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mon_ique's review against another edition
5.0
SO hilariously funny! Just...so.... great! ONe of my favs. Love this series already!!! Can't wait to read the new one.
kbhenrickson's review against another edition
4.0
Funny, slightly ridiculous mystery that also pokes fun (in a loving way) at Hardy Boys style detective stories, and it has librarians as an elite secret agent force - what's not to like?
quietjenn's review against another edition
2.0
maybe i was just in the wrong mood for it, as i found it neither funny nor mysterious.
librarybrods's review against another edition
5.0
Love Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys and Encyclopedia Brown? Steve Brixton is all this and more, in Mac Barnett's tribute to these iconic series. Brilliant, funny, ironic, and that's even before the secret agent librarians. I can't wait to read the next one.
jeffglade's review against another edition
4.0
Enjoyable references to the Hardy Boys. At times pretty unbelievable, but the kids loved it.
tami_provencher's review against another edition
2.0
I read this as a bedtime story with my kids. The main character, Steve Brixton, is a drop-dead fan of the Bailey Brothers Detective Series of books (kind of like the Hardy Boys—i.e. slightly outdated in terminology and theory). Steve does indeed have a gift for deduction—and proves it by inadvertently solving a baffling crime for his mother’s new boyfriend—a police detective, who dismisses Steve’s theory only to have it proved correct later on.
It firmly held the attention of my 8 & 9 year old. Chapters often end with skillful cliffhangers. There’s a nice little dash of intrigue surrounding the secret identity of librarians in the United States as an elite spy/secret-keeping force. It has some wonderfully clever and exciting moments. My biggest complaint is that there are several passages from the “Bailey Brothers” books inserted into the narrative. Unfortunately, most of these interruptions are just that without adding much to Steve’s story.
The conclusion is well-plotted and ultimately satisfying. In general the story holds a lot of promise but this installment of the series (in my opinion) never realizes its full potential. While there are definitely enjoyable moments I wouldn’t go out of my way to recommend this particular read.
It firmly held the attention of my 8 & 9 year old. Chapters often end with skillful cliffhangers. There’s a nice little dash of intrigue surrounding the secret identity of librarians in the United States as an elite spy/secret-keeping force. It has some wonderfully clever and exciting moments. My biggest complaint is that there are several passages from the “Bailey Brothers” books inserted into the narrative. Unfortunately, most of these interruptions are just that without adding much to Steve’s story.
The conclusion is well-plotted and ultimately satisfying. In general the story holds a lot of promise but this installment of the series (in my opinion) never realizes its full potential. While there are definitely enjoyable moments I wouldn’t go out of my way to recommend this particular read.
jwmcoaching's review against another edition
1.0
Not as sharp and funny as it could have been. Meh...
pkadams's review against another edition
3.0
A perfect read out loud for 2nd graders as a way of introducing them to the formulaic Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys! Mac Barnett pokes fun at the genre while staying true to it with Steve our boy wonder solving a couple of crimes while outwitting the bad guys. I'm interested to see what kids have to say about this book who haven't cut their teeth on Frank, Joe, and Nancy....
charlietheninth's review against another edition
3.0
I love all the in-jokey references here (the MacGuffin quilt!) and the ways this works to turn the Hardy Boys on its head. It's also at a bit of an easier level than I was expecting - a good step along with Dan Gutman's books for kids who are past Magic Tree House but not ready for a lot of the mammoth middle grade recently pubbed.
aklibrarychick's review against another edition
4.0
This mystery involved hilarious send-ups of both old fashioned detective stories (think Hardy Boys) and librarian stereotypes. I laughed a lot as I listened to this audiobook. Mac Barnett is always funny, and this book is no exception. This would be especially great for early and/or reluctant readers.