LitPick Review
In Michael Miller’s first book of his series Twisted Oak Amateur Detectives, Amanda, Melanie, Tyler, Tubby, and Dontrelle are good friends who have different strong suites. Amanda is fit and likes eating healthy to stay in shape for gymnastics. Melanie has good self-control, is bold, and means what she says. Dontrelle is a technology geek and is often on his laptop, smart phone, or tablet. Tubby is an athletic boy, contrary to his nickname. Tyler uses a wheel chair and likes to invent; he has all sorts of gadgets on his chair. The adventure starts when a painting gets stolen and replaced with a phony. The kids decide to investigate after the police give up. They have two suspects whom they investigate, but find nothing incriminating and seem to reach a dead end. To crack the case they must learn a few detective tricks, including how to tell if a painting is a fake. Will Amanda, Melanie, Tyler, Tubby, and Dontrelle work together to find out who did it? Can they find the real painting and return it to its proper place?
Opinion:
If you’re looking for a short yet entertaining mystery, The Phony Farkleberry is a book I would recommend. It was easy to follow, and there weren't many big words or thick plot details. The author did a good job of making the characters seem like they could be my friends. I am eleven years old and thought this book was easy to read, yet it was not boring. I like Hardy Boys, and this book was a simpler, less intense version of those. I will be reading more of this series when I want a lighter, faster book.
