Goofballs #1: The Crazy Case of Missing Thunder

Synopsis

“Everyone wants to be a Goofball in this little town, and readers will want to follow their cases in the future. That #1 on the spine ensures that there will be many more adventures from these goofy friends.” —Kirkus Reviews
 
“Targeting readers who like a lot of humor with their mysteries, Abbott includes a great deal of wordplay and slapstick, and stretches the goofball joke to its limit (Jeff’s dog even barks, “Goof! Goof!”). Madden’s cartoons add to the fun, and Abbott’s clipped, dialogue-driven text is accessible for beginning readers and creates just the hint of a noir atmosphere.” —Publishers Weekly
 
“The plot moves along quickly from clue to clue, enabling readers to test their own powers of deduction. . . . Bold black, white, and gray illustrations appear on almost every spread. Illustrations also suggest the multiracial make-up of the Goofballs. The humor consists of mostly pratfalls (tumbling into doorways, getting stuck in a chair) and puns (“don’t leaf me here”), but early chapter book readers will enjoy this combination of mystery and silliness.”—School Library Journal


Jeff, Brian, Mara, and Kelly are self-proclaimed goofballs. Since first grade these friends have been solving mysteries among their schoolmates etc and now their reputation is expanding. When rich kid Randall Crandall's horse, Thunder, goes missing, he calls upon the Goofballs to find him. Clues, clatter, and catastrophe almost ensue until the Goofballs recover Thunder, the flower-loving horse.

Also available in simultaneous e-book format ISBN: 978-1-60684-298-0, Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-60684-164-8, and RLB ISBN: 978-1-60684-342-0