Alex Parakeet's dad is about to get his big break: a guest spot on an EAT Network cooking show. Host Zooey Bonjour is coming to Alex's hometown to broadcast live from the football stadium before the big game, and Dad's going to be on TV making his grandma's "million-dollar pumpkin pie." There's just one slight problem. The recipe is missing! And the only clue is a couple of blue paw prints. Who would steal a pumpkin pie recipe anyway? Is it possible somebody doesn't want Dad to make it big? With only a week before the show, Alex takes the case – with help from best friend, Yasmeen, worst enemy Sofie Sikora, and ace-detective cat, Luau. Before they're done, they'll have to break into a hotel room, babysit the worst kid ever, and eat way too much pumpkin pie, all in hopes of solving the Chickadee Court kids' funniest – and yummiest – mystery yet.
“Engaging text with a lot of humor, especially from the cat, keeps the story moving quickly. Readers follow Alex and Yasmeen from recycling bins to a hotel suite to a tailgate party to solve the mystery. Children who like fast-paced whodunits with a touch of humor will enjoy the story.”
School Library Journal
“...a hilarious mystery romp as the intrepid detectives discover who the culprit really is. The identity of the thief is a surprise to everyone.”
Tween sleuths and best friends Alex and Yasmeen have sworn off solving mysteries, but when Alex's baseball coach – dressed in his Uncle Sam get-up – disappears into a porta-potty on Memorial Day, no one else can figure out what happened. There are clues, but they don't add up. Worse yet, the best ones seem to be hiding in bags of month-old trash! Do Alex and Yasmeen have the smarts – not to mention the stomach – to find the kidnapper? And will Alex's baseball team ever win a game?
“... a well-paced narrative.... Readers starting the series here will certainly want to celebrate other holidays with Alex, his neighbor Yasmeen, his detective cat Luau and their friends.”
The last thing Alex wants to do right before Halloween is get involved with another mystery, but when cats start disappearing, his best friend Yasmeen and his own cat Luau are both keen to know whodunit. Why is the missing-cat flyer posted in a graveyard anyway? And is it true the ghost haunting the new health-food store downtown has it in for cats? Before trick-or-treat is even over, Alex and Yasmeen will find themselves teaming up with the annoying (but brilliant) Sofie Sikora, Luau will be going undercover, and a whole new mystery – this one more than 100 years old – will demand investigation.
“...the book will entice even reluctant readers with its action and humor.”
School Library Journal
“Fans of the Christmas mystery will savor this one, as good as eating Halloween candy, and they'll definitely want a third. Both tricks and treats in this enjoyable younger mystery.”
Alex Parakeet loves winter vacation. You never have to put on shoes. You hardly have to move from the TV room. Nobody bugs you go to outside and exercise. Anyone in his right mind knows it's too cold. But when decorations from the neighborhood Twelve Days of Christmas display disappear, Alex is dragged into the investigation by his best friend Yasmeen, and his very own cat, Luau. Who would want a goose, a partridge and a calling bird anyway? And what do the thefts have to do with a toy store burglary downtown? One thing's for sure, Alex's winter break is not going to go the way he planned it.
“... ho, ho, ho... a supercharged, easy mystery that's genuine fun....with chatty dialogue and huge kid appeal, this holiday-themed story guarantees laughs for every season.”
Kirkus Reviews
“Breezy dialogue, some madcap moments, and the boy's endearing rapport with his parents add up to a festive read.”
