Marty Frye, Private Eye

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.