The Adventures of Charlie - Book Review
Updated May, 24, 2011
by Ann Zeise & Friends
Here are some reviews of a book series called The Adventures
of Charlie that a bunch of cousins and their mothers want
to recommend to you.
First one of the moms wrote to me:
My sister homeschools her 6 children and has had wonderful
results with a book series by Rae Lowery. My daughter checked
both books out (even though she HATES to read) and couldn't put
them down until she was finished.
The series is very homeschool friendly, and one of the main
characters is homeschooled. The series is called The Adventures
of Charlie and the books are as follows:
The Case of the Pack-Rat Park
Rae Lowery
Charlie is a quirky eleven-year-old sleuth. Can she find out who is stealing from the storage units without getting her arm chewed off by the security dog? Her best friend's family may just depend on it.
The Case of the Lost Kid
Adventures of Charlie #2
Rae Lowery
Charlie is just minding her own business when she sees a kid who is clearly in distress in a car. Before the car drives away, she takes note of the license plate number. What is going on?
The Case of the Terrible Teacher
Adventures of Charlie #3
Rae Lowery
Charlie is at it again. Now that she is in middle school, she has new challenges to face, including a teacher who is making the lives of the students miserable. Charlie and her friends hatch a foolproof plan to change his attitude, but the things they find out in the process throw them for quite a loop!
Charlie and The Case of the Big Bully
The Adventures of Charlie #4
Rae Lowery
Charlie is bummed because all of her best friends are going somewhere for the summer, and she is stuck at home. But when a new kid moves in next door, she feels a ray of hope. Until she meets him.
I pointed out that probably no one would take my word for
some books I hadn't read, but might believe it if her daughter
and her cousins would write what they liked about the books.
Here are the reviews by the youngsters.
My name is Margaret and I am 12 and I read a book that is
the best book I have ever read. It is about a girl that is smart,
which is a switch! Her name is Charlie which is short for Charlotte
but she goes by her nickname. Her best friend's dad gets fired
even though he didn't steal anything and Charlie spends the night
in a storage unit to find out who is the real thief. I like the
part about the dog always scaring her but she goes ahead with
her plans anyway. It makes me feel like I could be brave if I
needed to help my friend.
My name is Ashley. I am 9 years old. And I like the second
Charlie book better than the first one because Charlie's friend
has my name too! I like how Charlie helps people because she
really cares about them. She uses big words but then she tells
you what they mean.
My name is Launi, and even though I am 16 I still liked the
Charlie books. You can tell they are a kids book but I liked
that the chapters are only about 3 pages long and the end of
each chapter always makes you want to start reading the next
chapter. I read both books in about 4 hours and I can't wait
to read her next one. I think Charlie (the girl in the book)
is a lot like me. She tries to be a good person but she is so
curious it gets her into trouble. Like Curious George.
My name is Lee and I am 15. I was reading the packrat park
book to my cousin who is only 7 because the words were too big
for him, but then I was so interested in it I kept reading after
he had to go to bed. I dont really like to read but this was
a very good book and I want to read it until I am done. I want
to know who stole the money!
I am 7 and I like charlie because she's funny. Love Trevor
The key to getting hooked on reading, as these folks point
out, is to find an author that intrigues your kids with mystery,
delights them with a good sense of humor, and keeps even the
older children awake far into the night, not daring to put the
book down until they find out if and how the good prevail and
the bad get their just punishment!
Then emailed to me May 23, 2011, I got the word that Rae's books are on Amazon and with a new publisher!
Years ago, I read an article on your website about an author I had never heard of before...Rae Lowery. I bought a couple of her books and absolutely loved them. Then, I lost track of the publisher info and looked it up on the internet. I was happily surprised to find that she had a new publisher, and even though the books are the same inside, the cover is very different, and much more durable, so I am able to use them in my classroom without worrying about wear and tear. The previous books had a much softer cover, but these are just like a regular paperback book, and she now has her own website (raelowery.com) which sells the three you have listed on your website, as well as a fourth book that is a "write your own mystery" that the kids love. I had to purchase 30 copies because there was such a long list of kids wanting to read it, I just gave up and bought a bunch of them.
Thank you so much for introducing me to this author. Our school voted her author of the year last year and this year, and with good reason!!
Tobi
Like solving mysteries? Visit ourCrime Scene Investigation page, too.
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