Bud Barkin, Private Eye

By James Howe and Brett Helquist

Dear Reader,

The guy who usually writes these letters asked me to do it instead. Maybe he was having a bad writing day. Maybe he wanted me to play the sap for him. Or maybe he ran into Trouble with a capital T.

Well, Trouble’s in my business. I’m a dog. I’m a detective. The name’s Bud Barkin. And this book is about the case I had involving a dame named Delilah Gorbish, whom I would call Trouble with a capital T except I’ve used that metaphor already, and the clown named Crusty Carmady whose calling card is a teakettle that he heaves through windows. Nice pair of birds. The mystery deepens with another character called the Big Fish, who isn’t really a fish and who’s addicted to the Home Shopping Network.

Hey, I don’t write ’em—I just solve ’em.

Yours truly, Bud Barkin, P.E.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
• Release date: Jan 15, 2013
• ISBN: 9781442487314

James Howe

James Howe is the author of more than ninety books for young readers. Bunnicula, coauthored by his late wife Deborah and published in 1979, is considered a modern classic of children’s literature. The author has written six highly popular sequels, along with the spinoff series Tales from the House of Bunnicula and Bunnicula and Friends. Among his other books are picture books such as Horace and Morris but Mostly Dolores and beginning reader series that include the Pinky and Rex and Houndsley and Catina books. He has also written for older readers. The Misfits, published in 2001, inspired the nationwide antibullying initiative No Name-Calling Week, as well as three sequels, Totally Joe, Addie on the Inside, and Also Known as Elvis. A common theme in James Howe’s books from preschool through teens is the acceptance of difference and being true to oneself. Visit him online at JamesHowe.com.

Book preview

HOWIE’S WRITING JOURNAL

okay, fine. My last book didn’t win the Newbony Award. Who cares? My readers liked it, that’s all that matters. Now that I’ve written four books, I get letters from my readers all the time. That is so cool! I got one just the other day from this girl named Krystel, who said I’m her favorite author!

Dear Howie Monroe, she wrote, you are my favorite author. I haven’t read any of your books, but if I have time someday, maybe I will.

That is so cool!

Then this boy named Jayson wrote, I like your stories. They sure are funny. The only problem is that there aren’t any pigs in your stories. Why don’t you write about pigs? Don’t you like pigs? Other than not having any pigs, I think your stories are good.

I like pigs. Who said I didn’t like pigs?

I tried writing a story about a pig once. It was about a pig that was turned into a monster by a mad scientist. It was called Frankenswine. The problem was, it ended up sounding too much like a book Uncle Harold wrote about our rabbit. Uncle Harold said that was okay, that there are lots of books that are kind of like other books. He mentioned a certain book of mine (see Book #3: Howie Monroe and the Doghouse of Doom), but that was different. I don’t know why, but it was. The thing is, I don’t want to write the same kinds of stories as Uncle Harold.

Except, I wouldn’t mind writing a mystery, even if Uncle Harold has already written some. I mean, lots of authors have written mysteries. Uncle Harold didn’t invent them. (At least, I don’t think he did. I’ll have to ask.)

Uncle Harold says that mysteries are hard to write. He says even though he usually doesn’t outline his books first, with mysteries he needs to because mysteries are like puzzles and you have to know where all the pieces fit.

That sounds like way too much work.

I’m going to go take a nap.

HOWIE’S WRITING JOURNAL

Outline for mystery story

I. Mysterious thing happens

II. Detective called in to investigate

III. Detective checks it out

IV. Detective solves the case

I don’t know what Uncle Harold is talking about. That wasn’t hard at all!

HOWIE’S WRITING JOURNAL

I let Uncle Harold read my outline. Well, that

[agrudzien_5 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

When Howie decides to write a mystery, he turns to his uncle Chester (of Bunnicula fame) for help. As the works through the process and pieces of the mystery the reader is treated to stereotypical characters and a whacky storyline that is fun to follow. I liked how the pov was from the writer and that he talked about the process as the story went on. This would be a good addition to learning how to identify/write a mystery in the mid-elementary grades.