Jane O’Connor is launching her Fancy Nancy character into her first chapter book entitled NANCY CLANCY SUPER SLEUTH. The reader will find the plot amusing, realistic, and touching all at the same time.  You would never guess that Nancy Clancy, dressed in sunglasses, a hat with a floppy brim, a pink trench coat and carrying a spiral notepad, a flashlight, and a rhinestone magnifying glass, is just dying to solve a mystery.  The reader is immediately sympathetic and successfully hooked as Nancy and her friend Bree attempt unsuccessfully to solve their first few mysteries.  These mysteries are either resolved by natural occurrences or Nancy and Bree nearly get caught as they do their snooping.  However, when a valued memento is taken from a school display, Nancy and Bree are in their element.  As Nancy moves closer to solving the mystery, she finds that some solutions come a at personal cost.  Nancy learns valuable lessons in tolerance and forgiveness through the efforts of her parents who are two of the best characters in the storyline because they are so realistic.  Her father makes funny remarks that keep Nancy grounded and I can just see her mother, upon learning that homework is not done, politely telling Bree to go home and then saying to Nancy “get cracking.”

Parents will appreciate the clever method to introduce new vocabulary and the references to the Nancy Drew mysteries.  This would make a good read aloud and the illustrations are well done.

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language:  None

Violence/Gore:  A character fails to catch a ball correctly and lands facefirst in the dirt and slits her lip and bleeds.

Sex/Nudity:  None

Mature Subject Matter:

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Alcohol / Drug Use:

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