Reading Ron Roy

I realized the other day that I have really been focusing on picture books and not giving any updates on the chapter books that J is reading. Granted, a big part of this is because she is so obsessed with Harry Potter that she reads them over and over and over again leaving little room for anything else. However, there are other books being read.

We have been big fans of Ron Roy for quite some time. At the moment, the Capital Mysteries series is our night time reading. They are a fun way to introduce some landmarks in Washington, DC while enjoying the sleuthing abilities of KC Corcoran and her friend Marshall Li. KC wants to be a journalist when she grows up. She likes to pay attention to small details and trusts her gut. The two get close to the president after saving him from scientists trying to push their own political agenda and by book 4 the president is marrying KC’s mother. The plots are completely implausible, but they are fun for young readers. The following is from Ron Roy’s website:

They live near the White House, and are friends with the President of The United States. As you read the books in CAPITAL MYSTERIES, you will get to “visit” the White House, the Smithsonian, the Lincoln Memorial, and many other wonderful sites. You will learn about some of the earlier presidents and have fun helping K.C. and Marshall catch the bad guys! There is even a map to help you find your way from the White House to the building where K.C. and Marshall live.

We first discovered Ron Roy when J started reading the A-Z Mysteries series. This is probably his most beloved series which is intended for ages 6-10. The series follows three friends who happen to repeatedly be called upon to solve a mystery. What is great about them is that, aside from showing the friendship of these three kids, they introduce deductive reasoning in a fun way.

This series features three smart kids who solve crimes and mysteries. They live in a small town in Connecticut, called Green Lawn.The kids are Dink Duncan, Josh Pinto, and Ruth Rose Hathaway. They are third graders and live near each other. They have hobbies and pets and parents, but what they love most is a good mystery. Most kids tell me they enjoy reading the 26 books in alphabetical order. But you can skip around without missing anything. Have fun getting to know these three sly sleuths!

Sticking with the characters from A-Z, Roy created Super Editions which take the children out of their normal locations and are about 50 pages longer then the standard A-Z series. We read Detective Camp a long time ago and J just read The Castle Crime over spring break. This book was given to her because it combined her joy of these mysteries with her love of anything London (thank you Harry Potter).

The final series that Roy has written is intended for the younger reader – Calendar Mysteries. These books follow the younger siblings and cousins of Dink, Josh and Ruth Rose (the three friends from A-Z Mysteries). Ron Roy’s website says that these were written especially for first and second graders, but since J has never read on her level, I peg these more as generally for 5-8 year olds.

If you are looking for a series that is fun and steps into the world of mysteries, check out any of the Ron Roy books. They are intelligently written and engaging for the growing mind.