Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Judy Moody, Girl Detective
Illustrator: Peter H. Reynolds
Fiction Series
For ages 6 to 9
Candlewick Press, 2011 ISBN: 978-0763643492
Judy Moody is reading her way through all fifty-six of the original Nancy Drew mysteries. It is therefore no wonder that Judy is now in a mystery-solving mood. Judy Moody is going to become a detective, and she sets off to find a mystery of her own.
After putting together her detective kit, Judy solves the mystery of her stolen gummy candy, and then, at school the next day, she solves the mystery of the missing glasses. Clearly she is on a roll. Judy takes a break from her detective work to attend a special all-school assembly, which is where she (and all the other students at the school) get to meet Officer Kopp and his police dog-in-training, Mr. Chips. The students are all charmed by Mr. Chips, an affectionate and incredibly smart chocolate Lab puppy. They are therefore appalled when they hear, the very next day, that Mr. Chips is missing.
Judy, her brother Stink, and Judy’s two friends set about trying to find out what happened to Mr. Chips. They check out the scene of the crime and follow clues. Judy even creates Lost Dog signs offering a reward to the person who finds Mr. Chips.
When Mr. Chips is sighted at the Speedy Mart, Judy and her team check things out and they become convinced that a green van is somehow connected to Mr. Chips’ disappearance. Are Mr. Chips’ kidnappers in the van? How are the young detectives going to find out who the van belongs to, and will they be able to find Mr. Chips and return him to Officer Kopp?
Young readers who have an interest in solving mysteries are going to thoroughly enjoy this ninth title in the Judy Moody series. It is hard not to laugh at the things Judy does to try to solve the mystery of the missing dog, and readers might even be tempted to try to guess what happened to Mr. Chips themselves.
At the back of the book there is an additional short mystery tale to read.
