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Overview
Melonhead here—with more rules?! I already have the Remind-O-Rama list from my mom, which reminds me what I shouldn't do. Now my dad has created the Melon Family Guidelines for Life to remind me what I should do. And even though all these rules are so simple even a worm could follow them, I already have too much to think about. As Junior Special Agents with the FBI, my pal Sam and I have taken a pledge—it's our duty to help apprehend a fugitive from justice if we spot one. And believe it or not, we've spotted one not far from where we live! The Chameleon may think she's crafty, but we can see right through her wigs, plastic noses, and putty chins. We're undercover and on the case, doing surveillance and gathering evidence. But what you see isn't always what you get!
Editorials
School Library Journal
Gr 3–6—In his third adventure, Adam "Melonhead" Melon and his friend and fellow FBI Junior Special Agent, Sam, believe that a neighbor is one of the FBI's Ten Most Wanted criminals. The boys take their investigation very seriously, working undercover, doing surveillance, taking notes in their evidence log, and snapping photographs of the person of interest, nicknamed the Chameleon. While carrying out the investigation, Melon is bound by his parents' rules, including his mom's "Remind-O-Rama" that reminds him what he shouldn't do. Now his dad has added the Melon Family Guidelines for Life that tell him what he should. Melon interprets the guidelines loosely, especially, "When in Doubt, Ask an Adult." The secondary characters stem from Kelly's previous novels, and readers who start with this book might be missing some backstory, but the humorous nature of Melonhead and Sam's investigation is sure to be a hit among middle-grade readers. Short chapters and frequent pencil drawings make this an ideal choice for reluctant readers. In addition, fans of Clementine and Stink will recognize a spark of inadvertent mischievousness in Melonhead.—Sarah Polace, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Parma, OHKirkus Reviews
Melonhead and his buddy Sam deliver their third goofball romp when they go undercover to catch one of the FBI's Most Wanted.
Having earned "Junior Special Agent" status from their numerous visits to FBI headquarters, Melonhead and Sam decide that a woman they meet on the bus is The Chameleon, master of disguise and wanted by the FBI. They get so caught up in their self-imposed spy mission that, despite their perpetual good intentions, things run amok. In particular, they bungle a pastry delivery, to the delight of the squirrels, when they hide in a tree outside the suspect's home. As in the first two books of this series, the story is liberal with such tomfoolery as nose picking, butt walking and a dog-pee mishap. The boys have a witty repartee and are fond of rhyming: "E-Z P-Z, rice and cheezie" or "Unbend, my friend." As the pair works at fixing their delivery bungle while still continuing to track and report on The Chameleon, they learn that fear and bravery go hand in hand and that sometimes tomato-soup blunders turn out to be a good thing. Combined with appearances from neighborhood favorites met in earlier volumes and Johnson's snappy sketches, Melonhead's pure, kid-centric, fun-loving perspective is hard to resist.
As they learn to take responsibility for their mini-fiascoes, Melonhead and Sam deliver sniggers galore in this sweet and funky confection. (Mystery. 8-11)