Before I rush off to the OLA Super Conference tomorrow, I wanted to mention the new French translation of the first Oxford and Pearl mystery I wrote a few years ago. The Missing Snowball, appears in the Jan/Feb 2007 issue of Les Explorateurs magazine.
In the translated version, Oxford and Pearl become Oxford and Pauline and the mystery is called Flocon de Neige a disparu, but the detective duo get up to their usual crime-busting, clue-hunting tricks.
For those of you without a subscription to Les Explorateurs (shame!), Oxford and Pearl Mysteries are short, ‘you-solve-it’ mysteries for readers age 6 – 9 years. The first story The Missing Snowball appeared in the Jan/Feb 2005 issue of ChickaDEE magazine. Since then another clue-filled brain stumper, The Boogie Board Bandit, appeared in the Summer 2006 issue of ChickaDEE.
As you’ll know from my Max Finder Mystery series, I’m a big fan of the ‘you-solve-it’ format. They’re fun to write and kids always love hunting through the story for clues, red-herrings and those dodgy alibis. That’s especially true for early readers, who are gaining confidence with their reading and definitely ready to put the pieces of a mysterious puzzle together to crack the case.
Right now, there are only two Oxford and Pearl mysteries, but I’ve got plenty more ideas knocking about my brain, so you never know where these two will turn up next. Stay tuned and I’m sure Oxford and Pearl will be back for more crime-solving fun.
