Carolyn Keene’s Nancy Drew Clue Book 1, Pool Party Puzzler, is a mystery for 8 year olds about a snake that turns up at the bottom of a birthday pool.<\/p>\n
Deirdre Shannon is turning eight, so naturally she’s having a sweet half-sixteen. Her beach party has real sand, inflatable palm trees and a giant shell throne carried in by four waiters in fish hats. Nancy, Bess and George are there early to help George’s mum with the food.<\/p>\n
Then comes the big surprise. A mermaid called Marissa is about to dive in for her show when she spots a snake coiled at the bottom of the pool. It’s rubber (it still has its joke shop price tag on), but Marissa is out of there and the show is over.<\/p>\n
Deirdre doesn’t want anyone poking around. Of course, that only makes the Clue Crew more determined.<\/p>\n
This is also the book where Nancy gets her Clue Book. Her dad gives her a shiny red notebook for suspects and clues, and you watch the list grow and get crossed off as they go. There are grumpy waiters with a secret plan, a topiary designer Deirdre was rude to, and a kid in a sea monster costume who won’t say a word.<\/p>\n
The clues are the kind your reader can spot right alongside Nancy. Pink toenail polish. Dirty hands in a party photo. A riddle from a joke shop owner in an eye patch. Who doesn’t love a shop assistant who will only talk like a pirate?<\/p>\n
It’s very funny too. George is stuck dressed as a jellyfish with ribbon tentacles wiggling over her face. Bess brings three swimsuits to one party. A lobster called Crusty makes a run for it across a restaurant break room, and Bess gets lost in a hedge maze (she finds the way out thanks to a hole in her popcorn bag).<\/p>\n
Before the answer, the book stops and hands the case over. Your reader gets a page to list the suspects, name the snake slinger and jot down the clues that gave it away. If you’ve got a child who loves being one step ahead, that page is probably their favourite bit.<\/p>\n
It’s American through and through (third grade, summer vacation, bangs for a fringe), but there’s nothing here a young reader will trip over.<\/p>\n
If this one goes down well, the same three friends are back in A Star Witness. This time George’s astronomy club takes them to the planetarium, where a famous astronomer has brought a telescope that’s the only one ever made.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Carolyn Keene’s Nancy Drew Clue Book 1, Pool Party Puzzler, is a mystery for 8 year olds about a snake that turns up at the bottom of a birthday pool. Deirdre Shannon is turning eight, so naturally she’s having a sweet half-sixteen. Her beach party has real sand, inflatable palm trees and a giant shell […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":15095,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"lr_next_read_post_id":8247,"lr_next_read_anchor":"A Star Witness","lr_seo_hook":"A mermaid's swim show, a rubber snake and a suspect list to work through.","lr_series_id":54,"lr_series_name":"Nancy Drew Clue Book","lr_series_position":1,"lr_series_label":"","lr_author_order":"166"},"book_tag":[22],"age_group":[26],"book_type":[1044],"book_author":[166],"class_list":["post-15096","our-books","type-our-books","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","book_tag-mystery-books","age_group-books-for-8-year-olds","book_type-paid","book_author-carolyn-keene"],"yoast_title":"Nancy Drew Clue Book 1 – Pool Party Puzzler by Carolyn Keene | Little Reads","yoast_metadesc":"A mermaid's swim show, a rubber snake and a suspect list to work through. For ages 8+. 3,000+ books in the Little Reads app. 7-day free trial.","acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n