Module 9 - Mystery at the Club Sandwich by: Doug Cushman

Summary:
When the singer at Club Sandwich's lucky marbles go missing her assistant sets out in search of Nick Trunk the private detective who can crack any case; as long as payment is ready in the form of peanuts. Finding the clues, peanut butter and ostrich feathers, lead to an array of suspects but Nick Trunk always gets his man or woman and the Mystery at Club Sandwich is no different.

Bibliographic Citation:
Cushman, D. (2004). Mystery at club sandwich. New York, NY: Clarion Books.

My Impression:
The black and white illustrations in Cushman's book really give the story the feel of an old mystery movie. The story is full of word play and idioms giving it a adult appeal. This would be a fun story to read aloud and a really fun story to introduce young readers to the genre of mystery. I have always loved a good mystery and this story was no different. It was a good read and I enjoyed the illustrations immensely.

Reviews:
Black and white illustrations give this mystery just the perfect setting, as Nick tries to solve who stole singer Lola's marbles at the Club Sandwich. This elephant gumshoe is sure peanut butter and ostrich feathers are the clues he needs as he narrows down his list of suspects. Nick, of course, just works for peanuts. Full of puns that both students and adults will enjoy, teachers will find this a great book to share with students when working with a list of clues to solve a problem. It would be interesting to have students track who they think is guilty of the crime and see if they change their minds as the story progresses. The 1940s era illustrations give the reader the feeling of an old time detective story. Add it all up and this case is closed and this book is recommended. Recommended. 2004, Clarion Books, 32pp., $15 hc. Ages 7 to 10.
Carl A. Harvey II (Library Media Connection, January 2005)

How to use this book in your library:
This book would be great for a Summer Reading program involving mysteries! There are so many mysteries that could happen at the library and children love a good puzzle. Role play would be fun with this story and it could lead to a mystery game.