The Case of the Diamonds in the Desk

February 15, 2012
Grades 1-3 Detectives Milo and Jazz return in this eighth entry in the Milo and Jazz Mysteries. Milo discovers a diamond necklace in his classroom desk. Was it stolen in a recent jewelry-store burglary and could Milo's teacher be involved? Sprightly black-and-white, pen-and-ink spot illustrations enliven the brief chapters, which are filled with earnest, clever kids being funnyand, more importantly, smart. As always, the book ends with some of the most enjoyable stuff of all: Super Sleuthing Strategies, a series of highly enjoyable brain teasers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2012
It's another boring day at school--until Milo finds a diamond necklace in his desk. He's sure it's from a jewelry heist he read about, but Jazz reminds him not to jump to conclusions. Using deductive reasoning, they work backwards to solve the mystery. It's a slight but pleasing story; appended riddles and puzzles will further entice young wannabe sleuths.

(Copyright 2012 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)