FICTION

The Magic Box

by L. M. FALCONE
illus. by Kim Smith. 88p. (The Ghost and Max Monroe: Bk. 1). Kids Can. 2014. Tr $12.95. ISBN 9781771381536; pap. $6.95. ISBN 9781771380171.
COPY ISBN
Gr 2–4—Max is spending the summer with his eccentric grandfather, who lives in a spooky old house that Max loves. One day, as the child is out exploring, he finds a small, run-down house with a sign that reads, "The Monroe Detective Agency." That's how he learns that he had a great-uncle who was a detective. Poor Larry died with a bad reputation and a broken heart. Now he is a crying ghost who wishes for a second chance to show that he is more than a "bumbling detective." With Max as his partner, Larry gets his chance. Marty the magician calls the agency with an emergency and they are off to solve the case. This beginning chapter book will engage youngsters who like mysteries mixed with silly characters. Black-and-white line drawings add a comic edge.—Annette Herbert, F. E. Smith Elementary School, Cortland, NY
During a stay with his grandpa Harry, Max Monroe discovers that Great-Uncle Larry was a detective who died having never solved a case. When a birthday girl disappears in the magician's box at her party, Max and ghost Larry step up to solve the case. Slow pacing hinders the quirky supernatural detective story, but silly black-and-white illustrations complement the text.
Reviewed by Annette Herbert , Oct 01, 2014

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