Max Finder Mystery Collected Casebook Volume 1

Max Finder is a self-described fact collector — the more obscure, the better. There’s nothing the brainy 12-year-old likes better than to apply his talent for trivia to solving mysteries. But even with his growing reputation as a junior Sam Spade, Max still relies on his best friend and partner in crime, the spunky Alison Santos, to help crack each of his cases. In this exciting collection, Max and Alison also need the help of the reader to solve ten puzzling crimes. From a stereo-smashing hooligan to a mysterious art attack to the White Pine Werewolf, each case is crammed with clues, stuffed with suspects, and riddled with red herrings. Budding sleuths can hone their crime-solving skills by cracking message mix-ups, unscrambling suspect’s names, and deciphering fishy warnings. The solutions are in the back of the book — but real detectives never peek.

Children's Literature

Wow! What a great book for young detectives! Max Finder and his sidekick Alison will take on any case and solve it. Here, they solve ten mysteries, which are accompanied by ten puzzles. The reader is given clues throughout each mystery. Each page also has boxes in which the narrator provides extra information. The first box for in each one contains a fact that has nothing to do with the mystery, but rather provides information about the topic. For example, the first fact given in "The Bicycle Bandit" is that there are more than a billion bikes in the world. Each case offers up lots of clues in both the text and the illustrations. Detailed case solutions are found at the back of the book, including who, how and the conclusion. The puzzle answers are very thorough, too. However, I didn't understand why the characters' information is at the end of the book. It seems as if it would have been better provided at the beginning. Written in graphic format, this book is especially well-suited to those who are reluctant readers and never seem to finish a book on their own. It is also a wonderful way to introduce a less well-known genre to young people. Young readers who want to read anything they can get their hands on will enjoy the graphics and fast-paced text. The full-color graphics make an enormous impact on the story. Kids will want to read all of the "Max Finder Mystery" volumes after reading this one. Reviewer: Kathie M. Josephs

Liam O’Donnell is a Toronto based author of graphic novels including System Shock and Blackbeard’s Last Stand. He often writes about literacy and education for national magazines and influences young minds daily as a first grade teacher.

Michael Cho is a graduate of the Ontario College of Art and Design and has illustrated several children’s books including Media Madness: An Insider Guide to Media. He is currently devoting his time to writing and drawing more comics. He lives in Toronto with his wife, fellow illustrator Claudia Davila, and daughter.