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Jigsaw Jones Mystery #14
The Case of the Bicycle Bandit
Jigsaw Jones and Mila go undercover to find out who has stolen Ralphie Jordan's old bicycle, but the big challenge is figuring out who would want a hand-me-down bike.
80 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2001
13 people are currently reading
120 people want to read
About the author
James Preller
203 books143 followersJames Preller (born 1961) is the children's book author of the Jigsaw Jones Mysteries, which are published by Scholastic Corporation. He grew up in Wantagh, New York and went to college in Oneonta, New York. After graduating from college in 1983, James Preller was employed as a waiter for one year before being hired as a copywriter by Scholastic Corporation, where he was introduced (through their books) to many noatable children's authors. This inspired James Preller to try writing his own books. James Preller published his first book, entitled MAXX TRAX: Avalanche Rescue, in 1986. Since that time, James Preller has written a variety of books, and has written under a number of pen names, including Mitzy Kafka, James Patrick, and Izzy Bonkers. James Preller lives in Delmar, New York with his wife Lisa and their three children.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/jamesp...
http://us.macmillan.com/author/jamesp...
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
June 23, 2024
Jigsaw and Ralphie has gone to the library, but when they came back out they discovered Ralphie’s bike had been stolen. He was sure he’d chained both bikes up, but Jigsaw’s new bike and the other 4 bikes were all left. Which was odd because Ralphie’s bike was in the worst condition.
Mila came down and they questioned everyone nearby, besides one guy who clearly didn’t want to be seen by them and fled the scene. Ralphie left with his brother Jordan’s best friend David, who was skateboarding and gave Ralphie his heavy backpack to carry.
Mila left Jigsaw a coded message the next day. There were 5 columns of words. You had to start at the bottom of the first column and read up, then read from the top down of the second column, then start the bottom of the third column and read up, and so on.
It turned out David had been carrying a skateboard in his backpack. They questioned a woman in the park who gave described 3 boys on skateboards, one of which was the boy who fled, David, and a mystery boy wearing a hoodie. A girl in class drew the face of the other boy and they put them up in town with a $2 reward. Some reward! A girl called Jigsaw stating she knew who it was, it was Snarkey who worked on things like bicycles. He took old ones, fixed them up, and sold them. So a picture was starting to take shape. I thought it was Jordan who got Ralphie’s bike fixed for him as a surprise, and that he was the hooded boy. Since he was friends with David and skateboarded.
Jigsaw went to his house to spy, and saw Snarky paying the hooded boy. As the hooded boy skateboarded away, he did the same exact moves Jordan had done, and Jigsaw recognized it. He then snuck into the garage and saw a bike that was worked on.
He told Mila and they went over to Ralphie’s house. Jigsaw snuck into Jordan’s room and found the hoodie. He challenged him to a wrestling match and told Jordan that he knew he stole it. Jordan said not to say anything or he’d ruin it, so instead of asking what Jordan meant, Jigsaw screamed out to yell Ralphie the truth.
Justin said to give him 5 minutes and not say anything while he was gone. He came back with the bike from the garage, all fixed up. He’d indeed stolen it to make Ralphie even happier to have it back. It was an early birthday present. Snarkey had been giving Jordan his change back.
This was so predictable, knew what had happened almost immediately. The author should have tried harder not to make it so obvious. This was definitely not one of the good ones.
Mila came down and they questioned everyone nearby, besides one guy who clearly didn’t want to be seen by them and fled the scene. Ralphie left with his brother Jordan’s best friend David, who was skateboarding and gave Ralphie his heavy backpack to carry.
Mila left Jigsaw a coded message the next day. There were 5 columns of words. You had to start at the bottom of the first column and read up, then read from the top down of the second column, then start the bottom of the third column and read up, and so on.
It turned out David had been carrying a skateboard in his backpack. They questioned a woman in the park who gave described 3 boys on skateboards, one of which was the boy who fled, David, and a mystery boy wearing a hoodie. A girl in class drew the face of the other boy and they put them up in town with a $2 reward. Some reward! A girl called Jigsaw stating she knew who it was, it was Snarkey who worked on things like bicycles. He took old ones, fixed them up, and sold them. So a picture was starting to take shape. I thought it was Jordan who got Ralphie’s bike fixed for him as a surprise, and that he was the hooded boy. Since he was friends with David and skateboarded.
Jigsaw went to his house to spy, and saw Snarky paying the hooded boy. As the hooded boy skateboarded away, he did the same exact moves Jordan had done, and Jigsaw recognized it. He then snuck into the garage and saw a bike that was worked on.
He told Mila and they went over to Ralphie’s house. Jigsaw snuck into Jordan’s room and found the hoodie. He challenged him to a wrestling match and told Jordan that he knew he stole it. Jordan said not to say anything or he’d ruin it, so instead of asking what Jordan meant, Jigsaw screamed out to yell Ralphie the truth.
Justin said to give him 5 minutes and not say anything while he was gone. He came back with the bike from the garage, all fixed up. He’d indeed stolen it to make Ralphie even happier to have it back. It was an early birthday present. Snarkey had been giving Jordan his change back.
This was so predictable, knew what had happened almost immediately. The author should have tried harder not to make it so obvious. This was definitely not one of the good ones.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 12, 2017
While his bike might be rusty and constantly in need of repair, Ralphie Jordan loves the thing that he affectionately calls Old Rusty. While he and Jigsaw Jones are in the library looking for books for a school report, someone takes it. But why would anyone take a bike that is in such sad shape? Jigsaw and his friend Mila are determined to get to the bottom of this crime. They even enlist the help of an artistic classmate, Geetha, who is able to sketch one of the suspects, based on what a neighbor saw when three skateboarders were in the same vicinity as the bicycle. The mystery is solved after quite a bit of detective work and a red herring and false hypothesis or two, but Jigsaw remains the go-to guy for this sort of problem-solving. I liked the story and the illustrations that accompany it, and consider this one of those solid books for reading aloud to a class since it keeps them on the edge of their seats, trying to figure out what's going on without leaving them completely confused and lost. The book seems perfectly suited for third and fourth grade readers, who will surely make note of how so many of Jigsaw's classmates try to help find that bicycle or its thief.
December 20, 2017
Preller, James. The Case of the Bicycle Bandit, illustrated by Jamie Smith. 74 pages. Feiwel and Friends, 2001 (reprint). $4.99. Sexual Content: G. Language: G. Violence: G.
In this Jigsaw Jones Mystery, Ralphie Jordan’s bike, Old Rusty, is stolen. Don’t worry, Jigsaw Jones and Mila are on the case. The inspect the scene of the crime (the library) and interview witnesses. They ask Geetha to help with the case, she draws a picture of the suspect. They make posters and offer a reward. Jigsaw Jones receives a phone call, someone has identified the suspect. Jigsaw spies on Snarky Smithers and learns the truth about who really took Ralphie’s bike.
This is a clever, age-appropriate mystery with several plot twists. The illustrations help tell the story and the facial features on the characters are very expressive. This book is a perfect introduction to the mystery genre for elementary school readers. Recommend to fans of "A to Z Mysteries" and "Calendar Mysteries."
EL-ADVISABLE. Samantha Hastings, MA, MLS.
http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2017/...
In this Jigsaw Jones Mystery, Ralphie Jordan’s bike, Old Rusty, is stolen. Don’t worry, Jigsaw Jones and Mila are on the case. The inspect the scene of the crime (the library) and interview witnesses. They ask Geetha to help with the case, she draws a picture of the suspect. They make posters and offer a reward. Jigsaw Jones receives a phone call, someone has identified the suspect. Jigsaw spies on Snarky Smithers and learns the truth about who really took Ralphie’s bike.
This is a clever, age-appropriate mystery with several plot twists. The illustrations help tell the story and the facial features on the characters are very expressive. This book is a perfect introduction to the mystery genre for elementary school readers. Recommend to fans of "A to Z Mysteries" and "Calendar Mysteries."
EL-ADVISABLE. Samantha Hastings, MA, MLS.
http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2017/...
March 26, 2019
¡Volviendo al pasado!
Pues eso, que hoy me ha dado por mirar los libros que tenía en casa, la gran mayoría libros infantiles ya que era un desastre y la biblioteca en aquel momento no iba conmigo, y he pensando pues voy a releer alguno.
Notó la mejoría del pasado de los años, lo fácil que se me hace una lectura tan corta como está y lo larga que se me hacía antes.
Puzle es un detective que se encargará en este libro de resolver el caso de la bicicleta robada, la bicicleta de su amigo Rafa. Otro caso cerrado por Puzle y su socia Mila.
Pues eso, que hoy me ha dado por mirar los libros que tenía en casa, la gran mayoría libros infantiles ya que era un desastre y la biblioteca en aquel momento no iba conmigo, y he pensando pues voy a releer alguno.
Notó la mejoría del pasado de los años, lo fácil que se me hace una lectura tan corta como está y lo larga que se me hacía antes.
Puzle es un detective que se encargará en este libro de resolver el caso de la bicicleta robada, la bicicleta de su amigo Rafa. Otro caso cerrado por Puzle y su socia Mila.
June 7, 2021
Genre: Mystery and Suspense Grade: 2-3
I enjoyed this book as it kept the suspense really well. It is a good mystery book for kids and really stays on track of the story line keeping it interesting. Overall just a good read for young readers wanting to read chapter books and it can also have a lesson to do nice things for others.
I enjoyed this book as it kept the suspense really well. It is a good mystery book for kids and really stays on track of the story line keeping it interesting. Overall just a good read for young readers wanting to read chapter books and it can also have a lesson to do nice things for others.
December 26, 2022
Decent! I think it was tough for six year old to follow, so definitely a middle grade book, but he got the gist of it. The story does not have spectacle, but it has one scene of tension and a wholesome ending.
January 8, 2018
Another interesting episode in this series! It keeps you interested from start to finish! And has surprise ending. Loved it!
November 13, 2024
I read this book in 4th grade and it was the first book I ever read .
It holds a special place in my memory , I can still remember most of the details of the story.
It holds a special place in my memory , I can still remember most of the details of the story.
December 25, 2025
it was a fun story.
March 15, 2017
Caleb loved it (age 6, almost 7). Introduced a little vocabulary and had him thinking to solve the mystery. Perfect length at 12 5-8 page chapters.
December 15, 2014
This is book #14 of the Jigsaw Jones books, (although you don't have to read them in order to understand what happened before.) This (in my opinion) is one of the better ones I've read. I read them to my special needs teen age son and he usually enjoys them. Although this book had more pictures almost one per page which made it more interesting for him as a listener. That was SOOO nice... he was able to follow the story better than the others.
In this story Jigsaw (the young boy that is the detective) and his friend ride their bikes to the library. His friend has a hand me down bike that is rusty and worn out. As they are in the library they come back out and find out someone has stolen the rusty bike! So Jigsaw starts gathering clues to whom possibly could have stolen it and why. In this book (as in many) the author includes real life titles of books so children could find them in their own library to read. He instills in the reader the importance of a library and reading not just for school reports but also for 'fun'. There are other nice things within this book.
This book was wonderfully written with so many life lessons mixed into a charming book! Life Lessons a child never knew they were there (basically not just slap in the face 'this is how you act' ect.)
In this story Jigsaw (the young boy that is the detective) and his friend ride their bikes to the library. His friend has a hand me down bike that is rusty and worn out. As they are in the library they come back out and find out someone has stolen the rusty bike! So Jigsaw starts gathering clues to whom possibly could have stolen it and why. In this book (as in many) the author includes real life titles of books so children could find them in their own library to read. He instills in the reader the importance of a library and reading not just for school reports but also for 'fun'. There are other nice things within this book.
This book was wonderfully written with so many life lessons mixed into a charming book! Life Lessons a child never knew they were there (basically not just slap in the face 'this is how you act' ect.)
March 24, 2015
Book #14 from James Prellers' A Jigsaw Jones Mystery is about a young boy named Ralphie who rides a hand me down bicycle. One day they were riding down to the library having to stop every now and then to fix Ralphies bike since the chain constantly fell off, Soon after their library visit they noticed that Ralphies bike was stole!
The Case of the Bicycle Bandit is a great story for young readers, the Author James Preller does a fantastic job in building suspense in a reader. The story overall was well written and well thought out. I did notice that most of the Jigsaw books have a similar story line to them. This book would do very well in a classroom since it helps build emotions in young readers and would be followed by some very interesting and great questions for students to answer. The book is not boring nor dull and was very fun to read. The illustrations of this book fall under borders and are all drawn out in pencil, however the cover page was created on a computer program. I would recommend the Jigsaw Jones Mystery collection to students in the elementary school level.
The Case of the Bicycle Bandit is a great story for young readers, the Author James Preller does a fantastic job in building suspense in a reader. The story overall was well written and well thought out. I did notice that most of the Jigsaw books have a similar story line to them. This book would do very well in a classroom since it helps build emotions in young readers and would be followed by some very interesting and great questions for students to answer. The book is not boring nor dull and was very fun to read. The illustrations of this book fall under borders and are all drawn out in pencil, however the cover page was created on a computer program. I would recommend the Jigsaw Jones Mystery collection to students in the elementary school level.
June 27, 2009
This is classic Jigsaw Jones. I love the way that the author is able to take a regular event (a missing / potentially stolen bike) and turn it into a humorous mystery, with plenty of suspicious characters. I also love the way he makes the ending not be what you think it's going to be. This is one of my favorite series, which I always go back to whenever I've read mediocre books in other series. Recommended for kids in 1-3 grade, depending on reading level, and anyone who likes a good old fashioned mystery.
February 12, 2011
The Jigsaw Jones series showcases the detective work of Jigsaw Jones and his friend Mila with humor, gadgets and of course clues to help the reader solve the case along with Jigsaw. In The Case of the Bicycle Bandit, their friend Rusty's old, broken down, hand me down bicycle has been stolen and the thief and motive are not what you might expect.
October 30, 2013
DRA Level 30.
Ralphie comes out of the library and discovers that his old, raggedy bicycle is missing, but Jigsaw's new bicycle is still in place. Jigsaw Jones and Mila use clues and good observation to find who stole Ralphie's bicycle. The story ends with a surprising twist.
This book is great for 3rd grade.
Ralphie comes out of the library and discovers that his old, raggedy bicycle is missing, but Jigsaw's new bicycle is still in place. Jigsaw Jones and Mila use clues and good observation to find who stole Ralphie's bicycle. The story ends with a surprising twist.
This book is great for 3rd grade.
January 21, 2011
All I can say is Jigsaw Jones is no Encyclopedia Brown. Your average second-grader might disagree with my assessment, though.
February 15, 2014
Great transition book from picture to chapter books. I love the humorous mystery.
May 15, 2015
Read with my 3rd grade reading group at school.
September 26, 2016
Good degree of difficulty (i.e., not much, but challenging enough) to keep my six- and nine-year-old engaged and guessing.
January 20, 2017
quick read with the kids... these are all kind of the same but my kids enjoy them
January 20, 2009
This was an awesome case.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews