Carmen Sandiego: Clue by Clue written by Catherine Hapka, reviewed by Terry Wahrman

 

Summary:  Carmen Sandiego is on a quest in Tortuga to find pirate Captain Goldtooth’s treasure.  It has been hidden since the 1600s.  Carmen needs to find it before VILE gets to it.  A former pirate who traveled with Goldtooth, wrote a diary and coded where to find the treasure. In this diary is the code breaker.  This pirate stole the treasure from Goldtooth and hid it in Tortuga.  This time VILE sent four of their best agents to retrieve it.  Tigress, Mime Bomb, El Topo, and Le Chevre are all there as well as Inspector Devineaux.  Can Carmen outwit them all?

Straight Talk for Librarians:  Mysteries are sought after books by students and this one will be a big hit with its special symbol decoder built right in.  These books are a welcome addition to any classroom library.  There are extra codes to solve in the back pages that will keep students engaged past the reading of the book.  Upper elementary teachers could have a field day which includes decoding of a puzzles, like an escape room environment to reach the treasure.  It’s a great way to engage students minds.