A to Z Mysteries: The Invisible Island

By Ron Roy and John Steven Gurney

While picnicking on Squaw Island, Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose find a hundred dollar bill, and when they return to explore further they find an entire cave full of money.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Children's Books
• Release date: Sep 16, 2009
• ISBN: 9780307532930

Book preview

Chapter 1

Donald David Duncan, known as Dink to his friends, answered the telephone.

Duncan residence, Dink speaking.

Get over here! Josh Pinto yelled.

Dink jerked the phone away from his ear. Why? he asked.

My mom says we can have a picnic on Squall Island, Josh said. She made us lunch!

It was a steaming hot July day. Splashing around in the Indian River would feel great, thought Dink.

Okay, let me tell my mom and pick up Ruth Rose. We’ll be right over.

Dink ran up the stairs to his parents’ room. His mother was sitting at her sewing machine, mending a pair of Dink’s jeans.

Hey, Mom? Me and Josh and Ruth Rose are going to the river for a picnic, okay? Dink asked.

Okay, but you kids stay together, she said.

Thanks, Mom! Dink pulled on old shorts and his grubbiest sneakers. Before he left, he fed Loretta, his guinea pig. Dink heard her squeak happily as he ran back down the stairs.

Dink hurried over to Ruth Rose’s house. Ruth Rose’s cat, Tiger, was nursing her kittens on the front step. Dink carefully stepped around them, then rang the bell.

The door opened. Ruth Rose’s little brother, Nate, stood in the doorway. He had a cookie in each hand and another in his mouth.

Hi, Natie, Dink said. Is your sister here?

Shu goofen muppy, Nate said through his cookie.

Dink blinked at Nate. Huh?

Ruth Rose appeared next to Nate. Hi, Dink, what’s going on? she said.

Ruth Rose Hathaway liked to dress all in one color. Today she wore blue shorts, a blue T-shirt, and blue sneakers. Her springy black curls were held in place by a blue headband.

Josh wants to go to Squall Island for a picnic, Dink said.

Ruth Rose grinned. Great! She leaned back into the house. SEE YOU LATER, MOM! I’M GOING ON A PICNIC WITH THE GUYS!

Then she bent down and wiped cookie crumbs from her brother’s lips. Natie, go stay with Mommy, okay? I’ll bring you back a magic stone!

Nate grinned and ran back into the house.

Ruth Rose pulled the door shut. Then she and Dink cut through her backyard and crossed Eagle Lane. A few minutes later, they were at Josh’s house.

Josh was in his front yard, holding a garden hose. His little twin brothers, Brian and Bradley, were screaming and racing through the water.

Hi, Josh said when he saw Dink and Ruth Rose. He shut off the water.

Gotta go, he told Brian and Bradley. Be good boys and don’t leave the yard!

Josh grabbed his backpack off the porch. Hope you guys’re hungry, he said. Mom packed a lot of food.

That should last you about three minutes! Dink said, grinning.

The kids hiked through

Reviews for A to Z Mysteries

[heather19_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

First of all, the title and the back-cover blurb is completely misleading. There is no mystery about a disappearing island. At one point the island is covered in fog, but they still are able to go there. The invisible island is not a part of this book. Other then that, it's a solid book. The mystery is very straight-forward and the kids don't go through multiple suspects, instead zeroing in on the culprit very easily. It was still an enjoyable book though.

[suefitz1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Title: The Invisible Island (A-Z Mysteries)
Author: Ron Roy
Genre: Mystery – Children’s

Challenges: To Be Continued…Challenge, 101 Books in 1001 Days Challenge, Read and Review Challenge 2010, 2010 Support Your Local Library Reading Challenge, 100 Reading Challenge, Audio Book Challenge 2010, Pages Read 2010, PB & J Challenge, Young Readers Reading Challenge 2010


Rating: 3/5
No. of Pages: Audio (96)
Published: 1999


Back Cover: While picnicking on Squaw Island, Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose find a hundred dollar bill, and when they return to explore further they find an entire cave full of money.
Mine Well it’s summer and time for the summer reading program at the library. This is when most of my children & young adult books. I try to read some of the same books as my nephews. The older one loves the A-Z and Capital Mysteries.
I have to say this is a very cute series. This book takes out to an island (more like a sand barge in the middle of the lake). The kids find money and turn it in to the police, they go out to check to see if there is more money and they find a whole cement box full – mostly on shelves and then in dog food boxes. They get scared off by someone, but they don’t see who it is, since it’s a foggy day.

They soon discover from the police that the money is found to be counterfeit – now the mystery solving starts. They look around to find out who might have poison ivy, since the island is covered with it. They get a clue when Josh has to go get lotion for his own poison ivy. They are on the trail and soon solve the mystery.

[missbrandysue · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Dink, Josh and Ruth Rose love exploring Squaw Island while picnicing until they find a mysterious $100 bill. When they turn it into the police they are told it's counterfeit. So they go on the hunt for the person who might have dropped it. They soon find a hole in a rock/cave that's full of fake money. They soon track down the thieves to the new neighbors in the area.

A great mystery for middle-aged elementary students. The action even kept ME intrigued!

[skeeterbo · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I didn't like this book because it was boring. I wish it had more action.