Reviews (15)

Wonderfully Funny!
I never did read any Nate the Great growing up...and what a shame. It's amazing that Sharmat can do so very much in terms of story and humor with so few words. It's great for beginner readers and uproariously funny as a read aloud story (especially if you can do the P.I. voice-over effect). This initial installment (I believe there are over 20 in this series) finds Nate the Great on hire for his friend Annie who has lost a favorite picture of her dog Fang. Nate is confidant that he can find the missing painting and sets out to systematically follow all the leads he's been given. He questions suspects and eventually tracks down the culprit, while enjoying meal after meal and snack after snack of, what else, but pancakes (his favorite food, of course).
The Best Book in the World
This is a good book for Halloween because it takes place on Halloween.It is really, really, really funny.Nate thought his dog was a ghost and that made me laugh. It was my favorite Nate the Great book.It was the funniest book I ever read.

Nate the Great is, well, GREAT!
With charming illustrations and a clever case-cracking hero, early readers will love to read this book as well as the others in the Nate the Great series.Nate has a kid's dream "job" of being the neighborhood detective, and he is surrounded by quirky companions whose cases he solves.These witty stories with a vintage originality will have kids reaching for the next one . . . and the next. . . ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's 4-8 - Fiction - Mystery    2. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    3. Children: Grades 1-2    4. Mysteries, Espionage, & Detective Stories    5. Mystery and detective stories    6. Readers - Beginner    7. Juvenile Fiction / Mysteries & Detective Stories   

Reviews (1)

I think this is the best Nate the Great adventure.
Rosamond's present slid off of her sled.Nate the Great walked to her house and noticed that there were 6 cartons of milk on the table.Rosamond had only 4 cats and each cat drank a single bottle of milk.What could theother 2 bottles be for?Nate followed the tracks from Rosamond's sled inthe snow.This led him to a tree by the tracks.He looked up into thetree and found his present, a cat named Super-Duper Hex. You will enjoythis book if you like Nate the Great.I liked it because it was a trickymystery to solve. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure - General    2. Children's 4-8 - Fiction - Mystery    3. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    4. Children: Grades 2-3    5. Fiction    6. Gifts    7. Juvenile Fiction    8. Mysteries, Espionage, & Detective Stories    9. Mystery and detective stories    10. Readers - Beginner    11. Juvenile Fiction / Mysteries & Detective Stories   

Subjects:  1. Children's 4-8 - Fiction - Mystery    2. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    3. Children: Grades 2-3    4. Christmas    5. Dogs    6. Fiction    7. Holidays & Celebrations - Christmas    8. Holidays & Festivals - Christmas    9. Juvenile Fiction    10. Juvenile Mysteries    11. Mysteries, Espionage, & Detective Stories    12. Mystery and detective stories    13. Readers - Beginner    14. Readers - Chapter Books    15. Juvenile Fiction / Mysteries & Detective Stories   

Reviews (53)

A Chinese Jackie Robinson?
I loved this book. As a teacher, there is nothing better than a multicultural children's chapter book, with American history and a plethora of vicarious experiences. This is a great book to teach children about immigration and traditional Chinese customs. It wasn't until college that I learned some of these customs and it was also then that I learned that all I had to do was read Lord's book and I would've had the knowledge that it took me 20 years to get. The young girl in the story, Shirley, takes children through a whirlwind of adventures and experiences that children can relate to and learn from. This is a great multi-cultural book to add to your collection.

I'm 8 and loved this book
It was definitely a book to read over a period of time (say one chapter per night).It was very well written and I loved the chants!

excellent children's story!
I read this one when I was ten, and recently bought a copy for my three daughters to enjoy. I read this one at least 7 or 8 times myself.... Lord creates a wonderful character in Shirley who has to adapt to a whole new culture on her way to becoming an American. I recommend this one for all kids, not just those interested in sports.
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Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    2. Children: Grades 4-6    3. Chinese Americans    4. Fiction    5. Humorous Stories    6. Juvenile Fiction    7. Moving, Household    8. People & Places - United States - Asian American    9. Schools    10. Social Issues - New Experience    11. Sports & Recreation - Baseball    12. Juvenile Fiction / Ethnic / Asian American   

Reviews (2)

Nate the Great
I really liked the book because it talks about some kids that play baseball togheter and when the second base was stollen they decided to look for it. Nate the Great worked hard to find it. He found it behind the bookcase in Oliver's house. I also liked the name he gave his dog: Sludge. I think he is a great detective because he was able to solve the case.

Excellent
I love the "Nate the Great" books by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat.They keep my daughter's interest and she loves the characters and Nate always having his pancakes.She tries to read the books herself and I loveany book that challenges her to do that.I hope to see more books byMarjorie Weinman Sharmat.I feel she's a talented author and should beapplauded for herchildren's works. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Baseball    2. Children's 4-8 - Fiction - Mystery    3. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    4. Children: Grades 1-2    5. Fiction    6. Humorous Stories    7. Mysteries, Espionage, & Detective Stories    8. Mystery and detective stories    9. Readers - Beginner    10. Juvenile Fiction / Mysteries & Detective Stories   

Reviews (23)

"What if the roots had taken hold?"
A perfect story which I found really entertaining. I read it over a period of three days when I was a little tyke. I think this was the first kiddie novel I ever read. It all starts when the main character tries to creat a science project, accidentally turning himself into a walking, talking, green-boy who feeds off of sunlight and whose skin likes to grow roots. There are some really funny moments and even a nod to government conspiracy here and there. But the most treasured thing in this book is it's ability to talk about photosynthesis to a kid without boring you.

top secert
my book ,top secert is a great book. some things i liked about top secert are ,for one it is very exciting and really funny too.a boy named allen is doing a project on human and plant photosynthesis,but his teacher mrs.green asigned him a project about lipstick. but becuase of his project about human and plant photosynthesis he has turned into a plant.but your going to figure out what happens at the end.

You Should Read It
I just finished this book. It was so good I did it for a book report. I liked it because it taught me about science. So if you're whiz at science or are really into science you should read this book. I also liked this book because I never was expecting anything.
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Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure    2. Action & Adventure - General    3. Children's 9-12 - Fiction - General    4. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    5. Children: Grades 4-6    6. Experiments    7. Fiction    8. Humorous Stories    9. Juvenile Fiction    10. Readers - Intermediate    11. Schools    12. Science    13. Science & Technology    14. Juvenile Fiction / Readers / Intermediate   

Reviews (4)

Wonderful!
Just as much fun as the first one, we're really loving Nate the Great!! In this volume, we join Nate on his first "night case."What is this case?Well, Nate has been hired by his annoying neighbor Oliver whose garbage keeps getting dumped over in the middle of the night...WHO would want to steal GARBAGE?!Nate the Great is on the case in no time flat with a LONG, LONG list of suspects....including just about every neighborhood animal you can think of.
Nate the Great
Nate the Great Goes Undercover
Who Is The Garbage Snatcher?
Nate the Great, the youngest detective to ever deliver tough guy lines, is summoned to his newest case by his next door neighbor, Oliver.Oliver is something of a pest because he follows people.It doesn't matter who they are or where they're going, if they catch Oliver's eye he will follow them.He's followed Nate the Great around on a lot of the cases Nate has been given to find things his friends have lost.Oliver's problem sets Nate on his first night case as a detective.Someone is stealing from Oliver's garbage can and dumping the rest all over the place.Reluctantly, Nate the Great takes the case and is followed by Oliver.Along the way, Nate finds out what Rosamond's four cats will eat.It is a very long list, and not at all what Nate needs to know.Researching the case also leads Nate to the local library to study nocturnal animals.However, the real culprit who is stealing Oliver's garbage is a major surprise!Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    2. Children: Grades 2-3    3. Humorous Stories    4. Mysteries, Espionage, & Detective Stories    5. Mystery and detective stories    6. Readers - Beginner    7. Juvenile Fiction / Mysteries & Detective Stories   

Reviews (2)

Love this series, and Branley's are among the best!
This book is a perfect introduction to volcanoes for K-2 level kids, and older kids or early readers may enjoy reading them alone.It is easy to understand and the illustrations are clear and nice-looking.Unlike some science books for kids, this series tends to be very readable, versus a drier text that may make some kids lose interest quickly.

Volcanoes
The book was very good.My son just started second grade and he loves science.The book kept him very interested throughout.He has read it more than 5 times and continues to ask questions about the different new concepts that were introduced in the book.
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Subjects:  1. Children's 4-8    2. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    3. Children: Grades 1-2    4. General    5. Juvenile literature    6. Volcanoes    7. Juvenile Nonfiction / Science & Technology / Earth Sciences   

Reviews (14)

Choppy sentences with drab illustrations.
Short choppy sentences with one page in color and the next in black and white left me wishing this book was done differently.Loving nature, I wanted to really enjoy this story, but I didn't.There were facts thrown in haphazardly with thoughts and there was absolutely no reason for the black and white harsh transition every other page into color.I just didn't get the concept the illustrator was trying to portray.I did like that the pages were made out of paper that felt like it was recycled just for this tree story.And the introduction of, "Trees are very nice. They fill up the sky." was a nice way to start this book, and the ending of, "They wish they had one so they go home and plant a tree too." leaves you with a positive activity, but the rest of it was drab for me.

Teaching kids to love nature
A great,easy read for kids. "A Tree is Nice" talks to the goodness of trees, while nuturing young minds to become future gardeners and environment friendly adults.

Everyone should plant a tree
A perfect book and a must-own for schools and families alike.This story dates from the 1950's and is a simple tale of all the things that are wonderful about trees.I could start quoting it but I'd quickly have the whole text in here which is probably illegal.Suffice it to say that any elementary school classroom which does not have this book is lacking.The entire list of what we use trees for: play forts, sticks to dig in the dirt with, houses for birds, escape route for cats, shade from the hot sun, windblocks for our homes... I'm surprised the Arbor Day Foundation doesn't give this book away for free instead of a dozen trees which are sure to die - it would certainly do better to promote its cause that way.The book ends with describing how to plant a tree of your own, as well as the pride you feel in watching it grow for years and telling everyone you know that "I planted that tree"; then "They wish they had one so they go home and plant a tree too."Okay, so I couldn't refrain from quoting it a little after all!This book demonstrates a real respect for nature and, by the way, it also won the Caldecott Medal.Of all the library books we got out this week, this is my must-buy and I'm going to place my Amazon order for it right now. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Nonfiction    2. Children: Preschool    3. Juvenile literature    4. Science & Nature - Trees & Forests    5. Trees    6. Juvenile Fiction / Bedtime & Dreams   

Reviews (3)

Great nonfiction
Great book on an interesting topic.Children will learn about the earth's layers:topsoil, granite, basalt, steam, magma and mantle.Very readable; recommended for grades 1-5.Children can relate to this book--what child has not imagined "digging their way to China" at some point?Nicely illustrated.

An Excellent Adventure
I had an eight-year old girl that I tutor in reading comprehension read this book, and she loved it.This book is an interesting guide on how a child would go about digging a hole to the other side of the world. My 7 year old loves this book!
The day this book arrived, my daughter read it on her own cover to cover.It opened up a great dialogue regarding the composition of the Earth.I sometimes have trouble getting her to read regular science books, but this one made it fun to learn about geology and geography. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    2. Children: Grades 2-3    3. Earth    4. General    5. Internal structure    6. Juvenile Nonfiction    7. Juvenile literature    8. Science & Nature - Earth Sciences    9. Juvenile Nonfiction / Science & Technology / Earth Sciences   

Reviews (3)

Critique of Nate the Great and the Boring Beach Bag
I, Melika the excellentreally adore the book Nate the Great and the Boring Beach Bag. This book is abouta boy who solves a mystery of a missing beach bag.In my opinion this is a easy mystery, but you mightthink differently. I don't admire an easy mystery, but I prefered the rest of the book, and I really recommend this book.

Mystery At The Beach
Trying to take a day off and bask at the beach just doesn't work for Nate the Great.As a detective, his detecting services are always on call.This time Oliver, Nate's next door neighbor and the world's greatest pest, has come up with a new mystery.Oliver has lost his beach bag.The beach bag contains Oliver's clothes and shoes, which Oliver will need.Nate signs on for the case at once, and the search begins-with Oliver following closely after, of course.During the course of his investigation, he runs across the usual suspects:Annie and her dog, Fang, and Rosamond, who is running a seaside restaurant. I like the Nate the Great books!
This story is about a boy who lost his beach bag and Nate the Great finds it.It's a detective story and it's also funny.Kids who enjoy detective stories will like this series. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Beaches    2. Children's 4-8 - Fiction - Mystery    3. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    4. Children: Grades 2-3    5. Fiction    6. Lost and found possessions    7. Mysteries, Espionage, & Detective Stories    8. Mystery and detective stories    9. Readers - Beginner    10. Juvenile Fiction / Mysteries & Detective Stories   

Reviews (16)

A Night with the Orchestra
First published in 1982, Karla Kuskin'sbook is such fun that our family is hoping to attend a Young People's Concert by the New York Philharmonic. We won't be able to see the orchestra members putting on their clothes, but because of Kuskin's words and Marc Simont's funny pictures, we'll know a little more about what happens behind the scenes. The picture book is set up so that children (especially ones who don't know recognize the word "philharmonic") will be guessing about what exactly these 105 people dressing to go to work are actually going to do. This witty, clever way to learn about the orchestra is one of our favorite books.

Details kids 4-8 don't need to be concerned about
I was very disappointed in this book.I, guess, as a musician I was hoping for more emphasis on music and not twelve pages on bathing, showering, shaving, putting on underwear...well, you get the idea.It's the first Reading Rainbow book I have not liked at all.I had planned to give this to a friend's children but I defintely will not.

The perfect addition to a musical child's library
I first read (or rather had this book read to me) when I was a young child, and it still has a place in my adult bookcase.Never have I read such a brilliant explanation of the lives of classical musicians in New York City: how they begin to get dressed for work while other adults return home from their day; how concert dress requires the standard basic black from both men and women; how large bracelets and dangling earrings just do not go with certain instruments.As the child of musicians, I can also note, with a wry smile, how the conductor is built up as this mysterious gentlemen who is the most important ingredient to the Philharmonic.With succinct prose and beautiful illustrations, this book is a must have for children of musicians or any child who has an interest in classical music and opera. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Nonfiction    2. Children: Grades 1-2    3. Clothing and dress    4. Fiction    5. Orchestra    6. Performing Arts - General    7. Juvenile Fiction / Performing Arts   

Subjects:  1. Children's 4-8 - Fiction - Mystery    2. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    3. Children: Grades 2-3    4. Fiction    5. Juvenile Fiction    6. Juvenile Mysteries    7. Mysteries, Espionage, & Detective Stories    8. Mystery and detective stories    9. Readers - Beginner    10. Readers - Chapter Books    11. Turtles    12. Juvenile Fiction / Mysteries & Detective Stories   

Subjects:  1. Animals - Dinosaurs & Prehistoric Creatures    2. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Nonfiction    3. Children: Grades 2-3    4. Dinosaurs    5. Extinction (Biology)    6. Juvenile literature    7. Science & Nature - Earth Sciences - Weather    8. Dinosaurs & the prehistoric world    9. Geography & Environment    10. Juvenile Nonfiction / Animals / Dinosaurs    11. Picture books   

Reviews (4)

The cool monster
Title: No More Monsters for Me OK
Minneapolis Simpkin wants a pet.She and her mother fight about it all the time.Then one day she finds one, but it is a monster.But how can she ask her mom for a monster?Minneapolis hides the monster in her basement.When it eats everything in her house, she does not know what to do. Fun book!
My daughter has a fascination for monsters, so I knew that she would adore this book. Now she has a book about a monster that I can read to her at bedtime without worry of bad dreams. It's a very cute story. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Animals - Pets    2. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    3. Children: Kindergarten    4. Family - Parents    5. Fiction    6. Monsters    7. Pets    8. Readers - Beginner    9. Juvenile Fiction / Readers / Beginner   

Editorial Review

"It was a great day for a picnic," begins Marc Simont's lovely,touching, happy-ending picture book, Read more

Reviews (16)

An instant favorite
My dog-obsessed 3-year-old daughter loves this book, as do I.The illustrations are beautiful, the text simple but engaging.My daughter has memorized the words and enjoys reading along with me.This book is both heartwarming and funny.It's one of the few books I don't mind reading night after night.I'm definitely going to try other books by this author.

Good Read
I like age specific stories for my grandchildren. This book got very good reviews.

Simont's gots stayin' power
What a thankless job it is to be a dogcatcher in children's literature/movies/television shows.The enemy of man's best friend.The fearsome entity that dooms good puppies to a life in the pound or (worse) that great big boneyard in the sky.You will never see dog overpopulation in a book (unless that book follows the "Millions of Cats" model) due to this vengeful scourge.Just the same, what a poorer place the world would be without them.Take, for example, the charming 2001 Caldecott Honor book, "The Stray Dog" by Marc Simont.Written and illustrated by a man who once won a Caldecott Medal in (and I am not making this up) 1957, the book is a sweet and true story of how a family and a dog come together at last.It's a simple tale with a predictable ending, but somehow you just can't get enough of it.A book deserving of the moniker "sweet".
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Subjects:  1. Animals - Dogs    2. Animals - Pets    3. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    4. Children: Grades 1-2    5. Dogs    6. Family - General    7. Fiction    8. Juvenile Fiction    9. Preschool Picture Story Books    10. Juvenile Fiction / Animals / Dogs   

Reviews (2)

The Really Fishy Prize
This story tells about Nate entering his dog Sludge into "The Smartest Pet Contest".Rosamond loses the prize.Read this funny story of how Nate the Great and Sludge find the "Fishy Prize".

funny little story
My daughter loves Nate the Great! She laughed through the whole book, "who wants a tuna fish can as a prize?" All the little characters in this book. I could see her trying to figure out where the tuna fish canwent. A nice way to keep them interested through the whole book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's 4-8 - Fiction - Mystery    2. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    3. Children: Grades 2-3    4. Mysteries, Espionage, & Detective Stories    5. Mystery and detective stories    6. Readers - Beginner    7. Juvenile Fiction / Social Situations / General   

Reviews (21)

Decent story.
Illustrations are sketched and mostly pastel colors are utiilized. After reading each detailed page, the pictures don't seem to do much for the imagination. Good ideas are behind the words, but this book is extremely wordy at times and could've been shortened while still making the same point known. I enjoyed how the King, who was in search for the moon for his sick daughter, continued to ask his smartest men to figure out a way to get his daughter the moon only to find out that the court jester was the wittiest of them all.The daughter helps solve her own problem without realizing it and comes to a wonderful conclusion about how she can have the moon in her hand and also see it in the sky.

Buy the Edition with the Original Illustrations
Despite Rosemary Thurber's reassurances in the introduction to the reillustrated edition that a "new artist's point of view could be exciting," this new version is very disappointing.Louis Slobodkin's weird and wiggly drawings tinged in red and aqua have been replaced by Simont's conventional watercolor illustrations.While they are attractive, they are not, as Booklist describes them, a "bright, refreshing interpretation."Simont duplicates many of the scenes from the original, such as the doctor and king at the bedside of the princess or the princess skipping rope in the garden-though the text does not mention a jump rope.In the original, as the Lord High Chamberlain lists all the things he has gotten for the King, Slobodkin has the items frame the page as the Chamberlain unrolls a scroll in his hand; Simont does the same thing.When the Chamberlain says that the moon is bigger than the Princess's room, Slobodkin places the room inside the moon; Simont does the same thing.A scene-by-scene comparison reveals that Simont simply updates most of the original drawings.The two-page layout of the Princess holding her thumbnail up against the moon viewed through an arched window is an exact duplicate of the 1943 edition.Even the text on the two pages differs by only two sentences.I just do not accept the validity of this so-called "new" interpretation.Simont's literal and conventional depictions of the characters and setting actually move the story to a more ordinary level, while Slobodkin's strange squiggles keep the story in the realm of the imagination and give the tale a dream-like quality.Stick with the original.

My Daughters New Favorite!!
Was suprised to only see 18 reviews on this book.My daughter (aged 7) loves this book and has asked me to read it over many times!!I enjoy reading it as much as she enjoys hearing it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    2. Children: Grades 1-2    3. Fiction    4. Humorous Stories    5. Moon    6. Princesses    7. Juvenile Fiction / Fairy Tales & Folklore / Single Title    8. Picture books   

Reviews (3)

Nate the Great and the Mushy Valentine
This book was the best book I've ever read. I loved reading it. I couldn't wait to find out the answer. I guessed and I was rightNow I want to get EVERY single Nate the Great books. Even though this was my first Nate the Great book, it was the best book I've read.
Mushy Valentine
I thought that the book, Nate the Great and The Mushy Valentine was a pretty good book to read. It was about a young boy solving two mysteries on Valentines Day. One for his dog and another for his friend. He thought hard to put all his clues together and fingured them both out. I recommand you to read this book if you are looking for a easier book to read and to understand. It was easy to follow along and to know what was going on in the story. Nate The Great
Nate The Greatby Marjorie SharmatRead more

Subjects:  1. Children's 4-8 - Fiction - Mystery    2. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    3. Children: Grades 1-2    4. Fiction    5. Holidays & Celebrations - Valentine's Day    6. Holidays & Festivals - Valentine's Day    7. Juvenile Fiction    8. Mysteries, Espionage, & Detective Stories    9. Mystery and detective stories    10. Readers - Beginner    11. Valentine's Day    12. Juvenile Fiction / Mysteries & Detective Stories   

Reviews (2)

My 5 year old loved this book.
My 5 year old son brought this book home from the library.He got very interested in the story.Since it was our first Nate the Great Mystery, it gave a craving for more.Next we read Nate the Great and the Missing Key.Now we're hooked on these series of books and we own the set.

Nate the Great Stalks Stupidweed
Of all of the Nate the Great books, this one is the worst.I could not get interested in this story because Nate was reduced to looking for a weed.Isn't there more interesting puzzles for him to solve and things tofind than a weed? ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's 4-8    2. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    3. Children: Grades 2-3    4. Fiction    5. Mysteries, Espionage, & Detective Stories    6. Mystery and detective stories    7. Readers - Beginner    8. Weeds    9. Juvenile Fiction / Mysteries & Detective Stories