TOP TEN OF 2009 BEST BOOKS FOR THE CHILDREN'S AND TEENS BOOK CONNECTION.Book 3 of my Crypto-Capers Series, The Legend of the Golden Monkey, was chosen as being in the top ten at the children's and teen book connections best books of 2009. Feel free to check it out on the following link, as well as other books on the site. I am so excited!
http://childrensandteensbookconnection.wordpress.com/2010/01/10/tctbcs-top-10-favorite-books-of-2009-for-kids-tweens-and-teens/#comment-224 PREFERRED CHOICE AWARD BY CREATIVE CHILD MAGAZINE
Book 1 of The Crypto-Capers Series, The Case of the Missing Sock, received a Preferred Choice Award by Creative Child Magazine. Book 1 was in their magazine several times last year which goes out to thousands of people. I was interviewed on Blog Talk Radio and The Children's Author Show in 2009 for my Crypto-Capers Series.
BOOK REVIEW BY STORIES FOR CHILDREN MAGAZINEBook: The Crypto-Capers in the Case of the Missing Sock Author: Renee Hand Illustrator: Alla Dubrovich Publisher: North Star Press of Saint Cloud Inc., 2008 ISBN-13: 978-0-87839-304-6 ISBN-10: 0-87839-304-8 Reading Level: Ages 8-12 (grades 4-7) Rating: 5 stars Reviewed by: Wayne Walker If you had your choice, would you prefer a dirty, smelly old sock that purportedly belonged to Elvis Presley's grandmother or a pair of diamond-studded, gold and onyx designer sunglasses? Maxwell Sherlock Holmes, age fourteen, and his sister Mia, age twelve, live in London, England. Their mother and father are ace detectives with Scotland Yard, and the brother and sister seem to have inherited their parents' abilities to solve crimes. Therefore, with their Granny, Nellie Holmes, and Max's fourteen-year-old friend Morris Weedlesom, a computer whiz, they have formed the Crypto-Capers and unravel mysteries by solving cryptograms that criminals leave behind. In this first volume of Renee Hand's series, wealthy cereal company owner Charles Delacomb of Naples, FL, had bought a new pair of expensive sunglasses as a birthday present for his wife and hidden them inside one of a pair of socks which was once owned by Elvis Presley's grandmother. He had purchased the socks at an auction the year before and kept them in his library in a locked cabinet. However, both the one sock and the sunglasses were stolen, and the thief left a cryptogram, so Delacomb seeks help from the Holmeses. As the Crypto-Capers investigate, some of the evidence points to Mrs. Delacomb, while other bits of evidence point to the groundskeeper Tom Kemper. In fact, on one occasion, Mrs. Delacomb had even given Mr. Kemper a ride. Will Max and Mia be able to figure out the mystery, identify the thief, and retrieve the stolen items? Most youngsters enjoy reading mysteries, and this is good because solving mysteries helps to develop critical thinking skills. In the Crypto-Capers books, there is the added benefit of language arts related exercises in working on the cryptograms. On top of this, The Case of the Missing Sock is just a fun story that will keep the reader turning the pages. As the excitement and suspense build, inquiring minds want to know who did it, and why! Also, at the end I especially liked the scene where Mr. Delacomb and his fifteen-year-old son Robert learn some important lessons about their relationship with each other. If you like mysteries, you will not want to miss the Crypto-Capers. Related websites: www.reneeahand.com (author) http://thecryptocapersseries.blogspot.com/ (series blog), www.northstarpress.com (publisher) BOOK REVIEW STORIES FOR CHILDREN MAGAZINE Book: The Crypto-Capers in the Case of Red Rock Canyon Author: Renee Hand Illustrator: Alla Dubrovich-Cover and Corinne A. Dwyer-Inside Publisher: North Star Press of Saint Cloud Inc., 2009 Reading Level: Ages 8-12 (grades 4-7) Rating: 5 stars Reviewed by: Wayne Walker The Crypto-Capers are back! Fourteen-year-old Max Holmes, his sister Mia, their Granny Nellie, and their friend Morris are detectives who travel all over the world to investigate mysteries. Well, Max, Mia, and Granny go places while Morris stays at home because of his allergies and communicates with the others by electronic gadgetry. Each individual has his or her specific talents. Max is good at logic and deductive reasoning. Mia can solve just about any puzzle. Granny is fluent in several languages and provides muscle for the group. And Morris is a genius with computers. In this second book of the series, author Renee Hand takes the team to Las Vegas, Nevada, where show producer Julian Cross employs them to find a very expensive missing ruby necklace which he had purchased for use in his presentation but was stolen. The thief accidentally left a cryptogram, probably to communicate with his accomplices. There are all kinds of suspects--Cross's girlfriend and lead singer Lucille Devereaux; Cross's rival producer Pierson Long; Long's girlfriend and lead singer, Juliet, Lucille's twin sister; even the man who delivered the necklace, Mr. William Teague. Along the way, they match wits with an elusive criminal known as "the Panther." Then Mia gets kidnapped! Will they find Mia? And will they ever recover the necklace? Not only is this a fun story to read, but it is one in which the characters engage in some self-discovery about themselves and exhibit a great deal of courage. In addition, the reader can help to solve the cryptograms and participate in the various activities. "These are not for the faint of heart, but for the bravest and most confident of souls. Can you do it? We are counting on you." All children, but especially those who like to solve mysteries and work on puzzles, should enjoy The Crypto-Capers in the Case of Red Rock Canyon. Related websites: www.reneeahand.com (author) http://thecryptocapersseries.blogspot.com/ (series blog), www.northstarpress.com (publisher)
The Crypto-Capers in The Case of The Missing Sock
Author: Renée Hand
Publisher: North Star Press of St. Cloud, Inc. Rating: 
Reviewed by: Cheryl Malandrinos What do you get when you cross an accident prone computer genius, an expert puzzle solver, a flamboyant grandmother who loves knitting–even though she’s terrible at it, and a young detective who can solve crimes that stump senior members of Scotland Yard? A great new interactive mystery series that your children will love! Sibling detectives Max and Mia Holmes reside on Baker Street in London. Along with their Granny Nellie Holmes and their technology wizard best friend, Morris, they make up the Crypto-Capers. In Book 1 of this series, The Case of the Missing Sock, the Crypto-Capers travel to Florida, where Mr. Delacomb hires them to locate a stolen antique sock with a specially made pair of Prada sunglasses tucked inside. With new suspects popping up everywhere they turn, the Crypto-Capers must use Max’s great skills at reasoning and deduction, Mia’s ability to solve puzzles, and Morris’s penchant for technology, to help them solve the crime. And just in case you think Granny has wandered off for no good reason, you’ll discover her wanderings are usually very productive. Before I say anything else, I have to tell you that my daughters–ages 7 and 5–are already bugging me to get done reviewing these books so that they can have them. I have both Book 1 and Book 2 – The Case of the Red Rock Canyon, and Granny is definitely a favorite character based upon the cover art from Book 2. My girls are starting to make up their own stories without having even read these; so illustrator Alla Dubrovich deserves a huge nod for creating attention-grabbing covers. The Case of the Missing Sock actually opens in London, with Max in the middle of something good. I don’t want to destroy the surprise, so I won’t say much more on that, but Hand wastes no time in getting right to the action. Then we get to meet the rest of the team and get some backstory on the family. The backstory is trickled in between the current day happenings, so it doesn’t have a chance to take over the storyline or distract the reader. Hand does an excellent job of sharing just the right amount of detail to make the reader feel like he is experiencing everything along with the Crypto-Capers, while not overloading him with unnecessary junk that weighs the story down. What I enjoyed most about this book and the plans for other books in the series, is that it gives readers, especially reluctant ones, a reason to pick up a book. By having the reader decipher cryptograms along with the team, The Case of the Missing Sock becomes more than just a book; it becomes an interactive adventure. The Crypto-Capers by Renee Hand is one series of children’s books that I plan to keep an eye on!
LadyD Books Sunday, May 31, 2009Are You A Puzzle Solver? You know those crossword puzzles, then there are word scrambles. Well, now you will find cryptograms to work on to help solve mysteries along with a group of young children plus their Granny!
Renee Hand’s stunning new mystery series, The Crypto Capers, is an excellent read for your children. Thanks to Cheryl Malandrinos for giving me the opportunity to review these great detective books. I received signed copies with bookmarks and a sweet note enclosed from the author of the Case of the Missing Sock and the Case of Red Rock Canyon. A big thank you to Renee Hand for such a warm welcome to her new children’s mystery book series! Book #1 The Crypto-Capers: The Case of the Missing Sock
Right from the beginning Renee’s award winning style of writing draws you in. The author is able to create an atmosphere of mystery and wonder through likeable and well-known characters such as Sherlock Holmes. Throughout the book you will follow Max and Mia, young detectives who are asked from a rich man in Florida to help find his wife’s stolen birthday present. It seems an antique sock with a specially made pair of sunglasses tucked inside is missing.
I must warn you from the beginning, you will not want to put this book down because it is that good. One book can easily be read in a day. Basically the plot revolves around Max and Mia easily solving clues using cryptograms. The Crypto -Capers are a team of young siblings Max and Mia from London, plus their lovable Granny Nellie Holmes who is always forgetting something or wandering off and the sibling’s best friend, Morris a computer genius.
What I especially like about the Case of the Missing Sock is how these youngsters go about finding solutions through their great deductions and reasoning skills. Children will get involved with reading this book on any level and will have fun figuring out the paper clues. Of course if you get stumped, Renee easily provides answers to the cryptograms at the back of the book… but wait, no peeking. You’ll discover and solve the clues right along with Max and Mia throughout these wonderful children’s mystery series. My rating is 5+ stars. I loved this book. The price $12.95 Now the second book of the series is called The Case of Red Rock Canyon. I have been told that it’s important to read this particular series in order. With Book #2, the stolen item and assignment is: A missing Orchid Ruby Necklace. The team heads for Las Vegas, Nevada, where they are thrown into the dramatic world of theater to solve their next mystery.
Personally, I found Book #2 action packed and intense at times. You know, the kind of material kids love to read. The young detective team must sift through the clues to figure out what is truth, and what are lies. One of their lives will be in the balance. I think you will find this book an adventure of self discovery and courage!
I highly recommend Renee Hands mystery series for children ages 9-12 and their parents. The paperback books are reasonably priced and the treasures written inside are priceless. I am fond of the character Nellie because I am a Grandma also. And it is quite an adventure to be with my two precious Grandsons! As I recall, my Mother was so good at doing cross word puzzles. I found myself being drawn in to solving all these paper clues along with the professional team of Max and Mia. What fun!
The Crypto-Capers: The Case of Red Rock Canyon
I have made a strong connection with Renee’s writings. She reminds me of a modern day ‘Joan Wilder’. Congratulations Renee Hand on a winning series of children’s mystery books! Review given by Allbooks Review Genre: Children’s Mystery Title: The Crypto-Capers in The Case of the Missing Sock Author: Renée Hand In this carefully crafted novel for kids, the author was able to create an atmosphere of mystery and wonder through likeable and well-known characters such as Sherlock Holmes. Max and Mia are young detectives and when a rich man from Florida asked for their assistance in finding his wife’s stolen birthday present, they were ready. By using cryptograms and brilliant knowledge, Max and Mia were able to find and answer many clues that even the police could not find. Renée Hand has a very unusual but pleasantly surprising writing style. It was a refreshing taste of genuine writing straight from the heart. Through out the novel, her characters became more and more real as their personalities came through on every page. They each had their distinct aura and were easy to relate too; an over-all, safe style but instant children’s classic. Renée Hand’s love for reading and writing started when she was only a young child and remained constant through her life as a teenager and young adult. She writes not only to entertain but to build a connection between herself and her readers. Her first novel, Magic Hearts, won Best Fantasy Romance in 2006, and her second novel, Seduction of the Lonely Heart, won a National Literary award for Best Romance in 2007. Overall, this mystery novel about following your heart and never giving up would instantly click in the minds of young boys and girls. Highly Recommended by reviewer, Nicole Harris, Allbooks Review, this interactive novel would be an immediate hit in classrooms all over the world. Michigan author, Renee Hand wins national literary award. |
