The Children’s Book Review: The Fish Stick Detective
Dr. Jen Harrison currently teaches writing and literature at East Stroudsburg University. She also provides freelance writing, editing, and tuition services as the founder of Read.Write.Perfect. She completed her Ph.D. in Children’s and Victorian Literature at Aberystwyth University in Wales, in the UK. After a brief spell in administration, Jen then trained as a secondary school English teacher and worked for several years teaching Secondary School English, working independently as a private tutor of English, and working in nursery and primary schools. She is an editor for the peer-reviewed journal of children’s literature, Jeunesse, and publishes academic work on children’s non-fiction, YA speculative fiction, and the posthuman.
Quirky and fun, The Fish Stick Detective uses humor and the glamor of noir detective fiction to deliver interesting scientific facts to readers.
Dame Jane Great-Dane has an emergency: the Neil Diamond has been stolen! Only three dinner guests were present when the magnificent jewel disappeared: Sir Humboldt Penn-Gwynn, Sir Struthio Camelus, and Lady Javan Magpie. All three are involved in the diamond trade, but none have a motive for stealing the gem. Nevertheless, while Dame Jane’s back was turned, the salad and the gemstone both disappeared at once. This is clearly a case for the Fish Stick Detective! With his sharp eye for clues and the help of an ornithologist expert, Hake Pollock is sure to come up with the solution to this mystery—and, more importantly, the diamond.
While working through the clues with the fedora-wearing detective, readers will learn about the habits, habitats, and behaviors of three bird species (the suspects). The detective mystery format encourages readers to adopt a questioning, investigative approach to facts and science. At the same time, the subtle humor also invites them to look for multiple meanings in the text, encouraging strong literacy skills. Comic-style digital illustrations further invite readers to hunt for clues and hidden meanings.
The Fish Stick Detective is a fun and educational way for young readers to develop their deductive skills in nature and science.