Beginning-to-Read Books: Mystery Fiction-The High-Rise Private Eyes series by Cynthia Rylant

For early independent readers, the mystery format is perfect for pulling the reader along through the early pages. Mysteries create suspense, the "then what happens?" response in the reader, which keeps interest high. Character development is uncomplicated, secondary to plot, with sleuths and malefactors playing predictable roles, and the "ah ha!" moment which occurs when the mystery is solved leaves the reader with a sense of satisfaction.

All of which is to say that the mystery genre is ideal for early readers. Versatile Newbery winner Cynthia Rylant has taken advantage of the form in her eight-title series The High-Rise Private Eyes, illustrated by G. Brian Karas. The urban detectives are Bunny Brown, the brains of the duo, and Jack Jones, the snoop and leg man. The cases take place in a city setting, with neighborhood friends, bus drivers, and shopkeepers figuring in the plots.

In The Case of the Troublesome Turtle, for example, the call for private eyes comes when Mr. Paris, local toy store owner, reports the recurrent theft of green and yellow balloons tied to the store front each day. Bunny carefully notes the color of the balloons and the fact that they are only stolen on Fridays in the fall. From these clues he deducts that a student whose school colors match the balloons is "borrowing" them to take to his Friday night football games.

Going undercover, complete with green and yellow turtle caps and green and yellow pom-poms, the High Rise Private Eyes quickly locate the perpetrator with the missing balloons. Gently they pass a note in a bag of popcorn to the young suspect and watch with satisfaction as he guiltily returns the balloons to the toy store after the game.

The High Rise Private Eyes books are well-written, within controlled vocabulary (Accelerated Reader grade levels 2.3-2.5), and provide an easy step for young readers into the mystery genre.