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Edgar Allan's Official Crime Investigation Notebook
First Slurpy is fishnapped, then other things from Mrs. Blackwell's room start to disappear. Odder still, whoever is committing these crimes leaves a note written in poetry. This story puts writing, friendship, and mystery into a short, chapter book.
176 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2010
22 people are currently reading
687 people want to read
About the author
Mary Amato
32 books222 followersI write fiction for young adults and children and enjoy connecting with my readers. Adults (ages 18 and up) who are interested in writing, please check out my Meditative Art/Writing Workouts, a donation-based twice monthly online group.
https://www.maryamato.com/meditative-...
https://www.maryamato.com/meditative-...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 125 reviews
August 14, 2019
This book is very terrific.
April 17, 2011
1/4/11-Diane, the Book Fairy, put this one in my box...
4/1/11 I'm reading it aloud to my class. Many of them have been keeping clue books. They all have theories as to who the culprit is. We have been having so much fun with it! I love to look out over my book and see just how interested my entire class is (even my slug-children!).
4/14/11-They groan when I put it down. They cheer when I pick it up. What more could you ask of a read aloud book? Just like I said above, I love looking over the edge of my book and seeing my Stars so engrossed. We just found out 'who done it' and most of the class was surprised. This is THE PERFECT book to read in poetry month! What fun! Thanks to Diane for the suggestion.
4/1/11 I'm reading it aloud to my class. Many of them have been keeping clue books. They all have theories as to who the culprit is. We have been having so much fun with it! I love to look out over my book and see just how interested my entire class is (even my slug-children!).
4/14/11-They groan when I put it down. They cheer when I pick it up. What more could you ask of a read aloud book? Just like I said above, I love looking over the edge of my book and seeing my Stars so engrossed. We just found out 'who done it' and most of the class was surprised. This is THE PERFECT book to read in poetry month! What fun! Thanks to Diane for the suggestion.
June 8, 2022
Extremely fun and well-written mystery! My students loved trying to figure out who the thief was, and they also enjoyed trying to solve the riddle poems Edgar and his classmates wrote. Lots of life lessons in this short book, all handled in a delicate and touching manner. As a lover of poetry, I also appreciated the nods to various poets throughout the book. I would definitely recommend this book to lower elementary classrooms!
February 13, 2014
This book surprised me. I have loved other books by Mary Amato, so I was expecting good things. However, as I started out...I wasn't so sure. Something that distinctly bothers me in children's books is when the children do not really sound like children. I can't stand it when the writing feels like something out of the television show "The Wonder Years," all retrospective and self-analytical. When I began "Edgar Allan's Official Crime Investigation Notebook," my first thought was the the poetry written by the children was overall above and beyond what I would expect in my elementary school. I also thought that my third graders, who will be reading this book in a early morning book group starting this Friday morning, might find the initial discussion of not only poetry, but also mystery investigations to be downright cheesy.
This book has been difficult to promote to my students because it is somewhat vague in its blurb: classroom fish gets stolen and poetry is left in its place! Read all about Edgar trying to solve the mystery before his classmate Patrick! Oooh--yeah, not doing it for me.
This is where the surprise comes in. As I read I discovered that the main characters are well-developed, the poetry is interesting and plentiful, and the story is chock full of allusions to important poets and poems. The multiple mysteries presented to the children are at least engaging, despite how obvious the culprit was for an adult reader. (Waiting to see how fast the kids catch on!) In fact, the plot of the story is actually quite clever, with a lot of tidbits for kids to think about and chew on. My feeling is that kids will be delightfully surprised with not only the answer to the mystery, but also how it was solved!
The combination of the mystery and poetry works very well! Almost immediately, Edgar is observing and writing poetically, although in the plot he only appears to be sort of complaining--first about a boy in his class, and then about his family. But with each instance of Edgar's journal writing, Edgar and his classmates are not only writing and reading poetry, they are learning about the point of poetry. Edgar makes observations of small details which leads him to empathy for his classmates and adults much like poetry uses striking details to focus and highlight emotions surrounding a subject.
This is a quick and engaging read for boys and girls alike. It keeps the "I need the book to practically turn the pages itself" crowd happy as well as those who like something to think about. Most importantly for me, this book demonstrates the meaning and purpose of poetry over and over again while at the same time using actual snippets from popular poetry such as "The Fog" by Carl Sandburg. Fun book!
This book has been difficult to promote to my students because it is somewhat vague in its blurb: classroom fish gets stolen and poetry is left in its place! Read all about Edgar trying to solve the mystery before his classmate Patrick! Oooh--yeah, not doing it for me.
This is where the surprise comes in. As I read I discovered that the main characters are well-developed, the poetry is interesting and plentiful, and the story is chock full of allusions to important poets and poems. The multiple mysteries presented to the children are at least engaging, despite how obvious the culprit was for an adult reader. (Waiting to see how fast the kids catch on!) In fact, the plot of the story is actually quite clever, with a lot of tidbits for kids to think about and chew on. My feeling is that kids will be delightfully surprised with not only the answer to the mystery, but also how it was solved!
The combination of the mystery and poetry works very well! Almost immediately, Edgar is observing and writing poetically, although in the plot he only appears to be sort of complaining--first about a boy in his class, and then about his family. But with each instance of Edgar's journal writing, Edgar and his classmates are not only writing and reading poetry, they are learning about the point of poetry. Edgar makes observations of small details which leads him to empathy for his classmates and adults much like poetry uses striking details to focus and highlight emotions surrounding a subject.
This is a quick and engaging read for boys and girls alike. It keeps the "I need the book to practically turn the pages itself" crowd happy as well as those who like something to think about. Most importantly for me, this book demonstrates the meaning and purpose of poetry over and over again while at the same time using actual snippets from popular poetry such as "The Fog" by Carl Sandburg. Fun book!
February 24, 2011
When the class goldfish gets stolen and the thief leaves a poem announcing the crime, Edgar begins investigating the burglary. He keeps notes about his interviews of suspects, ideas about the crime, and reflections on his investigation.
Great book for teaching about poetry and making friends when you least suspect it.
Great book for teaching about poetry and making friends when you least suspect it.
June 5, 2023
This is cute overall but it starts out a bit hard to read: Main Character wants to solve the crime but does a bad job of it, and Rival seems to have the Sherlock Holmes touch... in retrospect, that's kind of nice, having characters who struggle and/or are flawed, vs. everything going exactly perfectly like with Encyclopedia Brown or whoever.
I did figure out if not the exact suspect but that it was a bit of a setup, though I do also appreciate the middle parts and the bit at the end where they go outside of the case and just relate to each other as equals, too.
I did figure out if not the exact suspect but that it was a bit of a setup, though I do also appreciate the middle parts and the bit at the end where they go outside of the case and just relate to each other as equals, too.
July 31, 2019
I started reading this book with great anticipation, clever title, a mystery based on poetry... I was excited. However, the first few chapters didn't really capture me. It wasn't until the students started writing poetry that the book really caught fire and became charming. I will be using this with my students as we study poetry this year. The characters grow and have deep emotions. I look forward to using it!
April 29, 2020
When one of the class pets is stolen, Edgar decides to take the case. Soon it's a race between him and a copycat rival to solve the mystery. The story includes pages from Edgar Allen's titular notebook, including interviews and speculations. At the same time, we get in on some of his homework assignments, so there's an interesting smattering of poetry and creative writing folded in. And it all works together. I was impressed by the balance Amato struck. Good stuff.
January 16, 2018
It takes a brilliant writer to craft a book that does the following:
Makes me laugh out loud, repeatedly.
Weaves poetry by 19th century literary giants into a page-turning plotline.
Addresses the theme of the power of secrets in a wonderfully satisfying ending.
Mary Amato is just such a writer. Both reluctant and avid readers will love this little gem of a book.
Makes me laugh out loud, repeatedly.
Weaves poetry by 19th century literary giants into a page-turning plotline.
Addresses the theme of the power of secrets in a wonderfully satisfying ending.
Mary Amato is just such a writer. Both reluctant and avid readers will love this little gem of a book.
May 4, 2021
Currently reading this to my class for our mystery unit. This book has gotten lots of giggles from them and we are having fun creating theories about who committed the crime and how.
This book would also be great for introducing poetry!
This book would also be great for introducing poetry!
August 1, 2018
Clever use of names to refer to other famous poets. Good transformation of protagonist. Illustrates compassion towards others. Fosters love of poetry.
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June 29, 2020Very cute book with poetry woven throughout it. I might have to use this book as a read aloud this coming school year.
April 25, 2025
Not very well written. Pacing is slow. Character development is sudden. The author doesn't give the correct definition of 'metaphor'.
December 17, 2025
Possibly 4.5, since I'm not the intended audience--see https://www.eatreadandbemommy.com/202... for details!
September 9, 2020
Read this on the recommendation of my niece, who has read this book 3 times. It was a cute book, but felt a little like an English teacher wrote it to teach students about poetry. I don't think I'll add it my collection, but it's a decent book for mystery-loving kids.
November 18, 2014
Very Ambitious, and Mostly Successful
At its most basic level this is a school daze mystery story. Things have been stolen from Edgar's fifth grade classroom, starting with the theft of the class goldfish. In its place is a note from the thief, a poem actually, bragging about the theft. Edgar is on the case and starts to investigate. But his classmate Patrick has started a rival investigation, and Patrick is making a lot more progress a lot more quickly than is Edgar.
So, at first blush this looks like it will be an agreeable but pretty predictable school mystery. There are lots of them around, for every level of reader, and many of them are fine. But wait. There's more going on here than you might suspect. This is also a very ambitious teaching book that has a strong and consistent teaching purpose. The reader of this mystery is also going to learn a lot about, and maybe even be inspired to read and write more, poetry.
The school daze book that also teaches occupies a comfy if small niche. There are books that have a math theme. (I'm thinking of, say, Colin Davies's "Mathamagical..."). A particular favorite is Ron Koertge's "Shakespeare Bats Cleanup", in which a bored junior high student stuck at home with mono picks up a poetry book from his dad's den and gets hooked on the Bard. But, I've never encountered a book for this young a bunch of readers that's this good at encouraging a love, (or at least a better understanding), of a subject like poetry.
In this book, the mystery clues are found in poems left at the scene. The class's language arts teacher is beginning a term on poetry and he incorporates the mystery into his lessons and bases some lessons on the mystery. We follow the kids as they learn about metaphor and simile and try to write their own poems, and a lot of this circles back to the point that the kids are writing poems about the mystery. This sounds forced or a bit precious but it isn't. It is handled so subtly and well that the kids' sudden awakening to the possibility of poetry as truth feels honest. The teacher says that a poem is a gift and that a poem is a mystery and the kids all respond to the idea of poetic mystery, and even start reading between the lines of the poems written by their classmates. (For example, a poem written by one girl about a lonely weeping willow opens Edgar's eyes to the fact that his classmate is sad because her best friend has left her for a new best friend. That's pretty heady stuff for this age group.)
While the poetry angle works well the author also loads in a lot of angst on Edgar's part about always being beaten to the punch by Mr. Perfect Patrick, and that gets old even if it is resolved toward the end of the book. All of Edgar's classmates conveniently just fall right into line to suit the plot in terms of buying into the poetry lessons, beginning to work together, fixing broken friendships, and so on. But that stuff isn't bad, it's just unconvincing and not strictly necessary. (Although, you could level the same sort of gripe about "War and Peace", so what do I know?)
But plot points and character development are not the heart of the book, and these are just minor quibbles anyway. The bottom line is that this ambitious book works, it holds interest, it tries to accomplish something new and valuable, it makes poetry appealing, and it has a basically sweet and affirmative vibe. That works for me.
Please note that I found this book while browsing the local library's Kindle books, and downloaded it for free. I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.
At its most basic level this is a school daze mystery story. Things have been stolen from Edgar's fifth grade classroom, starting with the theft of the class goldfish. In its place is a note from the thief, a poem actually, bragging about the theft. Edgar is on the case and starts to investigate. But his classmate Patrick has started a rival investigation, and Patrick is making a lot more progress a lot more quickly than is Edgar.
So, at first blush this looks like it will be an agreeable but pretty predictable school mystery. There are lots of them around, for every level of reader, and many of them are fine. But wait. There's more going on here than you might suspect. This is also a very ambitious teaching book that has a strong and consistent teaching purpose. The reader of this mystery is also going to learn a lot about, and maybe even be inspired to read and write more, poetry.
The school daze book that also teaches occupies a comfy if small niche. There are books that have a math theme. (I'm thinking of, say, Colin Davies's "Mathamagical..."). A particular favorite is Ron Koertge's "Shakespeare Bats Cleanup", in which a bored junior high student stuck at home with mono picks up a poetry book from his dad's den and gets hooked on the Bard. But, I've never encountered a book for this young a bunch of readers that's this good at encouraging a love, (or at least a better understanding), of a subject like poetry.
In this book, the mystery clues are found in poems left at the scene. The class's language arts teacher is beginning a term on poetry and he incorporates the mystery into his lessons and bases some lessons on the mystery. We follow the kids as they learn about metaphor and simile and try to write their own poems, and a lot of this circles back to the point that the kids are writing poems about the mystery. This sounds forced or a bit precious but it isn't. It is handled so subtly and well that the kids' sudden awakening to the possibility of poetry as truth feels honest. The teacher says that a poem is a gift and that a poem is a mystery and the kids all respond to the idea of poetic mystery, and even start reading between the lines of the poems written by their classmates. (For example, a poem written by one girl about a lonely weeping willow opens Edgar's eyes to the fact that his classmate is sad because her best friend has left her for a new best friend. That's pretty heady stuff for this age group.)
While the poetry angle works well the author also loads in a lot of angst on Edgar's part about always being beaten to the punch by Mr. Perfect Patrick, and that gets old even if it is resolved toward the end of the book. All of Edgar's classmates conveniently just fall right into line to suit the plot in terms of buying into the poetry lessons, beginning to work together, fixing broken friendships, and so on. But that stuff isn't bad, it's just unconvincing and not strictly necessary. (Although, you could level the same sort of gripe about "War and Peace", so what do I know?)
But plot points and character development are not the heart of the book, and these are just minor quibbles anyway. The bottom line is that this ambitious book works, it holds interest, it tries to accomplish something new and valuable, it makes poetry appealing, and it has a basically sweet and affirmative vibe. That works for me.
Please note that I found this book while browsing the local library's Kindle books, and downloaded it for free. I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.
March 1, 2015
I really, really enjoyed this book, and I look forward to using it with students to explore the genres of mystery and poetry. Edgar Allan shows up to school one morning to learn that the classroom goldfish has been stolen, and whoever committed the crime left nothing behind but a poem. The students in the class are immediately interested in trying to solve the mystery. Edgar keeps track of his thoughts in a notebook, and there are many profound revelations that he has along the way as he is attempting to crack the case. Here is is one my favorite entries and examples of this: "I know that everything has to die, but sometimes I wonder why it has to be that way? Why can't it be that everything lives a really long time? Like hundreds of years?...I just looked at my own hand holding this pencil, and I thought, some day I'm going to die and this hand will turn to bones. I think there's something in me that's stronger than bones. My spirit. I don't think it has any one place in my body where it lives. I think it swirls and floats and zips around inside me. It's the moving part of me, the part that feels." Edgar had these thoughts as he attempted to rule out a classmate as a suspect in the crime, so while it stemmed from the mystery, it is significantly more pronounced than just that. More mysterious things disappear as the book goes on, and it is fun to try and guess the culprit right alongside the characters. I also appreciated that one of the main messages that flows through the book is: "A poem is a gift." I have never quite found the appeal of poetry, but this book somehow helped to ignite this interest. I absolutely love when Edgar's language arts teacher is teaching a poetry lesson to the students and asks: "Why do you think some poets use meter or rhyme?" One of the students responds that, "It's like a heartbeat," to which Mr. Crew replies: "Yes! Rhythm is all around us and IN us. The heartbeat is the first thing we hear, even before we're born. We hear our mother's heartbeat and it connects us." There is something about that idea that strongly resonates with me. It's so very true, and yet it isn't a connection that I had ever made or thought of before. This will be a book that I believe I will continue to revisit over the years.
September 28, 2012
Just read it. Seriously.
This was the first book on the Volunteer State Book awards nominee list that appealled to my 7- and 9-year old daughters (crime & mystery lovers); although we ended up reading others first. Why? Because the wait for this one at the library was long. (That should tell you everything you need to know about this book!) I ended up reading it first and was really glad I did. By the time I was done (in less than a day), my 9-year old was grabbing it out of my hands. I suspect she's upstairs, under the covers, with the flashlight her little brother was toting around earlier.
This book reminded me a lot of "Word After Word After Word" by Patricia MacLachlan (which is excellent too!), but it's got some pluses to it that make me wonder about my rating on Word After Word. Edgar Allan is lighter and funnier, but still has some kids dealing with some pretty heavy topics (death, divorce). The kids in Edgar Allan are more believable as kids than the kids in Word After Word. Both books deal with teaching kids poetry and the use of words as a way to express themselves and change the world. (The message of changing their own worlds through words is less blatant in Edgar Allan, but it is most certainly happens by the end of the book.)
At the end of this book, the author included some extra mysteries for the reader to figure out. What writer and poet is Edgar Allan named for? Who are Ms. Barrett and Mr. Browning named for? The four poems left by the thief are based on four famous poems by famous poets. Can you figure out who they are? Even though I knew some of the answers, there were a couple that had me running to the computer to solve! Nothing's better than a book that gets you involved!!!
This was the first book on the Volunteer State Book awards nominee list that appealled to my 7- and 9-year old daughters (crime & mystery lovers); although we ended up reading others first. Why? Because the wait for this one at the library was long. (That should tell you everything you need to know about this book!) I ended up reading it first and was really glad I did. By the time I was done (in less than a day), my 9-year old was grabbing it out of my hands. I suspect she's upstairs, under the covers, with the flashlight her little brother was toting around earlier.
This book reminded me a lot of "Word After Word After Word" by Patricia MacLachlan (which is excellent too!), but it's got some pluses to it that make me wonder about my rating on Word After Word. Edgar Allan is lighter and funnier, but still has some kids dealing with some pretty heavy topics (death, divorce). The kids in Edgar Allan are more believable as kids than the kids in Word After Word. Both books deal with teaching kids poetry and the use of words as a way to express themselves and change the world. (The message of changing their own worlds through words is less blatant in Edgar Allan, but it is most certainly happens by the end of the book.)
At the end of this book, the author included some extra mysteries for the reader to figure out. What writer and poet is Edgar Allan named for? Who are Ms. Barrett and Mr. Browning named for? The four poems left by the thief are based on four famous poems by famous poets. Can you figure out who they are? Even though I knew some of the answers, there were a couple that had me running to the computer to solve! Nothing's better than a book that gets you involved!!!
June 13, 2013
We finished this one off last night. It was just 'okay'. It seemed very promising with the whole classroom pet being stolen look of the cover but we didn't love it.
The main character has a great family (older brother, baby sister and two parents who work as therapy clowns) and is working through some jealousies with friendships so that all rings very true. He has a plan that he will solve the case and be universally loved for solving it and that read very well but the ending felt a little hollow to our 9-year old and 12-year old audience. We really liked the actual bones of the mystery and the way that interviews with 'suspects' were interjected throughout the text. The author ends the book with 5 or 6 neat mysteries that kids can follow up on after they finish the book and a lot of that was well planned and a neat treat at the end.
Overall we're just going to say that we liked the book but did not love it. I would think a grade 3 or 4 kid would like the book - boy or girl - and it is a good summer distraction for those kids but it will never make a top ten list. Not all books do and that's okay. The actual technical mystery behind the book is very strong and might inspire kids to write their own mysteries and that alone is worth checking this book out at the biblio.
The main character has a great family (older brother, baby sister and two parents who work as therapy clowns) and is working through some jealousies with friendships so that all rings very true. He has a plan that he will solve the case and be universally loved for solving it and that read very well but the ending felt a little hollow to our 9-year old and 12-year old audience. We really liked the actual bones of the mystery and the way that interviews with 'suspects' were interjected throughout the text. The author ends the book with 5 or 6 neat mysteries that kids can follow up on after they finish the book and a lot of that was well planned and a neat treat at the end.
Overall we're just going to say that we liked the book but did not love it. I would think a grade 3 or 4 kid would like the book - boy or girl - and it is a good summer distraction for those kids but it will never make a top ten list. Not all books do and that's okay. The actual technical mystery behind the book is very strong and might inspire kids to write their own mysteries and that alone is worth checking this book out at the biblio.
May 4, 2012
A short, simple book with more inside than just a mystery. There is a boy as well as his classmates who all are coping with something (death, loneliness, abandonment, divorce). It shows kids who are finding strengths, and teachers who are helping the kids find those strengths. It is a realistic POV of a child, and a great way to introduce younger readers to some literary (and other) stuff. I laughed to see the correlation between names of the characters and real-life "counterparts."
Examples: Art teacher = Ms. Cassatt. Math teacher - Ms. Herschel. Browning & Barrett. Boy who writes poetry and solving a mission = Edgar Allan (Poe anyone?). There were also the "re-makes" of poems that I recognized.
I was getting such smiles from these things, but wondering how much would just go over the kids' heads until I read the very end when Amato sends readers on solving the mysteries that will point some of these things out. I really liked that. I hope this will get kids/readers excited about not just poetry but other literary things and maybe school and education as well. A good Beehive nominee.
Examples: Art teacher = Ms. Cassatt. Math teacher - Ms. Herschel. Browning & Barrett. Boy who writes poetry and solving a mission = Edgar Allan (Poe anyone?). There were also the "re-makes" of poems that I recognized.
I was getting such smiles from these things, but wondering how much would just go over the kids' heads until I read the very end when Amato sends readers on solving the mysteries that will point some of these things out. I really liked that. I hope this will get kids/readers excited about not just poetry but other literary things and maybe school and education as well. A good Beehive nominee.
September 25, 2014
Edgar Allans Official Crime investagation notebook
By:Mary Anne
In my opinion Edger Allans Official Crime investagation Notebook is a very good book because it has lot of people in the story and because these two kids were trying to solve a crime at their school.The two kids went to school and when they got in their class their class pet was gone and everyone felt sad about the pet so one of the kids decided to figure out where it went.Then another kid decided to do the same thing and then the kid was solving the crime too and then the kid had a weakness where if someone does the samething as him he wold not solve the crime.Then at the end of the story three kids solve the crime and the other kid felt sad because he didn't solve the crime and he threw his notebook in the trash.Then one of the three kids went to the notebook and started to read it and he felt bad because what he read was that his parent's were divorce.Then the kid felt so sad he wanted to help him with his friends.Then teacher's birthday came and everyone wanted to write him a card for his birthday.Then when the teacher received the letter he loved it so much that everyone gave him his favorite box of tea.
By:Mary Anne
In my opinion Edger Allans Official Crime investagation Notebook is a very good book because it has lot of people in the story and because these two kids were trying to solve a crime at their school.The two kids went to school and when they got in their class their class pet was gone and everyone felt sad about the pet so one of the kids decided to figure out where it went.Then another kid decided to do the same thing and then the kid was solving the crime too and then the kid had a weakness where if someone does the samething as him he wold not solve the crime.Then at the end of the story three kids solve the crime and the other kid felt sad because he didn't solve the crime and he threw his notebook in the trash.Then one of the three kids went to the notebook and started to read it and he felt bad because what he read was that his parent's were divorce.Then the kid felt so sad he wanted to help him with his friends.Then teacher's birthday came and everyone wanted to write him a card for his birthday.Then when the teacher received the letter he loved it so much that everyone gave him his favorite box of tea.
October 19, 2012
Beehive Book Award Nominee. I found this mystery to be clever and fun to read. I was pretty sure I'd figured out who the theft was early on (I was right), but there were points when I doubted myself. I love that the teachers are portrayed as good teachers. I love the poetry infused throughout the book, particularly the references to famous poems and poets. Amato uses clever names... along with Edgar Allan, there is Mr. Browning and Ms. Barrett.
I particularly liked that Edgar makes friends and learns that helping others makes you happy too. At the end, he learns an especially good lesson:
"If every person saw every other person's sadness, then there couldn't ever be such a thing as a complete enemy because how can you totally hate somebody who you feel sorry for." (page 135)
Not that I think we should go around feeling sorry for others, but we should practice more compassion and realize that we all have our own difficulties, sorrows, etc.
I particularly liked that Edgar makes friends and learns that helping others makes you happy too. At the end, he learns an especially good lesson:
"If every person saw every other person's sadness, then there couldn't ever be such a thing as a complete enemy because how can you totally hate somebody who you feel sorry for." (page 135)
Not that I think we should go around feeling sorry for others, but we should practice more compassion and realize that we all have our own difficulties, sorrows, etc.
July 20, 2013
An engaging story about a classroom mystery, a teacher who 'teaches' through unique clues, and poetry bringing classmates together...thus everyone benefitting from a special gift. When Slurpy the classroom pet fish is stolen, the kids are sad, yet they are determined to find out who did it, and more importantly, why. Clues are gathered, evidence is examined, and the kids work together, but the thief seems to be trickier than ever, because the thefts keep right on happening right under their noses.
It takes some very careful deciphering on the part of Edgar and his new friends, Destiny and Taz to solve the mystery. And, were they ever in for a big surprise! Edgar Allen's Official Crime Investigation Notebook is part mystery, part adventure, and part friendship building through team work and trust. A fun mystery for everyone to solve!
A great read-aloud, especially for its kid-friendly suspense and use of different forms of poetry.
It takes some very careful deciphering on the part of Edgar and his new friends, Destiny and Taz to solve the mystery. And, were they ever in for a big surprise! Edgar Allen's Official Crime Investigation Notebook is part mystery, part adventure, and part friendship building through team work and trust. A fun mystery for everyone to solve!
A great read-aloud, especially for its kid-friendly suspense and use of different forms of poetry.
March 26, 2016
I read this as part of my self-challenge to read all the Caudill and Bluestem titles before school visits.
Edgar Allan and his classmates arrive to school one day to find the pet goldfish gone! Edgar immediately decides he will be the one to find the goldfish. A fellow classmate, Patrick, does the same thing. Suddenly, Edgar finds himself in a race to figure out the thief before Patrick does. And even worse, he's losing. How's he supposed to investigate while writing all this poetry for class anyway?
If I were a third or fourth grader, I'd love this book, hence the 5. It does a great job of introducing poetry to kids. The poems this teacher has the kids work on seem really fun. Furthermore, I really like how Edgar goes from being a loner to finding friends. Some of his observations are a little too astute for someone his age, but otherwise, I found the book pretty enjoyable and a breeze to read.
Edgar Allan and his classmates arrive to school one day to find the pet goldfish gone! Edgar immediately decides he will be the one to find the goldfish. A fellow classmate, Patrick, does the same thing. Suddenly, Edgar finds himself in a race to figure out the thief before Patrick does. And even worse, he's losing. How's he supposed to investigate while writing all this poetry for class anyway?
If I were a third or fourth grader, I'd love this book, hence the 5. It does a great job of introducing poetry to kids. The poems this teacher has the kids work on seem really fun. Furthermore, I really like how Edgar goes from being a loner to finding friends. Some of his observations are a little too astute for someone his age, but otherwise, I found the book pretty enjoyable and a breeze to read.
September 8, 2013
See my full review here: http://misstiffreads.blogspot.com/201...
Early one morning, a thief sneaks into Ms. Hershel's classroom, takes a goldfish and leaves a note. Now it is up to Edgar and his classmates to solve this mystery wrapped up in a poem. Edgar wants to be the one to find the thief, but perfect Patrick with his CSI-like father seems to be one step ahead of him. Meanwhile, the students are learning all about poetry, and dissecting the poetic clues left by the thief in Mr. Crews classroom where they learn that poetry is a gift, or maybe a mystery. The stolen items all add up to new friends for Edgar and a new appreciation for poetry in all its forms.
Early one morning, a thief sneaks into Ms. Hershel's classroom, takes a goldfish and leaves a note. Now it is up to Edgar and his classmates to solve this mystery wrapped up in a poem. Edgar wants to be the one to find the thief, but perfect Patrick with his CSI-like father seems to be one step ahead of him. Meanwhile, the students are learning all about poetry, and dissecting the poetic clues left by the thief in Mr. Crews classroom where they learn that poetry is a gift, or maybe a mystery. The stolen items all add up to new friends for Edgar and a new appreciation for poetry in all its forms.
March 12, 2024
I liked the concept and deeper message behind this book so I give it some credit for that, but over all it was poorly executed. The author tried to develop the characters but really didn't, or at least not in a believable way. More detail needed to be given to who they are and more seriousness should have been taken into account. The fact that Edgar's parents were both clowns really just took a lot away from the story for me and added to its stupidity.
*So I stupidly reread this book and before I even pulled it up I thought "This is a solid 2". Glad my thoughts haven't changed over the years. However, the worst part was that I chose to read it aloud to a group of kids!!!! Ugh, sorry for ruining your lunch for a few weeks kids.
*So I stupidly reread this book and before I even pulled it up I thought "This is a solid 2". Glad my thoughts haven't changed over the years. However, the worst part was that I chose to read it aloud to a group of kids!!!! Ugh, sorry for ruining your lunch for a few weeks kids.
December 16, 2011
When his classroom's pet fish is fishnapped one day, Edgar Allen becomes determined to solve the mystery of whodunit. The perp leaves a poem near the scene of the crime. As Edgar investigates his classmates, he finds out that a lot of them are fighting private battles like coping with a pet dying or being ditched by your best friend for another girl. There is a LOT of poetry stuff in the book, so much so that large chunks of it read like an English lesson. It was interesting for me to read but those sections will definitely lose some kids. Overall though, a solid choice for a thoughtful, language-oriented chapter book mystery reader.
August 11, 2016
Edgar is a very inquisitive and intelligent kid and when a mystery presents itself to be solved in his own classroom he's up for the challenge! He just has to watch out for Patrick Chen, who is trying to steal his thunder. However, it'll be Edgar's powers of observation and his new-found friendships will help him gain the advantage (hopefully!).
This is a cute and heartwarming mystery that is a great read for all ages. I hope it'll also stir an interest in poetry in those who read it. Keep an eye out for the famous references and enjoy the ride along with Edgar as he sniffs out the clues to solving this mystery!
This is a cute and heartwarming mystery that is a great read for all ages. I hope it'll also stir an interest in poetry in those who read it. Keep an eye out for the famous references and enjoy the ride along with Edgar as he sniffs out the clues to solving this mystery!
March 30, 2022
It was rather predictable, but I didn't mind. A series of thefts made in a teacher's classroom, with said teacher not seeming all that concerned by the thefts, and the language arts professor suddenly using the thief's poems as a way to teach his students about poetry... How could it not be one of the teachers?
I feel like the 5th graders in my school would be quick to pin it as an "inside job." Anyway, I actually enjoyed the poetry lessons embedded in this book and will recommend it to my students. Simple as the story was, I really liked it.
Side note-- these fifth-grade students write better poems than I do as a twenty-seven year old. Not sure how I feel about that.
I feel like the 5th graders in my school would be quick to pin it as an "inside job." Anyway, I actually enjoyed the poetry lessons embedded in this book and will recommend it to my students. Simple as the story was, I really liked it.
Side note-- these fifth-grade students write better poems than I do as a twenty-seven year old. Not sure how I feel about that.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 4, 2010
Edgar Allan's class arrives to school one day and discovers that someone has stolen the class goldfish, Slurpy. In his place they have left a poem. Over the next several days, this trend continues with different objects replaced by poems. Edgar Allan desperately wants to solve this mystery and decides to use his powers of observation to figure out who done it. His watchfulness leads him to discover interesting things about his classmates which ultimately leads Edgar to some confidence, friendship and empathy.
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