Review by shannamann -- Serendipity Mystery by R.F. Kristi
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shannamann
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- Latest Review: Serendipity Mystery by R.F. Kristi
Review by shannamann -- Serendipity Mystery by R.F. Kristi
[Following is a volunteer review of "Serendipity Mystery" by R.F. Kristi.]
4 out of 4 stars
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I give 'Serendipity Mystery: Diary of a Snoopy Cat’ 4 out of 4 stars based on its educational relevance and sense of fun!
I chose to review this book because I am a third grade teacher and as part of our reading curriculum we have a mystery unit, for which my colleagues and I are continually investigating new series...and this series will certainly be added to my classroom library.
Although I am new to this series and author the premise of this book revolves around Inca, the detective cat and her gang of like minded animal friends (mostly other cats with one dog and a hamster) as they investigate the robbery of a sword and golden coins from a museum in Sri Lanka.
What I loved about this book is its many applications in the classroom. The author is very descriptive-using many similies and metaphors that can be tracked and referred back to when supporting writing craft. Additionally, there are SO many examples of strong vocabulary words (portly, boasted, skulking, international, etc.) to help students not only expand their day to day vocabulary, but allow children a platform for determining meaning through context of a story. To go along with this the author is careful to include genre specific vocabulary, such as investigate, culprit, and of course, clue and suspect. The characters in the story also engage in detective behavior by recapping events and carefully inspecting items/situations.
An area that could have been improved upon but is not a complete drawback is the depth of the plot. This book had so many great things going for it that I had to give it 4 out of 4 stars- there are just too many ways to use this to enhance my classroom teaching, but a few ideas. As far as mysteries go, this would be a beginner in regards to plot. There is no "red herring" offered by the author and most children would accurately predict who the culprits are from the get go when the suspects are introduced. It also wraps up nice and neatly, but rather quickly so there isn't much of a climax so to speak here. But I can see plenty of my students being fans of this series based off just this one book. The characters are charming and most of my books with animal lead characters are picked up frequently!
Another solid reason to read this book, or the series with your students or child is to explore geography and culture. The book reminded me in many ways of the old game, ‘Where in the World is Carmen San Diego?’. It was a mystery grounded in nonfiction facts about Sri Lanka, France and England. The book brought up UNESCO World Heritage Sites which prompts a Google session and perhaps small research project?!
One word of caution to any that choose this book is to NOT be fooled by the larger print and illustrations that this is a simple read for children. Most children will absolutely need some help decoding words in this book and because of its reference to many cultural elements probably some context and conversation at many places. Overall, this is a solid educational mystery book that I would recommend to any parent or elementary educator.
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Serendipity Mystery
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4 out of 4 stars
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I give 'Serendipity Mystery: Diary of a Snoopy Cat’ 4 out of 4 stars based on its educational relevance and sense of fun!
I chose to review this book because I am a third grade teacher and as part of our reading curriculum we have a mystery unit, for which my colleagues and I are continually investigating new series...and this series will certainly be added to my classroom library.
Although I am new to this series and author the premise of this book revolves around Inca, the detective cat and her gang of like minded animal friends (mostly other cats with one dog and a hamster) as they investigate the robbery of a sword and golden coins from a museum in Sri Lanka.
What I loved about this book is its many applications in the classroom. The author is very descriptive-using many similies and metaphors that can be tracked and referred back to when supporting writing craft. Additionally, there are SO many examples of strong vocabulary words (portly, boasted, skulking, international, etc.) to help students not only expand their day to day vocabulary, but allow children a platform for determining meaning through context of a story. To go along with this the author is careful to include genre specific vocabulary, such as investigate, culprit, and of course, clue and suspect. The characters in the story also engage in detective behavior by recapping events and carefully inspecting items/situations.
An area that could have been improved upon but is not a complete drawback is the depth of the plot. This book had so many great things going for it that I had to give it 4 out of 4 stars- there are just too many ways to use this to enhance my classroom teaching, but a few ideas. As far as mysteries go, this would be a beginner in regards to plot. There is no "red herring" offered by the author and most children would accurately predict who the culprits are from the get go when the suspects are introduced. It also wraps up nice and neatly, but rather quickly so there isn't much of a climax so to speak here. But I can see plenty of my students being fans of this series based off just this one book. The characters are charming and most of my books with animal lead characters are picked up frequently!
Another solid reason to read this book, or the series with your students or child is to explore geography and culture. The book reminded me in many ways of the old game, ‘Where in the World is Carmen San Diego?’. It was a mystery grounded in nonfiction facts about Sri Lanka, France and England. The book brought up UNESCO World Heritage Sites which prompts a Google session and perhaps small research project?!
One word of caution to any that choose this book is to NOT be fooled by the larger print and illustrations that this is a simple read for children. Most children will absolutely need some help decoding words in this book and because of its reference to many cultural elements probably some context and conversation at many places. Overall, this is a solid educational mystery book that I would recommend to any parent or elementary educator.
******
Serendipity Mystery
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like shannamann's review? Post a comment saying so!
Latest Review: Serendipity Mystery by R.F. Kristi
