(3) K-3 Illustrated by Jody Wheeler. Although their friends have problems that need to be solved, Nate the Great and his dog Sludge want to take the day off from being famous detectives. They try disguises and hiding in the woods, but their friends soon find them, and it's back to work. Short sentences, plenty of illustrations, and subtle humor make this an enjoyable transitional reader.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Jody Wheeler. When Rosamond discovers a torn-out page in her cookbook after preparing snacks for her book club, she turns to detective Nate the Great and his dog Sludge. They attend the next meeting, carefully observing all that happens and gathering clues to catch the culprit. Subtle humor and wordplay, clever deducing, and plentiful black-and-white illustrations make this an appealing series entry.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(4) 1-3 Illustrated by Jody Wheeler. When an enormous turkey shows up in town, everyone, including Nate's dog, Sludge, and his cousin, Olivia, wants to find it--everyone that is, except Nate. Will he get drawn into the mystery anyway? Although small illustrations--Nate's hat and Olivia's boa--identify whose chapter is whose, the format is somewhat confusing, as Nate and Olivia alternately tell the amusing story.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(4) 1-3 Illustrated by Denise Brunkus. Olivia Sharp, cousin to Nate the Great, advertises her skills as an "agent for secrets" and takes on her first case. She has unbelievable amounts of money, freedom, and moxie, and the first-person narration sounds like a cross between Eloise and Junie B. Jones. The story is slight, but Nate the Great readers will find this an approachable next step toward reading independence.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Martha Weston. The great detective and his dog, Sludge, are on a train, acting as bodyguards for cousin Olivia's owl. After identifying and questioning three of Olivia's neighbors, Nate cracks the case of who left the owl a threatening note. Humorous short sentences just right for beginning readers enhance the hard-boiled atmosphere. Weston's loose color art follows the detective through every page of text.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Martha Weston. Nate returns for another successful and funny mystery. This time he has to find his own dog, Sludge, who is lost in a large department store. Like the other books in the series, the story is satisfying, if a bit far-fetched, and the format and expressive illustrations are helpful to the new reader.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Martha Weton. Olivia Sharp, the feather boa-toting detective from another Sharmat series, makes a guest appearance in the latest Nate the Great mystery. During a visit to San Francisco, Nate helps lighten his cousin Olivia's caseload by tracking down a missing joke book. As always, the easy reader's subtle humor--in both the text and watercolors--and trademark clipped prose will please fans young and old.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger