ANNABEL THE DETECTIVE: THE CASE OF THE BIRTHDAY SURPRISE Dorothy Joan Harris Illustrated by Amanda Duffy Toronto, HarperCollins, 1993. 32pp, paper, $4.95, ISBN 0-00-647417-9. (Early Ready Set Read). CIP Reviewed by Alison Mews Volume 22 Number 3 1994 May / June An easy-to-read detective story in which the intrepid Annabel solves a minor mystery,  The Case of the Birthday Surprise, will certainiy appeal to beginning readers. It follows the format set by the two previous Annabel books,  The Case of the Missing Tooth1 and  The Case of the Mystery Note. In this story, Annabel receives a letter from her grandmother which contains a clue to her birthday present. With the aid of her friend Michael, Annabel progressively unravels the clues provided and eventually is rewarded with her prize. Early readers will be rewarded, too, having successfully read a whole book! Although not divided into chapters, the book has the appearance of a chapter book, with large type, bright illustrations and multi-coloured margins. The margins contain objects that appear in the illustrations throughout the book, and are the clues that Annabel and Michael find as they solve the story's riddle. This is a nice touch, and children will delight in discovering the clues in miniature. Recommended for school and public libraries, for the Primary reading collection, or as a birthday present for an eager young reader. Kindergarten to Grade 2 / Ages 5 to 7 1Reviewed vol.XIX/5 October 1991, p.304. Alison Mews is Coordinator of the Centre for Instructional Services, Faculty of Education, at Memorial University of Newfoundland in St. John's, Newfoundland HOME | TITLES | AUTHORS | MEDIA | AGE/GRADE | FEATURES | DATES The materials in this archive are copyright © The Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without permission Copyright information for reviewers Digital Collections / Collections Numérisees cm@mts.net