Open for Business: The Walk Right in Detective Agency, Book 1 (Moya Simons, Walker Books, $14.95, pb ISBN 9781921150302, June) ***

With the popularity of the crime shows on TV, the younger readers will enjoy having their own mystery cases. David and Bernice at first seem an unlikely pairing, but their shared love of detecting is the basis of their friendship. The mysteries are well thoughtout and solved in a realistic fashion, with hard work, ingenuity and the occasional lucky break. The intrepid detectives also have to battle bureaucracy, and in some of their cases encourage lateral thinking. The adoption case is handled sympathetically, including the implications of the knowledge gained. David’s notebook entries provide much of the humour, as does his passion for forensics. He is quite reminiscent of a younger Adrian Mole. We learn more of David’s family than we do Berenice’s, which may well be rectified in future volumes. David’s family add to the humour but in a sensitive fashion, with no ridicule. For the young reader gaining confidence in their reading ability, this novel is easy to read and enjoy. The humour at times descends into grossness, which will no doubt add to the appeal for the target readership.

Melinda Bilbey is a freelance reviewer and former bookseller, specialising in children’s books

This review from Australian Bookseller & Publisher magazine is reproduced by kind permission of Thorpe-Bowker, a division of R R Bowker LLC. © Copyright 2008, Thorpe-Bowker

Tags: moya simons