David A. Kelly (1) (1964–)

Kelly, author of the Ballpark Mysteries series, is back with another great sports-themed beginning chapter book series.

Five friends are getting ready for their elementary school's olympics. There's archery, races, gymnastics, and more. But there's also someone who doesn't want the olympics to continue. Can the five friends solve the mystery of who is sabotaging their games before someone gets hurt?

Kelly does a great job at mixing sports and mystery together. There's a combination of show more information on the sports; how the archery works, descriptions of races and gymnastics, and coverage of other games as well. There's also plenty of hunting for clues with taking fingerprints, examining handwriting, and making deductions.

The author and illustrator together have included a good mix of diverse characters. The five friends include two girls, both of whom enjoy athletics, two African-American kids, and at least one boy with darker skin and another who might be Asian-American. Their race isn't clearly defined, but they are clearly depicted with darker skin and hair. I also appreciated that the kids on the cover included those with darker skin and there's equal time given to the different characters in the book, rather than relegating some to sidekicks.

Verdict: Mystery and sports fans will be delighted with this new series which is sure to fly off your shelves. Highly recommended.

ISBN: 9780553513196; Published May 2016 by Random House; Purchased for the library show less

I like that the kids take action to achieve their goals (pun intentended), but I don't like that they are creeping around a forbidden and abandoned structure by themselves. Just a little too Nancy Drew?

[Digging through the archives]

This is a new (to me at least) beginning chapter series that was completely off my radar until the publisher sent me some review copies.

It's a pretty typical beginning chapter series - some nondescript kids, simple mysteries, and a quirk that defines the series. The quirk for this series is that all the mysteries are set in famous ballparks. Cousins Mike and Kate are the detectives and Kate's mom is a sports reporter, which provides the backstory for them having show more access to so many famous ballparks. In this particular mystery, someone is cutting the historic ivy in Wrigley Field and the kids have to decide who's a suspect, look for clues, and set a trap to catch the culprit.

Along the way there's lots of history about the ballpark and the teams who have played there as well as the fans. The "Dugout Notes" at the back add even more details and context for the various events and traditions referenced in the book.

Verdict: This is a nice idea - mysteries with a baseball theme - and while there's nothing outstanding about it, it's a perfectly serviceable series. It's a nice touch to make the mom a sports reporter; I have a lot of girls ask for sports books and this does a good job of having a female detective and showing a nice balance of male and female fans. If you have space for another beginning chapter mystery series, this is a good choice.

[Revisited: This series is up to 12 with more titles coming in 2017 as well as some super specials. Kelly has also started a second sports-themed mystery series, MVP, Most Valuable Players. This series has grown in popularity and is definitely a good choice to add to your beginning chapter mystery series. It may eventually replace older staples like A to Z mysteries and Cam Jansen.]

ISBN: 9780307977762; Published 2013 by Stepping Stone/Random House; Review copy provided by the publisher; Donated to the library and the rest of the volumes in the series purchased. show less

Mike and Kate are back in the fifth book of the "Ballpark Mysteries" series! This time they are in Kansas City to see the All-Star Game, which is cool, as the real event is actually IN K.C. this year! They try to help the Royals all-star catcher clear his name when he is accused of playing too many practical jokes! A fun read, as the kids run around Kauffman Stadium and get to shag flies during the Home Run Derby! And I still love the Dugout Notes after the story! A nice touch! Only one show more question - which stadium will the kids visit next? I vote for Oakland!!! show less