Dead Guys Talk

September 1, 2006
Gr 1-3 -Willie and his sidekicks, Lucy and Kyle, solve another mystery in this fifth entry in the series. Developers are planning to tear down Oak Hill Cemetery, and anonymous notes indicate that its inhabitants would prefer not to move. Concerned that their client is a ghost or a corpse, Willie and friends hire their arch-enemy and neighborhood bully, Chuckie, for -24-hour protection - just in case. Mild slapstick humor and a talking parrot help bring the case to a satisfactory conclusion. Numerous black-and-white illustrations, some full page, accompany the text. Joosse stays in safe, comfortable territory with daylight cemetery visits and plenty of humor infused to keep situations light, while Chuckie -s entrepreneurial spirit (he charges for information as well as protection) adds a subplot to this detective tale. This isn -t an essential purchase, but it -s a decent choice for readers looking for easy chapter books." -Caitlin Augusta, The Darien Library, CT"

Copyright 2006 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2006
Gr. 3-5. An anonymous message leads Willie, Lucy, and Kyle (aka the Scarface Detectives) to the local cemetery, where a note from the dead asks them to stop the sale of their resting place. Spooked by the setting and baffled by the question of who wrote the message, the three maintain their cool long enough to hire the school bully as their bodyguard. Soon they identify the villain and plan a daring scheme to set things right. Given the relatively small cast of characters, readers shouldn't have too much trouble identifying the villain. The real fun is in hanging out with the young detectives as they talk among themselves, carry out their plans, and discover the truth. Written in the first person from Willie's point of view, the story moves along quickly to a satisfying conclusion. Quirky black-and-white pictures with a sprinkling of amusing details illustrate the tale. Like previous Wild Willie mysteries, this will grab new readers as well as those familiar with the series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)