Great American Mysteries

School Library Journal

YA-- Got a minute? That's plenty of time for reading one of the 38 mysteries in this collection. Readers will find out what really happened the day Lizzie Borden's parents died, and what incident stopped the Salem Witchcraft trials. They'll also learn more about the abominable snowman, the Bermuda Triangle, ghosts, and psychics. These stories--told in a manner somewhere between ``just the facts, ma'am,'' and ``golly, gee whiz''--are fast to the punch with nary a word wasted. The style might lend itself to replication by English or journalism students. This treasure trove for graduates of Daniel Cohen and others who favor fast and easy reads is a real find for reluctant readers.-- Barbara R. Hawkins, West Potomac High School, Fairfax, VA