Donald J. Sobol (1924–2012)

This book never should have been reprinted in the 21st century, especially not for children. One of the questions is about phone systems in the "older part of town", systems that were obsolete when this book was written in the 1970s. More generally, I started playing spot the error or bad assumption towards the end of this book; the answers were frequently based on stuff that's generally but not necessarily true (mules can get pregnant, Americans can use English spelling) or careful readings show more of conversation that simply doesn't support that close a reading. And there's quite a bit of overlap with the Encyclopedia Brown stories, to boot. Go ahead and read Encyclopedia Brown, if you're looking for this; at least there's story to go along with the puzzle. show less

Rating for nostalgia. I loved these books as a kid, after I found old copies of my dad's at my grandparents' house. Some of the slang is hilariously dated now, but the short little mysteries hold up. It's honestly pretty impressive that decent little mysteries can fit in just a few pages, and I loved the flip-to-the-back-for-the-answer format. I learned a lot of interesting trivia from these books, and even remembered the solution to the first mystery in this particular collection.

Leroy Brown, aka Encyclopedia Brown, is Idaville neighborhood's ten-year-old star detective. With an uncanny knack for trivia, he solves mysteries for the neighborhood kids through his own detective agency. But his dad also happens to be the chief of the Idaville police department, and every night around the dinner table, Encyclopedia helps him solve his most baffling crimes. And with ten confounding mysteries in each book, not only does Encyclopedia have a chance to solve them, but the show more reader is given all the clues as well. Interactive and chock full of interesting bits of information--it's classic Encyclopedia Brown! show less

All the bizarre eccentricity of Donald J. Sobol is here, and more. This time there are recipes. Some are as mundane as refried beans (which, as I've learned from experience, some people consider exotic). Others have names like "Tooth collector's chocolate cake" and "Toothburger stew."

I read this stuff for the weirdness, and this book out-weirds them all.