Marty Frye, Private Eye (Redfeather Books)

Marty Frye is not your ordinary private eye. Marty Frye is "the poet detective"--he solves petty crimes by turning rhymes. In the course of a busy day, Marty tracks down his friend Emma's lost diary, finds a box of toys missing from Mr. Lipsky's store; and locates a bag of disappearing flour for his little sister, Katie. Although he hits some dead ends along the way, Marty Frye combines his three favorite hobbies--sleuthing, rhyming, and climbing trees--and leaves no case unsolved or unrhymed.

Three short stories with clear, simple sentences make this charming easy-reader an ideal stepping-stone to longer chapter books. Laurie Keller's quirky illustrations capture the spirit of Janet Tashjian's tongue-in-cheek humor. Young readers will be off in search of a rhyme in no time.