The Spray-Paint Mystery - Softcover

Angela Shelf Medearis

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0590484745 ISBN 13: 9780590484749

Publisher: Little Apple, 1996

Synopsis

When someone begins painting graffiti on walls throughout the town, Cameron Thompson, a detective's son, teams up with his best friend, Tarann, to figure out if a new kid, a school artist, or a scary guy is the culprit

About this title

From Booklist:

Gr 3^-5. It's not easy for third-grader Cameron Thompson to stay out of trouble at school. He can't resist a good prank, which usually lands him in the principal's office for a reprimand. But Cameron's been trying hard to stay out of Mr. Garcia's office, and a good mystery is just what he needs. Someone has been spray-painting a wall of the school, and Cameron decides to solve the mystery with the able assistance of his friend and sometime adversary, Tarann. Cameron has the routine down pat--after all, his father is a police officer. Like a veteran detective, Cameron collects evidence, questions suspects, and examines motives. He finds that he's got plenty of suspects, but his snooping is getting more and more dangerous. Cameron's persistence and daring are sure to win over reluctant readers, who will cheer his exploits. Even though Cameron is no angel himself, he has an emerging sense of what's good for the greater community and compassion for the feelings of others. Denia Hester

From School Library Journal:

Grade 2-4?An intriguing inner-city mystery, involving several suspects. Third-grader Cameron Thompson finds the school janitor throwing out a number of cans that were used to spray paint graffiti on the wall behind the gym. When the boy takes a can for evidence, he finds himself in one troublesome situation after another. Along with his friend Tarann, they check out the suspects. The plot is believable and moves quickly. The children hunt for clues as youngsters of this age would. They go to the hardware store to see who has been buying a lot of paint. They take pictures of the wall signed by the graffiti artist. Discussions about not hanging out with destructive gangs are interspersed throughout the story without coming across as preachy. The culprit is steered toward painting scenery for the school play. A good read with realistic solutions for a real-life problem in many neighborhoods.?Janet M. Bair, Trumbull Library, CT
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Little Apple
• Publication date: 1996
• ISBN 10: 0590484745
• ISBN 13: 9780590484749
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 102
• Illustrator: Robert Papp