Encyclopedia Brown
Who would want to be called just plain ol' Leroy Brown when you could be known as Encyclopedia Brown? Smarter than most adults and a heck of a lot cleverer than his peers, Encyclopedia has an active imagination, a head full of facts and figures, and a yen to solve mysteries, Encyclopedia Brown is a favorite detective series with young readers and a great choice for kids in grades 3 to 5.
Author Donald Sobol created the Encyclopedia Brown series in 1963. Aside from thrilling millions of youngsters with a multitude of adventures, the book series was also translated into a short-lived TV series for the HBO network in the late 1980s.
Unlike most detectives, Encyclopedia Brown works cheap. His fee is 25 cents a day, plus expenses. Most mystery stories keep readers in the dark until the final pages. These adventures begin with Brown solving a case within the first chapter of each book. From there, the reader is invited to solve the case themselves based on the facts presented in each chapter. If young readers get stumped, they can always turn to the back of the book and discover the solution to the mysteries.
Helping Encyclopedia on his cases is his friend, Sally Kimball. Sally is a tomboy and a fearless friend. Just the kind of pal that a young detective needs to help him track down clues.
In their seaside town of Idaville, Florida, Encyclopedia and Sally discovers that mysteries have no boundaries. The pint-sized Encyclopedia uses his computer-like brain to solve the most mysterious of puzzles.
Just as Sherlock Holmes had his Moriarty, Encyclopedia has his nemesis, too. Bugs Meany, the neighborhood bully, and Wilford Wiggins (who is always trying to trick kids out of their lunch money and allowances) often become targets of Encyclopedia's keen mind and clever detection.
Encyclopedia's papa is none other than Idaville's Chief of Police. Chief Brown is justifiably proud of his son's cracking tough cases. Who wouldn't be? If all 5th graders were as good at solving crimes as Encyclopedia, the world would sure be a nicer place to live!
The Encyclopedia Brown series includes:
Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective, 1963
Encyclopedia Brown Strikes Again, 1965
Encyclopedia Brown Finds the Clues,1966
Encyclopedia Brown Gets His Man,1967
Encyclopedia Brown Solves Them All, 1968
Encyclopedia Brown Keeps The Peace, 1969
Encyclopedia Brown Saves the Day, 1970
Encyclopedia Brown Tracks Them Down, 1971
Encyclopedia Brown Shows the Way, 1972
Encyclopedia Brown Takes the Case, 1973
Encyclopedia Brown Lends a Hand, 1974
Encyclopedia Brown: The Case of the Dead Eagles, 1975
Encyclopedia Brown: The Case of the Midnight Visitor, 1977
Encyclopedia Brown Carries On, 1980
Encyclopedia Brown Sets the Pace, 1981
Encyclopedia Brown Takes the Cake, 1982
Encyclopedia Brown: The Case of the Mysterious Handprints, 1985
Encyclopedia Brown: The Case of the Treasure Hunt, 1988
Encyclopedia Brown: The Case of the Disgusting Sneakers, 1990
Encyclopedia Brown: The Case of the Two Spies, 1995
Encyclopedia Brown: The Case of Pablo's Nose, 1996
Encyclopedia Brown: The Case of the Sleeping Dog, 1998
Encyclopedia Brown: The Case of the Slippery Salamander, 2000
Encyclopedia Brown: The Case of the Jumping Frogs, 2005
Encyclopedia Brown Cracks the Case, 2007
