A to Z Mysteries
Encyclopedia
A to Z Mysteries is a popular children's novel series written by Ron Roy
and published by Random House
. The series is generally considered among the best "easy readers" for young children. There are twenty-six books in the series, one for each letter of the alphabet. The series begins with The Absent Author, published in 1997, and ends with The Zombie Zone, published in 2005.
The books follow the adventures of three junior detectives, Donald David "Dink" Duncan, Joshua "Josh" Pinto, and Ruth Rose Hathaway. They are nine years old and live in Green Lawn, a fictional town in Connecticut
, United States. Due to having the same author as the Capital Mysteries
, the main characters' paths cross with KC and Marshall (the other series' main characters) and they become friends.
Other characters include Pal, a dog that once belonged to crooks and currently resides with Josh; a mystery writer named Wallis Wallace who first takes part in The Absent Author; and Mr. Linkletter, the local hotel receptionist. Others include Officer Fallon, Josh's younger twin brothers Bradley and Brian, Ruth Rose's younger brother Nate, and Mr. Pasky, owner of the local bookstore in Green Lawn.
The immense popularity of the original series inspired a follow-up series A to Z Mysteries Special Edition with the same characters. The first book in this series, Detective Camp, was published in May 2006. In addition, Ron Roy wrote a spin-off series titled Calendar Mysteries.
An article in Horn Book Magazine
states that one reason for the series' popularity may be that the main characters "are about as hip as oatmeal", offering relief to readers who may feel burdened by peer pressure.
series called Calendar Mysteries, starting with January Joker. The series is aimed at second and third graders and focuses on Dink's cousin Lucy, Josh's younger twin brothers Brian and Bradley, and Ruth Rose's younger brother Nate. The main characters from A to Z Mysteries also make occasional appearances. While A to Z Mysteries focused on alliterating the alphabet to book titles, Calendar Mysteries relates the titles and themes to the different months of the year. The time and settings of each book often correspond to various holidays in a given month. Following January Joker, the book titles include February Friend, March Mischief, and April Adventure, May Magic and June Jam.
Ron Roy
Wallace Ronald "Ron" Roy is a juvenile book author who has been published since the 1970s. Among his works include numerous children's mystery books such as A to Z Mysteries series and the Capital Mysteries series...
and published by Random House
Random House
Random House, Inc. is the largest general-interest trade book publisher in the world. It has been owned since 1998 by the German private media corporation Bertelsmann and has become the umbrella brand for Bertelsmann book publishing. Random House also has a movie production arm, Random House Films,...
. The series is generally considered among the best "easy readers" for young children. There are twenty-six books in the series, one for each letter of the alphabet. The series begins with The Absent Author, published in 1997, and ends with The Zombie Zone, published in 2005.
The books follow the adventures of three junior detectives, Donald David "Dink" Duncan, Joshua "Josh" Pinto, and Ruth Rose Hathaway. They are nine years old and live in Green Lawn, a fictional town in Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, United States. Due to having the same author as the Capital Mysteries
Capital Mysteries
Capital Mysteries is a children's mystery series written by Ron Roy as his second mystery series. The first was A to Z Mysteries.The books follow the adventures of the two amateur detectives KC Corcoran and Marshall Li, who are best friends and spend much of their time solving mysteries around the...
, the main characters' paths cross with KC and Marshall (the other series' main characters) and they become friends.
Other characters include Pal, a dog that once belonged to crooks and currently resides with Josh; a mystery writer named Wallis Wallace who first takes part in The Absent Author; and Mr. Linkletter, the local hotel receptionist. Others include Officer Fallon, Josh's younger twin brothers Bradley and Brian, Ruth Rose's younger brother Nate, and Mr. Pasky, owner of the local bookstore in Green Lawn.
The immense popularity of the original series inspired a follow-up series A to Z Mysteries Special Edition with the same characters. The first book in this series, Detective Camp, was published in May 2006. In addition, Ron Roy wrote a spin-off series titled Calendar Mysteries.
An article in Horn Book Magazine
Horn Book Magazine
The Horn Book Magazine, founded in Boston in 1924, is a bimonthly periodical about literature for children and young adults. It began life as a "suggestive purchase list" prepared by Bertha Mahony Miller and Elinor Whitney Field, proprietresses of the country's first bookstore for children, The...
states that one reason for the series' popularity may be that the main characters "are about as hip as oatmeal", offering relief to readers who may feel burdened by peer pressure.
Books
The books in the series include:- The Absent AuthorThe Absent AuthorThe Absent Author is a children's mystery book written by Ron Roy in 1997, and is the first book in the A to Z Mysteries series.The plot involves three amateur detectives Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose who come across a mystery when they begin to suspect that a famous mystery writer named Wallis Wallace...
(1997) - The Bald BanditThe Bald BanditThe Bald Bandit is a children's mystery novel by Ron Roy written in 1997. It is the second in a series of mystery books called A to Z Mysteries, following the adventures of three junior detectives, Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose....
(1997) - The Canary CaperThe Canary CaperThe Canary Caper is the third book in the A to Z Mysteries series, written by Ron Roy in 1998. The plot follows a trio of amateur detectives – Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose – investigating a series of animal thefts. However, not long after the theft occurs, the animals are returned and all is...
(1998) - The Deadly DungeonThe Deadly DungeonThe Deadly Dungeon is a 1998 children's mystery novel by Ron Roy. It is the fourth in the A to Z Mysteries series following the sleuthing adventures of Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose...
(1998) - The Empty EnvelopeThe Empty EnvelopeThe Empty Envelope is a 1998 children's mystery novel by Ron Roy. It is the fifth in the A to Z Mysteries series following the sleuthing adventures of Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose.- Plot summary :...
(1998) - The Falcon's Feathers (1998)
- The Goose's Gold (1998)
- The Haunted Hotel (1999)
- The Invisible Island (1999)
- The Jaguar's Jewel (2000)
- The Kidnapped King (2000)
- The Lucky Lottery (2000)
- The Missing Mummy (2001)
- The Ninth Nugget (2001)
- The Orange Outlaw (2001)
- The Panda Puzzle (2002)
- The Quicksand Question (2002)
- The Runaway Racehorse (2002)
- The School Skeleton (2003)
- The Talking T-Rex (2003)
- The Unwilling Umpire (2004)
- The Vampire's Vacation (2004)
- The White Wolf (2004)
- The X'ed-Out X-Ray (2005)
- The Yellow Yacht (2005)
- The Zombie Zone (2005)
- Super Edition 1: Detective Camp (2006)
- Super Edition 2: Mayflower Treasure Hunt (2007)
- Super Edition 3: White House White-out (2008)
- Super Edition 4: Sleepy Hollow Sleepover (2010)
- Super Edition 5: The New Year Dragon Dilemma (2011)
Calendar Mysteries
The A to Z Mysteries have also led to a spinoffSpin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
series called Calendar Mysteries, starting with January Joker. The series is aimed at second and third graders and focuses on Dink's cousin Lucy, Josh's younger twin brothers Brian and Bradley, and Ruth Rose's younger brother Nate. The main characters from A to Z Mysteries also make occasional appearances. While A to Z Mysteries focused on alliterating the alphabet to book titles, Calendar Mysteries relates the titles and themes to the different months of the year. The time and settings of each book often correspond to various holidays in a given month. Following January Joker, the book titles include February Friend, March Mischief, and April Adventure, May Magic and June Jam.