The Case of the Time-Capsule Bandit (Randi Rhodes, Ninja Detective, #1) By Octavia Spencer
Great book to add to my mystery shelves! Hardcover This was a cute little mystery for kids with a strong female lead. Recommended. Hardcover My seven year old picked the book purely because he liked the title. He said it was the perfect combination of two things he loves - ninjas and detectives. Also, he loved that usually in the story the main character is the boys and he liked how in this story she changed it up and made it a girl. His final enthusiastic observation was that three kids who were stuck somewhere they didn’t want to be became friends and found that they actually kind of liked where they lived.
As a mom, this book was a huge winner. I started it as a read aloud - we would read two chapters before school in the morning. After a couple of days my husband confessed he was reluctant to leave for work because he didn’t want to miss out. Then I caught my son reading ahead. By the end of the book, he read the last few chapters out loud to me!
Thank you Ms.Spencer for writing such a great story that the whole family could enjoy. I loved that it showed a mighty girl without making boys look stupid, showed some sweet friendships, and the parents weren’t made to look foolish or overbearing. We’ve started on the second book with great enthusiasm and hope there are many more to come! Hardcover This is an interactive book (because it has ninja tasks in the back) that has recipes and other helpful detective tips. It is the kind of book that everyone will love. There are no unrealistic or cheesy parts and it has inspired me to try Tae Kwon Do. I loved this book! Hardcover This a fun detective book for kids. Octavia Spencer reading her own book was fantastic. She really made the story come to life. Hardcover
Octavia Spencer, Academy Award-winner of The Help, started writing this book 13 years ago. Her Hollywood mentor, Sandra Bullock, gave it a read and encouraged her to seek a publisher. With her new stardom, she found a contract with Simon & Schuster, and the second in the series will follow shortly.
Scooby Do enthusiasts will recognize the formulaic plot -- those meddlesome kids, bad guys in suits, the secret treasure and the wholesome reward at the end. The chapters are peppered with inconsistent appendices -- activities that extend the action, Try this at home! -- an interesting idea that falls a bit flat in my view.
The best thing about this book is Spencer's attention to her heroine's emotional life, a recently deceased mother, a distant and preoccupied father, a move from urban New York to rural Tennessee. She also finds an unlikely (for rural Tennessee) multicultural mix of friends, a Latino, an African-American, and a Chinese nanny/daddy's girlfriend (?). Although the setting makes this a bit far-fetched, it's nice to have multiracial representation, and having a number of strong women, including a female Sheriff, is refreshing.
The story itself is trite and nothing new, but the character development and relationships are worth a quick read. Recommended for 3rd-5th graders. Thanks to Ms. Spencer and S&S for the signed ARC. Hardcover I read this right after Liar & Spy by Rebecca Stead. Both are aimed at age groups 8-12. I thought it would be very interesting to hear the writing voice of the versatile actress Octavia Spencer, and it was a fun mystery, well written and cleverly put together.
However, when held up against the power & messages in Liar and Spy, there is just no comparison; though Spencer's book deals with similar issues, Liar and Spy wholly eclipses the Ninja Detective; stylistically and emotionally how resonating & affecting the reader and in about every way. Here's hoping Ms. Spencer's terrific idea for a series gains in wisdom & depth with the next in its series. Hardcover Octavia Spencer.....actress AND author!
This is a cute, simple, quick read that is great for middle school students. It's fast paced and provides the reader with a fun journey.
The characters are decent with a little character development.
The storyline is great and will be easy for younger readers to follow and understand. Hardcover Review by my 7yo. If you want to be a ninja and a detective this is the book for you! I want to be both and I learned a lot. Hardcover This Was So Much Fun To Read At Bedtime. I Even Got A Standing Ovation Afterwards. We Loved It!!! Hardcover
Meet Randi Rhodes, the world's first ninja detective! Mystery abounds in this delightful new middle grade series from Academy Award-winning actress Octavia Spencer.
Deer Creek is a small town whose only hope for survival is the success of their Founder's Day Festival. But the festival's main attraction, a time capsule that many people believe hold the town's treasure, has gone missing.
Randi Rhodes and her best friend, D.C., are Bruce Lee-inspired ninjas and local detectives determined to solve the case. Even if it means investigating in a haunted cabin and facing mean old Angus McCarthy, prime suspect.
They have three days to find the treasure; the future of their whole town is at stake! Will these kids be able to save the day? The Case of the Time-Capsule Bandit (Randi Rhodes, Ninja Detective, #1)