbers of some of the bills given to Cooper, and they totaled $5,800 dollars. Even after an extensive search, the rest of the money has never been recovered.
- After 45 years, the search for D.B. Cooper was formerly ended in 2016.
Thems the facts as far as we knows 'em.
And, there's still $194,200 out there somewhere.
Just sayin' . . .
August 29, 2021
This kids book is perfect for the story of DB Cooper. I've always been curious as to the specifics of the case but it happened before I was born and I didn't feel like reading a full book about it. It is very interesting how he was never caught and none of the money was ever spent. It's also a case that pop culture has bolted its own stories on for various TV and other fictional mythologies.
January 14, 2021
Thirteen years ago I made a prediction. Brian Selznick’s The Invention of Hugo Cabret had just won the Caldecott, which was a momentous occasion considering the fact that the book looks more like a novel than a picture book. At the same time we were seeing these magnificent imports like Shaun Tan’s The Arrival that took comics and storytelling up a notch. In fact, I think it's fair to say that comics were finally getting the respect they deserved and so I stated that we were in a new era of art and literature. I said, at the time, that from here on in we’d be seeing incredibly inventive mash-ups of art and text in works for kids. This, in large part, because thanks to our 21st century world, our children had become visual learners. Well, turns out that great big flood of inventive books was more of a trickle, but it's been a steady trickle so I count my blessings. And we’ve seen some amazing books in the intervening decade, but one area that I had not predicted seeing such a flush of creativity was nonfiction for kids. The inventiveness I craved in my graphic literature was paltry compared to the inventiveness evident in these informational books for younger readers. There is no better way to explain what I mean by that then to direct your attention to the new series “Unsolved Case Files” and their premiere title Escape at 10,000 Feet: D.B. Cooper and the Missing Money by Tom Sullivan. Sporting a comic book’s sensibility with a Common Core State Standard’s love of primary documents and a narrative voice you’d follow to the ends of the earth, THIS is what we need to see more of, people!
The story you are about to hear is true. Only one name was faked to protect the guilty. On November 24, 1971 at 2:00 p.m. a man entered the Portland International Airport (PDX) carrying a black briefcase. He gave his name as Dan Cooper, boarded a plane, and sat in the back row. After takeoff he passed flight attendant Florence Schaffner a note. It read, “Miss – I have a bomb here and I would like you to sit by me.” She did, he showed her the bomb, and then sent a note of demands to the pilot. The plane landed, the demands were met ($200,000 four parachutes, a fuel truck ready to fuel the plane when it landed), and more demands came. Eventually, it was determined that the plane would fly to Mexico City, no higher than 10,000 feet. Then, while flying over the forests of southern Washington, Cooper sent everyone on board to the cockpit. He tied the bag of money around himself, lowered the back stairs, and jumped out. He was never found. And the money? That’s another story. The book covers the mistakes Cooper made, theories about his identity, possible fates he might have suffered, and (of course) the money’s story too.
It’s hard to know which element of the book may strike kids as the most incredible. I mean, let’s just back up all the way here and look at the simple fact that in 1971 you could casually stroll onto a plane with a bomb and a fake name and no one would so much as ask to inspect your bag. And just to make it even kookier, the book assures us that hijackings were practically a regular occurrence. But then there are the elements to the case that have made it irresistible to adults and children for decades. Either Cooper got away with the crime or he didn’t. Which is it? Part of what makes this book so enticing is that often Sullivan will give you a potential answer and then whisk it away from you. Here are the suspects. Here is the most likely suspect . . . who was the wrong age. Here’s another. But what happened to the money? Why did we only find some of it? Kids love mystery novels. Now hand them an unsolved true-life mystery and watch the gears in those little heads spin.
Part of what I find so enticing about the design of this “Unsolved Case Files” series is how it taps into my love of comics in every step of the design yet isn't a comic at all. There are panels but no speech balloons. It's just a very visual work of history. Sullivan also has a natural sense of the dramatic, showing Cooper jump, ending a section with “no positive DNA match has ever been found” and then you turn the page and on a black background the white typewritten words “3,000 DAYS LATER” really stand out. In fact, when I think of the ideal reader of this book I think of the kids that love Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales. Both this book and those Tales are expert at taking an already good story and then rendering it in an original, visual style. A style that no one else has ever really done the same way (or as well) before. But Escape at 10,000 Feet is also straight up nonfiction in conservative sense of the term. There’s no fake dialogue. No overt speculation (and when there is it's backed up with evidence and a very clear statement that it’s just offering some people’s conjectures). Most importantly, Sullivan makes no claims to have solved the case. He offers a variety of different possible answers, each with their supporters and detractors, lays them out before the kids, and then trusts the child reader’s intelligence to select their own answer.
It turns out that the real reason I kept misremembering this book as a comic is because the sheer number of primary documents in the book act the same way that illustrated elements would. A one-way ticket. A pamphlet and seating plan with Cooper’s seat circled in red. Flight transcripts. And look, far be it from me to suggest that a teacher suck the fun and life out of a book, but you cannot look at this and not think that maybe there’s more than a few teachable elements at work here. It's funny. Maybe the fact that I keep misremembering this as a comic is fitting. One of the many theories about “Dan Cooper” is that he got his fake name from a French comic book series about a Royal Canadian Air Force fighter pilot. To turn him into a comic-like character today just feels right.
Not long ago there was an article in the Washington Post (“Will my grandkids still love me if I buy them nonfiction?” by Jay Mathews) bemoaning the fact that kids don’t like or read nonfiction. Putting aside the fact that the writer (A) didn’t know what he was talking about and (B) didn’t know what he was talking about, let’s pretend for a moment that he was correct. What we do know is that there really are kids out there that are under the impression that they don’t like to read nonfiction when, in truth, they don’t like to read BORING nonfiction. This book is the one you hand to such children. It clocks in at a handsome 104 pages. Just long enough to fulfill requirements from teachers that make kids read books that are “100 pages or more” but not so many that it’ll turn off reluctant readers. From what I can tell, this title is going to make a lot of kids into fans of exciting works of history. That is, if they can wrench this book away from their grown-ups. Because if there’s one thing I know, an enticing unsolved mystery is good but a fantastically rendered unsolved mystery is irresistible.
For ages 6 to 12
The story you are about to hear is true. Only one name was faked to protect the guilty. On November 24, 1971 at 2:00 p.m. a man entered the Portland International Airport (PDX) carrying a black briefcase. He gave his name as Dan Cooper, boarded a plane, and sat in the back row. After takeoff he passed flight attendant Florence Schaffner a note. It read, “Miss – I have a bomb here and I would like you to sit by me.” She did, he showed her the bomb, and then sent a note of demands to the pilot. The plane landed, the demands were met ($200,000 four parachutes, a fuel truck ready to fuel the plane when it landed), and more demands came. Eventually, it was determined that the plane would fly to Mexico City, no higher than 10,000 feet. Then, while flying over the forests of southern Washington, Cooper sent everyone on board to the cockpit. He tied the bag of money around himself, lowered the back stairs, and jumped out. He was never found. And the money? That’s another story. The book covers the mistakes Cooper made, theories about his identity, possible fates he might have suffered, and (of course) the money’s story too.
It’s hard to know which element of the book may strike kids as the most incredible. I mean, let’s just back up all the way here and look at the simple fact that in 1971 you could casually stroll onto a plane with a bomb and a fake name and no one would so much as ask to inspect your bag. And just to make it even kookier, the book assures us that hijackings were practically a regular occurrence. But then there are the elements to the case that have made it irresistible to adults and children for decades. Either Cooper got away with the crime or he didn’t. Which is it? Part of what makes this book so enticing is that often Sullivan will give you a potential answer and then whisk it away from you. Here are the suspects. Here is the most likely suspect . . . who was the wrong age. Here’s another. But what happened to the money? Why did we only find some of it? Kids love mystery novels. Now hand them an unsolved true-life mystery and watch the gears in those little heads spin.
Part of what I find so enticing about the design of this “Unsolved Case Files” series is how it taps into my love of comics in every step of the design yet isn't a comic at all. There are panels but no speech balloons. It's just a very visual work of history. Sullivan also has a natural sense of the dramatic, showing Cooper jump, ending a section with “no positive DNA match has ever been found” and then you turn the page and on a black background the white typewritten words “3,000 DAYS LATER” really stand out. In fact, when I think of the ideal reader of this book I think of the kids that love Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales. Both this book and those Tales are expert at taking an already good story and then rendering it in an original, visual style. A style that no one else has ever really done the same way (or as well) before. But Escape at 10,000 Feet is also straight up nonfiction in conservative sense of the term. There’s no fake dialogue. No overt speculation (and when there is it's backed up with evidence and a very clear statement that it’s just offering some people’s conjectures). Most importantly, Sullivan makes no claims to have solved the case. He offers a variety of different possible answers, each with their supporters and detractors, lays them out before the kids, and then trusts the child reader’s intelligence to select their own answer.
It turns out that the real reason I kept misremembering this book as a comic is because the sheer number of primary documents in the book act the same way that illustrated elements would. A one-way ticket. A pamphlet and seating plan with Cooper’s seat circled in red. Flight transcripts. And look, far be it from me to suggest that a teacher suck the fun and life out of a book, but you cannot look at this and not think that maybe there’s more than a few teachable elements at work here. It's funny. Maybe the fact that I keep misremembering this as a comic is fitting. One of the many theories about “Dan Cooper” is that he got his fake name from a French comic book series about a Royal Canadian Air Force fighter pilot. To turn him into a comic-like character today just feels right.
Not long ago there was an article in the Washington Post (“Will my grandkids still love me if I buy them nonfiction?” by Jay Mathews) bemoaning the fact that kids don’t like or read nonfiction. Putting aside the fact that the writer (A) didn’t know what he was talking about and (B) didn’t know what he was talking about, let’s pretend for a moment that he was correct. What we do know is that there really are kids out there that are under the impression that they don’t like to read nonfiction when, in truth, they don’t like to read BORING nonfiction. This book is the one you hand to such children. It clocks in at a handsome 104 pages. Just long enough to fulfill requirements from teachers that make kids read books that are “100 pages or more” but not so many that it’ll turn off reluctant readers. From what I can tell, this title is going to make a lot of kids into fans of exciting works of history. That is, if they can wrench this book away from their grown-ups. Because if there’s one thing I know, an enticing unsolved mystery is good but a fantastically rendered unsolved mystery is irresistible.
For ages 6 to 12
January 23, 2022
The D. B. Cooper mystery is a fun one to revisit every so often, and this graphic novel aimed at kids is a fine opportunity. I generally prefer my graphic novels not to be so text and caption heavy, but it's not overbearing here, and the Dragnet "just the facts" tone and typewriter font actually work well with the stark and striking artwork.
I'm immediately putting a library hold on the next volume in the series about the Alcatraz jailbreak.
I'm immediately putting a library hold on the next volume in the series about the Alcatraz jailbreak.
September 21, 2022
These books are so good!
March 5, 2021
What a fun book! This middle grade picture book takes readers through the case of D.B. Cooper and the only US plane hijacking that’s never been solved.
There is so much great information in this book broken down so that 8-12 year olds can easily understand it but yet adults can still get something out of it to. The images are awesome as well and I found the whole book highly entertaining.
This would be an awesome book for any middle grader who is interested in mysteries! I highly recommend.
My rating: 5*
—-
Thanks to the publisher for this gifted copy - all opinions are my own!
There is so much great information in this book broken down so that 8-12 year olds can easily understand it but yet adults can still get something out of it to. The images are awesome as well and I found the whole book highly entertaining.
This would be an awesome book for any middle grader who is interested in mysteries! I highly recommend.
My rating: 5*
—-
Thanks to the publisher for this gifted copy - all opinions are my own!
May 23, 2022
So fascinating and so much fun. Tom Sullivan crafts the perfect middle-grade non-fiction read in Escape at 10,000 Feet. Fast-paced, filled with factoids, and it tackles a ridiculous unsolved mystery. The artwork is simple in a good way. I could read a thousand of these.
May 29, 2021
There's just something about an unsolved mystery, and most kids will definitely not have heard of D.B. Cooper and the hijacking of the plane and subsequent mystery about what happened to him and the money he stole. I knew a little about this case, but didn't know that some money was recovered in a river bank years later.
This is a great graphic/non-fiction hybrid that will appeal to graphic novel fans, mystery fans, and kids who like history. I will definitely be recommending this one often!
This is a great graphic/non-fiction hybrid that will appeal to graphic novel fans, mystery fans, and kids who like history. I will definitely be recommending this one often!
January 31, 2021
Can you solve the case? That is the premise for this new series. Escape at 10,000 Feet is a non-fiction graphic novel, that entices the reader to try their hand at solving a case that has stumped FBI investigators for years. It also introduces an interesting time in history and air travel.
This is perfect for budding young detectives. Those that love mystery novels or books on spies will love this true story about a heist at 10,000 feet and the man who got away with $200,000.
This is not a graphic novel in the traditional sense - no call outs, just panels that illustrate the story along with factual documents, FBI files, diagrams and information to help the reader piece together the facts. The graphics are bright and dramatic and the storytelling powerful through the use of the narration and carefully placed illustrations.
Something that both intrigued me and bothered me slightly is that is this an unsolved case file. That means that there is no answer provided at the end. I knew this going into the story but it is still a strange concept ending the story with no real answers. Will this intrigue or annoy young readers? The narrator presents many possible suspects but then provides evidence that disproves their involvement.
Unsolved Case Files draws upon real forensic evidence, which I know will impress and inspire young readers. The nature of the case means it is suitable for younger readers but will equally entice older readers, as it did me.
There are so many opportunities for engagement with this book. I can see a book club using the evidence, perhaps recreating it and creating their own case board as they try to solve this case. The call for any new information at the end of the book is a nice touch - and who knows, perhaps a young reader will provide insight that has not been thought have before and crack open this historic case.
The publishers provided an advanced readers copy of this book for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.
This is perfect for budding young detectives. Those that love mystery novels or books on spies will love this true story about a heist at 10,000 feet and the man who got away with $200,000.
This is not a graphic novel in the traditional sense - no call outs, just panels that illustrate the story along with factual documents, FBI files, diagrams and information to help the reader piece together the facts. The graphics are bright and dramatic and the storytelling powerful through the use of the narration and carefully placed illustrations.
Something that both intrigued me and bothered me slightly is that is this an unsolved case file. That means that there is no answer provided at the end. I knew this going into the story but it is still a strange concept ending the story with no real answers. Will this intrigue or annoy young readers? The narrator presents many possible suspects but then provides evidence that disproves their involvement.
Unsolved Case Files draws upon real forensic evidence, which I know will impress and inspire young readers. The nature of the case means it is suitable for younger readers but will equally entice older readers, as it did me.
There are so many opportunities for engagement with this book. I can see a book club using the evidence, perhaps recreating it and creating their own case board as they try to solve this case. The call for any new information at the end of the book is a nice touch - and who knows, perhaps a young reader will provide insight that has not been thought have before and crack open this historic case.
The publishers provided an advanced readers copy of this book for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.
January 27, 2021
I think there might have been a few typos as it was a reader copy I had (two dates did not add up), but the facts are presented in a way that is easy to understand. There is just the right amount of information to let you know the Who, What, When, Where, Why and How of things. There are further readings and references lists at the end. It is a piece of history that is known, but probably not by too many people under age 50. I only know about it (a little) due to pop culture references. Therefore, this was an interesting look at a semi-romantic piece of history. (And like everyone else who knows of the story, I have a theory to what happened to the money and Cooper.)
October 26, 2024
Interesting look at the case of hijacker DB Cooper.
This series acts as a case file (literally an image of a file folder starts and ends the book). The actual crime is detailed with graphic novel style illustrations. Real diagrams and pictures of evidence are also included when applicable. The investigation into the case is also included, and ends with possible outcomes, though, of course, this is an unsolved case.
Good for grades 3-6 who have an interest in mysteries, adventure, crime, etc. Its graphic style makes it a quick read. Sensitive kiddos may not like the depictions of the bomb and hijacking.
This series acts as a case file (literally an image of a file folder starts and ends the book). The actual crime is detailed with graphic novel style illustrations. Real diagrams and pictures of evidence are also included when applicable. The investigation into the case is also included, and ends with possible outcomes, though, of course, this is an unsolved case.
Good for grades 3-6 who have an interest in mysteries, adventure, crime, etc. Its graphic style makes it a quick read. Sensitive kiddos may not like the depictions of the bomb and hijacking.
April 4, 2022
4 1/2 stars. Really great. Stylized, comic illustrations and clear, mildly witty text lay out the particulars of ‘Dan Cooper’s’ hijacking. An entertaining page-turner that conveys the flavor of the 1970’s.
How did they do it? Where is the loot? Why does the trail go totally cold? This new nonfiction graphic novel series describes three unsolved cases like no others in minute by minute detail, with meticulous, comic illustrations of the characters, events and primary documents. Learn about the mystery man D.B. Cooper who committed the only unsolved hijacking in U.S. history. Marvel at the only possibly successful escape from Alcatraz. Out in August is the incredible story of the biggest art heist in history. Graphic Novel
How did they do it? Where is the loot? Why does the trail go totally cold? This new nonfiction graphic novel series describes three unsolved cases like no others in minute by minute detail, with meticulous, comic illustrations of the characters, events and primary documents. Learn about the mystery man D.B. Cooper who committed the only unsolved hijacking in U.S. history. Marvel at the only possibly successful escape from Alcatraz. Out in August is the incredible story of the biggest art heist in history. Graphic Novel
March 12, 2021
Laid out the facts clearly and sucinctly. Obviously couldn't go into too much depth, due to length and target audiance, but it didn't speculate or theorize, which I liked. (It mentioned some theories, but presented them as theories and not facts. Great for kids intrested in unsolved mysteries. Curious to read other books in this series.
March 15, 2022
My 13 yo, 10 yo, and I all read this book and enjoyed it. The 10 yo practically memorized it and retold the whole thing to me in the car before I’d read it. This is an engaging, very informative history of Dan (who knew the name D.B. was a mistake by a journalist?) Cooper’s still unsolved skyjacking.
March 16, 2022
A marvelous and brief recap of the D.B. Cooker skyjacking with a time stamped play by play and photographs of source documents. The art style is very cartoon-y but it totally works for the mysterious/spy vibe of the book. Good for readers of all ages looking for a quick run down on the unsolved mystery of D.B. Cooper.
March 2, 2021
If this is how they covered the NORJACK incident of 1971, I'm gonna need to read all of these! Fantastic illustration style, fun storytelling, great combination of actual photos and evidence.
April 18, 2022
What a fun book! It’s a bit like a graphic novel but with more of a written story as well. It’s a true event that happened in the 1970’s where a man hijacked a plane (all the fun facts about how you could basically bring anything on a plane then will fascinate kids!) and got the crew to get him 200,000 dollars. And then he jumped out of the plane with the money and a parachute and was never found again. I can think of a ton of kids already that are going to love this!
June 5, 2022
The Unsolved Case Files books are quick informational reads about real unsolved cases. Students will be able to enjoy these quickly and want to learn more! VSBA 2022-2023 nominee.
October 9, 2022
This was fascinating.
April 11, 2025
Tells an interesting story in a quick and accessible way for young readers
July 5, 2025
ideal tween nonfic
June 27, 2022
I vaguely remember hearing about the 1971 Northwest Hijacking case (probably when the $5,800 was discovered by a young camper by Washington's Columbia River in 1980). This book details of the hijacking, the escape, the investigation, etc. with easy-to-read text, diagrams and primary source documents . Book 1 of Tom Sullivan's "Unsolved Case Files" series is sure to be a hit with upper elementary and middle school readers. This book has been nominated for the Kentucky Bluegrass Award for grades 3-5.
November 1, 2022
This was a super quick read with short blurbs of fascinating information presented in a visually appealing way. The book kept me captivated as it tells the true story of the only unsolved plane hijacking to have taken place in the US. This hijacking took place in 1971, and it it quite bizarre how the whole hijacking took place and also how the hijacker "chose" to escape. You will have to read the book to get all the amazing details.
April 21, 2022
I've been yelling that someone should write a DB Cooper book for middle grade for a very long time.
So I was psyched when I saw this.
At first glance, it feels like a comic book. Even after I'd read the whole thing, in my head it was a comic. It's extremely illustration/graphic design-based.
So I was surprised to notice that my library shelves this in Juvenile Nonfiction, and when I look at it more closely, I don't see any speech bubbles. There are captions, and panels, but I think it's ok in JNF.
Long story short: give this to comic fans, but it doesn't need to be shelved with comics.
This is the kickoff title of a series of books about unsolved cases. The main text is written in a variation of Courier font, there are periodic images of real ephemera from the case integrated with the illustrations. It's a very "this thing happened and then this thing, and then this thing." Like an episode of Dragnet or something.
I found it very readable, as someone who read a lot of mysteries growing up. I love that the story has a local connection - I'm very familiar with the places named in the story.
Part of me wishes for something a little more. But I have no real complaints.
Extra star for the combo topic/audience I've been yelling at the world to give me.
So I was psyched when I saw this.
At first glance, it feels like a comic book. Even after I'd read the whole thing, in my head it was a comic. It's extremely illustration/graphic design-based.
So I was surprised to notice that my library shelves this in Juvenile Nonfiction, and when I look at it more closely, I don't see any speech bubbles. There are captions, and panels, but I think it's ok in JNF.
Long story short: give this to comic fans, but it doesn't need to be shelved with comics.
This is the kickoff title of a series of books about unsolved cases. The main text is written in a variation of Courier font, there are periodic images of real ephemera from the case integrated with the illustrations. It's a very "this thing happened and then this thing, and then this thing." Like an episode of Dragnet or something.
I found it very readable, as someone who read a lot of mysteries growing up. I love that the story has a local connection - I'm very familiar with the places named in the story.
Part of me wishes for something a little more. But I have no real complaints.
Extra star for the combo topic/audience I've been yelling at the world to give me.
November 15, 2021
A graphic novel retelling of the unsolved FBI case involving a hijacker who got away with $200,000 dollars somewhere over the Pacific Northwest. The book looks at the only evidence recovered, and theories of what may have happened.
A fascinating retelling of this true crime mystery in a way that is sure to grip even the most reluctant middle grade nonfiction readers. The book does a great job of sticking to the facts, and clarifying what we know for sure and what some people guessed. It is also interesting to see how this event changed rules for commercial flights. It will blow kids' minds to know what flying was like before this event. I'm sure this will be a winner on our shelves.
Notes on content: No language issues. No sexual content. The book relates how the man threatened to blow up the plane, but never did and didn't hurt anyone else. The theories of what happened to the man, one of which is that he died because of the weight of the money being too much for the parachute, are presented non-graphically.
A fascinating retelling of this true crime mystery in a way that is sure to grip even the most reluctant middle grade nonfiction readers. The book does a great job of sticking to the facts, and clarifying what we know for sure and what some people guessed. It is also interesting to see how this event changed rules for commercial flights. It will blow kids' minds to know what flying was like before this event. I'm sure this will be a winner on our shelves.
Notes on content: No language issues. No sexual content. The book relates how the man threatened to blow up the plane, but never did and didn't hurt anyone else. The theories of what happened to the man, one of which is that he died because of the weight of the money being too much for the parachute, are presented non-graphically.
July 21, 2021
Cue the music...Dum da dum dum!
"This is a true story. November 24, 1971. Portland, OR. 2:00p.m. On the day before Thanksgiving, a man described by eyewitnesses as being in his midforties and well built, standing at roughly six feet tall and weighing approximately 180 pounds, entered the Portland International Airport carrying a black suitcase...." His name on his ticket was "Dan Cooper", and he proceeded to pull off the only unsolved airplane hijacking case in the U.S. It remains unsolved today.
Told in a hybrid of text and graphic novel format, this nonfiction title gives all the facts, showing primary source evidence (copy of passenger ticket, flight transcript, a maps of flight plans, labeled diagram of money, a diagram of a Boeing 727-100 aircraft, drawings of clues left behind, maps following the money, and several photos taken from the event, including police composite sketches of Cooper).
The first of the "Unsolved Case Files" series, this is a high-interest easy read for early chapter book and middle grade readers looking for "just the facts". Sullivan's artwork is stylized to fit into the 1970's, yet realistic enough to satisfy today's readers.
A promising new series for mystery and non-fiction readers. Recommended, 3-8
"This is a true story. November 24, 1971. Portland, OR. 2:00p.m. On the day before Thanksgiving, a man described by eyewitnesses as being in his midforties and well built, standing at roughly six feet tall and weighing approximately 180 pounds, entered the Portland International Airport carrying a black suitcase...." His name on his ticket was "Dan Cooper", and he proceeded to pull off the only unsolved airplane hijacking case in the U.S. It remains unsolved today.
Told in a hybrid of text and graphic novel format, this nonfiction title gives all the facts, showing primary source evidence (copy of passenger ticket, flight transcript, a maps of flight plans, labeled diagram of money, a diagram of a Boeing 727-100 aircraft, drawings of clues left behind, maps following the money, and several photos taken from the event, including police composite sketches of Cooper).
The first of the "Unsolved Case Files" series, this is a high-interest easy read for early chapter book and middle grade readers looking for "just the facts". Sullivan's artwork is stylized to fit into the 1970's, yet realistic enough to satisfy today's readers.
A promising new series for mystery and non-fiction readers. Recommended, 3-8
May 17, 2022
I enjoy true crime documentaries and unsolved mystery shows, especially the ones where the crime isn’t murder (which seems to be the most common). As such, I’m pretty familiar with the story of D.B. Cooper, a man who, in 1971, hijacked a plane, demanded a large sum of money and some parachutes, and then jumped out of the plane mid flight, never to be seen again. Did he survive? And who was he really?
This is a quick read (like 15-20 min) that will grab your attention. Even if you know the story, as I did, you will likely pick up some more intriguing facts. Little notes explain context that kids (or even people born in the 80s like me😜) might not get - how at that time you could board a plane without an ID or your bags even being searched, or why DB Cooper assured the flight attendant he wasn’t taking them to Cuba.
It’s part graphic novel and part scrapbook. I believe they’re all realistic illustrations of the actual items, but there are plane tickets, flight records, police sketches and more that really bring this to life.
This is part of a series and now I want to read them all. It’s such a fun and informative read and I recommend it to everyone!
This is a quick read (like 15-20 min) that will grab your attention. Even if you know the story, as I did, you will likely pick up some more intriguing facts. Little notes explain context that kids (or even people born in the 80s like me😜) might not get - how at that time you could board a plane without an ID or your bags even being searched, or why DB Cooper assured the flight attendant he wasn’t taking them to Cuba.
It’s part graphic novel and part scrapbook. I believe they’re all realistic illustrations of the actual items, but there are plane tickets, flight records, police sketches and more that really bring this to life.
This is part of a series and now I want to read them all. It’s such a fun and informative read and I recommend it to everyone!
May 24, 2022
A short, cool book for middle-school-aged kids about an unsolved case of a plane hijacking in 1971. On November 24, 1971, a man wearing a business suit boarded a plane in Portland Oregon carrying a black briefcase. At that time, there were no metal detectors or carry-on searches.
After takeoff, the man hands the stewardess a note saying he has a bomb and wants $200,000 cash plus two parachutes. The pilot coordinates with the FBI and all his demands are met. A landing is made, and the same stewardess gathers the money from the FBI and reboards the plane. Back in the air, the suspect escapes by parachuting out of the plane into the pitch-black night.
The case is still unsolved today. Did he survive?
This slim graphic novelesque book has old cartoon-style illustrations and photos of maps, suspects at the time, the plane, and other interesting material. Excellent, interesting start of a new series by Tom Sullivan.
I highly recommend it to any kid who loves true crime and may be a reluctant reader.
After takeoff, the man hands the stewardess a note saying he has a bomb and wants $200,000 cash plus two parachutes. The pilot coordinates with the FBI and all his demands are met. A landing is made, and the same stewardess gathers the money from the FBI and reboards the plane. Back in the air, the suspect escapes by parachuting out of the plane into the pitch-black night.
The case is still unsolved today. Did he survive?
This slim graphic novelesque book has old cartoon-style illustrations and photos of maps, suspects at the time, the plane, and other interesting material. Excellent, interesting start of a new series by Tom Sullivan.
I highly recommend it to any kid who loves true crime and may be a reluctant reader.
July 29, 2021
See my full review here.
If you have heard of the story of D.B. Cooper, the 1970s hijacker who escaped by parachuting out of a small jet over Washington state, you'll enjoy learning more. If you haven't heard of him, this will captivate you. It's the first in a new series called Unsolved Case Files, and offers a movie-script like approach to presenting the evidence, the interview transcripts, and the investigative efforts that have led to, so far at least, not one arrest. Nor has the money ever been spent. I bought a copy of this one for my youngest grandson, who is turning 12 this year, and it was an absolute hit. All the adults were interested too! You'll find a copy of this in the children's nonfiction section of the Grand Forks & District Public Library, though it is likely to be in the hands of fascinated young readers.
If you have heard of the story of D.B. Cooper, the 1970s hijacker who escaped by parachuting out of a small jet over Washington state, you'll enjoy learning more. If you haven't heard of him, this will captivate you. It's the first in a new series called Unsolved Case Files, and offers a movie-script like approach to presenting the evidence, the interview transcripts, and the investigative efforts that have led to, so far at least, not one arrest. Nor has the money ever been spent. I bought a copy of this one for my youngest grandson, who is turning 12 this year, and it was an absolute hit. All the adults were interested too! You'll find a copy of this in the children's nonfiction section of the Grand Forks & District Public Library, though it is likely to be in the hands of fascinated young readers.
December 15, 2020
In a graphic/narrative format we find that there are still mysteries out there that are unsolved despite the incredible improbabilities. Given the terrific illustrations and fantastic choice of font, the reader is given a feel into being pulled into the behind the scenes actual files of the FBI investigation. The strengths of Unsolved Case Files is the strength of any book- the reader, after finishing the book, wants more and will either go on to research everything related to the plot or feel as though our personal worlds have a hole due to missing the characters or story. Tom Sullivan will definitely be a common name in our high school library, as every age and reading level will enjoy this book.
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