Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Small Readers: Katie Fry, Private Eye: The Lost Kitten by Katherine Cox, illustrated by Vanessa Brantley Newton

Although I'm mostly looking for very beginning easy readers these days, I do occasionally pick up a fun new series for more intermediate beginning readers.

Katie Fry is small but smart. She uses the clues she finds to solve mysteries. When she hears about a lost kitten, she knows it's a mystery she can solve. Sherlock the kitten gives her some clues and she follows them back to find his lost home - and even comes up with an idea so she and Sherlock don't have to part ways at the end of the story.

Vanessa Brantley Newton's art is bright and cheerful with lots of details, unusual for an easy reader. I've enjoyed her art in other books but felt like her art was more fun than the books themselves. Katie Fry is a good match for her peppy, colorful pictures though.

Katie is an upbeat, smart character who's clever without being snarky or annoying. I was a little thrown off by the switch from the everyday mysteries she's solved at the beginning to the talking kitten, but I don't think kids will care.

Verdict: Give this one to kids who aren't quite ready for Critter Club but like mysteries with animals and cute pictures.

ISBN: 9780545666725; Published 2015 by Scholastic; Review copy provided by publisher for Cybils; Donated to the library

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