The Haunted Toolshed

August 14, 2006
This farcical romp launches the Joe Sherlock, Kid Detective series and marks Keane's children's book debut. Appropriately known by his surname alone, the boy narrator declares, "I was born with a natural gift for solving mysteries." Perhaps, yet this slapstick-laced story of his first case reveals some of Sherlock's bumbling moves, many of which are certainly chuckle-worthy. A perplexed neighbor hires Sherlock to get to the bottom of some curious goings-on: moaning noises emanate from his toolshed, and a bundt cake baked by the man's mother (who suffers from a case of flatulence) has mysteriously disappeared from the kitchen—as has his mother's glass eye. Sherlock, equipped with his sister Hailey's "Girl Chat Sleepover backpack" and matching walkie-talkie, sets off into the night to track down the culprit. His overactive imagination kicks in, and he suspects the Grim Reaper is tapping him on the back and that a Tyrannosaurus rex is going to snatch him up (and swallow him whole "like a Swedish meatball"). As Keane's comically convoluted plot proceeds, Hailey delivers some of the liveliest lines. Kids looking for a robust mystery may want to venture elsewhere, but reluctant readers will welcome the brief chapters (presented in large type), zany half-tone spot art (also by Keane) and zippy pace. More of Sherlock's shenanigans fill The Neighborhood Stink
(0-06-076187-3; paper 0-06-076186-5), due the same month. Ages 7-10.

July 1, 2006
Gr 2-5 -Fourth-grader Joe Sherlock aspires to follow in the footsteps of the famous Sherlock Holmes by solving local mysteries for $10 a day. He is endearing as he bumbles toward the solutions. In "The Haunted Toolshed", he attempts to discover who has been stealing things from his neighbor -s house, including a glass eyeball and a bundt cake. In "Neighborhood Stink", he -s called in to discover which local dog has been leaving a mess in a completely fenced-in yard and gets stuck in a dog door with only his -Inspector Wink-Wink - underpants on. Black-and-white cartoons add to the fun. Allusions to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle abound: Sherlock has an Uncle Mycroft and lives in the town of Baskerville. The gross-out factor is high in these easy chapter books -entire plots pivot on poop and flatulence, which will appeal to fans of Dav Pilkey -s -Captain Underpants - series (Scholastic)." -Kathleen Meulen, Blakely Elementary School, Bainbridge Island, WA"

Copyright 2006 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.