Interview: Martin Widmark, author of the Whodunit Detective Agency Series

I'm so honored to have internationally bestselling children's author Martin Widmark here today to chat about his super fun Whodunit Detective Agency series. These awesome books are perfect for the mystery loving little readers in your life...

The Whodunit Detective Agency, which has sold over 1.6 million copies in Sweden and 2.5 million worldwide, has been translated into almost 30 languages, been adapted for TV and film, and is currently the subject of a year-long exhibition at Junibacken, an interactive museum in Stockholm celebrating Swedish children’s literature. The series follows best friends Jerry and Maya, who, in their spare time, run a detective agency in their small town, and are frequently called upon by the town’s police chief to save the day.

The Diamond Mystery

(The Whodunit Detective Agency #1)

by Martin Widmark

10/16/14

Grosset & Dunlap

Somebody is stealing diamonds from the jeweler Mohammed Carat! It looks like the culprit is someone on his staff, but who? Is it Luke Smith, the recently hired fitness fanatic with a taste for the finer things in life? It surely can’t be Vivian Leander, the loyal shop assistant who is now short of money . . . The police in the little town of Valleby are stuck, so they contact young detectives Jerry and Maya, classmates who run their own detective agency. Will Jerry and Maya be able to use their detective skills to find the thief? As they well know, even a tiny clue is worth its weight in gold.

Goodreads / Amazon / B&N / Indiebound

The Hotel Mystery

(The Whodunit Detective Agency #2)

by Martin Widmark

10/16/14

Grosset & Dunlap

It is Christmas Eve, and the grand Braeburn family has come to stay in the luxury suite of Valleby’s hotel. With them, they have brought their extremely valuable dog. The hotel manager promises the family that he’ll take great care of their dog—but before they know it, the dog has gone missing without a trace! Jerry and Maya, the local young detectives, are brought in to help sniff out the missing hound. All the evidence suggests that one of the hotel staff had a hand in the case, but who could it be?

Goodreads / Amazon / B&N / Indiebound

What three words best describe your series, The Whodunit Detective Agency?

Humorous, engaging, accessible.
 

Can you give us your best one sentence pitch to convince readers, especially reluctant readers, to give The Whodunit Detective Agency a try?

The books are easy to read, but not so easy to solve!

Grab a copy of the first book in this series, The Diamond Mystery, and answer the following:

favorite chapter?

Chapter 8: In which we may follow how the detective brains of Jerry and Maya have worked.

favorite page?

66-67: In which we can see how Helena Willis, the illustrator, summarizes the crime committed in one spread.

favorite setting?

At Mr. Carat´s office where there are pools of tears on the floor.

flip to a random page and give us a 1-2 sentences teaser:

“Don’t you have something else to do besides snoop on me?” (p.43)

Can you tell us a bit about your characters Maya and Jerry? What makes them special?

They are normal kids, good friends, but have a passionate interest of solving crimes. They see the adult world like I saw it when I was a child, a light-crazy, exaggerated version.

How do you come up with the mysteries for Maya and Jerry to solve? Are they completely made up or are any of the mysteries based on fact?

I look upon all places as possible crime scenes. Most of my books are influenced by “reality,” but my own version of it. For instance, I came up with the idea of how to steal the jewels in The Diamond Mystery when I was working on my summer house.

Jerry and Maya have solved many mysteries throughout The Whodunit Detective Agency...do you have an absolute favorite?

The Circus. The motive for the crime is moving, I would say.

Fill in the blanks:

I’m really awesome at Being curious

I’m really embarrassed to admit That I am not always listening when people speak.

The last great book I read was 11/22/63 by Stephen King. Where is his Nobel Prize??

If you were to create and bake a cupcake inspired by The Whodunit Detective Agency, what would it look and taste like, and what would you call it?

It would look like a normal cup cake, but taste like a meatball – and the mystery would be called “The Animal Rights Mystery.”

Thank you so much for stopping by, Martin!

website * goodreads * facebook 

Martin Widmark was born 1961 and lives in Stockholm with his family. He worked as a middle school teacher and as a teacher of Swedish to immigrants - and he has written several textbooks - but is now a full time author of children´s books. He is fascinated by oddities and everything that is different; food, music, languages and people. Widmark is considered one of the giants of current children’s fiction. Martin Widmark´s Nelly Rapp and Lasse Maja series are always on the best seller lists and have also received a lot of lavish praise.

Goodie Basket (57): Weekly Book Haul and Recap

Goodie Basket...is a weekly feature hosted here at Word Spelunking that showcases all the goodies (books, bookish things, reviews, interviews/giveaways/guest posts, blog tours, etc) that popped up in the Goodie Basket that is Word Spelunking each week.

(This meme is inspired by other book haul memes such as In My Mailbox hosted by  The Mod Podge Bookshelf, Stacking the Shelves hosted by Tynga’s Reviews, Showcase Sunday hosted by Books, Biscuits & Tea and Sunday Post hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer )

Welcome to another edition of Word Spelunking's Goodie Basket! I hope everyone had a fabby fab week. Before we get to my loverly haul, here's your weekly dose of Baby Aeicha cuteness...

Look at my little booknerd!!!

Let's see what arrived in my mailbox this week....

From Harper Collins For Review

Gris Grimly's Frankenstein by Mary Shelly & Gris Grimly

Asylum by Madeleine Roux

3:59 by Gretchen McNeil

A Darkness Strange and Lovely by Susan Dennard

Scary School 3: the Northern Frights by Derek Kent

Gravediggers 2: Terror Cove by Christopher Krovatin

The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates: Magic Marks the Spot by Caroline Carlson

Cinderella Smith: The Super Secret Mystery by Stephanie Barden

It's Halloween, I'm Turning Green by Dan Gutman

Other Books For Review

Danny's Doodles: The Jellybean Experiment by David Adler

(from Sourcebooks for review)

The Misadventures of Salem Hyde by Frank Cammuso

(from Abrams for review)

Calendar Mysteries: September Sneakers by Ron Roy

Calendar Mysteries: October Ogre by Ron Roy

Lara's Gift by Annemarie O'Brien

Too Cool for this School by Kristen Tracy

(these four are from Random House for review)

Ship Out of Luck by Neil Shusterman

(from Penguin for review)

Ebooks For Review

Crest (Ondine Quartet #3) by Emma Raveling

(from author)

Far From You by Tess Sharpe

(Disney-Hyperion: from Netgalley)

Big THANK YOUS to Harper Collins, Random House, Sourcebooks, Abrams, Penguin, Emma Raveling, and Disney-Hyperion for all the bookish awesomeness this week!!!

Weekly Blog Recap

this week on the blog...

I reviewed The Classroom: Student Council Smackdown and author Robin Mellom stopped by for a guest post.

I participated in The Fallout Blog Tour and author S.A. Bodeen stopped by with a yummy guest post. Plus, you can win a copy of both books!

I participated in the Sky Jumpers Blog Tour with my review, an interview with author Peggy Eddleman, and a giveaway for a finished copy!

Open Giveaways

-Win 1 of 20 ebook copies of Alena Gouveia's YA fantasy The Ambrose Beacon (open INT)

-Win a set of all three books (print and ebook) in the supernatural YA series The Tracks by J Gabriel Gates and Charlene Keel (open INT).

-Win a paperback copy of The Compound and a hardcover copy of The Fallout by S.A. Bodeen (US/CAN)

-Win a hardcover copy of Sky Jumpers by Peggy Eddleman (US)

WHAT DID YOU GET THIS WEEK?!

Review: Garlic Bread for Eugene by Michael Heath

Garlic Bread for Eugene

Michael Heath

5/31/12

Turn the Page Publishing

Format: ebook

Source: from author for review

ADD ON GOODREADS

Go for the Perfect Attendance Award or help his younger brother? It is a dilemma that sixth-grader Henry has when Uncle Billy fails to show up to make garlic bread for Eugene's Fourth-grade picnic. Follow Henry on a morning-long odyssey through neighborhoods and a brush with the law as he tries to be the new man of the house.

THREE WORDS: Not For Me

MY REVIEW: I'm a huge fan of middle-grade books, but, when it comes to MG, books are usually either a direct hit or miss for me. Unfortunately, Michael Heath's Garlic Bread for Eugene was a miss for me.

In this short read, the main character, 6^th grader Henry, must go on an early morning trek through his town to gather ingredients to make his late father's garlic bread. At school, the fourth graders always have an end of year picnic where each student brings in a special dish and Eugene, Henry's little brother, wants to bring in the garlic bread their father made before he died. When Uncle Billy, who is suppose to help make the bread, doesn't show up and the boys' mother has already left for work, it is up to Henry to make sure his brother has the bread for the picnic. But helping Eugene means being late for school and missing out on the Perfect Attendance Award that Henry has worked so hard to achieve.

Garlic Bread for Eugene is a short, quick read at just 112 pages, but it failed to captivate me. I can fully appreciate what the author has tried to convey and do with this book, but, as a whole, this just wasn't my kind of read.

When it comes to middle-grade and children's books, whether they be contemporaries, fantasies, sci-fi's, etc, they must contain the right amount of excitement, adventure, humor, and heart to win me over. Garlic Bread for Eugene has a lot of heart, but very little of the other things. A book with a message is not a bad thing and the message in this book is a heartfelt and heartwarming one, yet it seems like the rest of the book (characters, the storyline, storytelling, etc) takes a backseat to the message.

The writing is decent, but lacks that special spark that I crave, and have come to expect, in MG/Kids Lit. Even though the book is a quick read, I found my interest quickly wavering because of this lack of entertaining and exciting storytelling. I also found myself being pulled out of the story by the often awkward word choices (i.e. fetching, devil-may-care attitude) and subject material for a kid's book. It feels like the author has tried to squeeze too much heavy stuff and adult characters (a less than lovable uncle who has just returned from Iraq, a bachelor janitor with health problems who still lives with his mom, a semi-bitter divorcee neighbor lady, a spiteful school secretary with authority issues, a jerk cop) into a story that really doesn't need them.

I found myself often distracted from the main story by the questions the contrived plot produced- Why couldn't the boys' mother come home and help with the bread? Why wasn't the bread made the night before? Why wouldn't the cop call Henry's school or mom to confirm his identity? Why wouldn't Eugene's teacher call his mom as soon as she realized he brought no picnic dish? - and so on. Younger readers are smart and sharp and observant and I can see many of them asking the same questions.

I also wasn't expecting the religious undertones found throughout the book. They certainly aren't in-your-face or preachy by any means, but they could possibly distract or isolate certain readers. As someone who stays clear of religious books of all kinds, I would have appreciated some indication that this book deals with such things.

I mentioned above that I'm not particularly fond of most of the adult characters, but the two brothers, Henry and Eugene, are definitely likable characters. I really did like Henry and his selflessness, honesty, and love for his brother. The brotherly relationship between the two is sweet and inspiring.

MY FINAL THOUGHTS: I can see older, adult readers enjoying this book and its heartfelt message more than its younger intended audience, simply because of its lack of excitement, adventure, and humor. This isn't a bad book, but Garlic Bread for Eugene just wasn't for me (although it had me craving garlic bread something fierce!).

MY RATING

Connect with the author: Goodreads / Facebook

Purchase: Amazon / B&N

Michael Heath was born and raised in a small community on the Jersey shore. His debut novel Garlic Bread for Eugene mirrors the sentimentality of a bygone era when neighbors helped neighbors, kids rode bikes to school, and simple traditions like that of a school picnic could resonate for a lifetime. Michael lives in Monmouth County, NJ with his youngest son, and works as an account manager in New York City.

Sweet Reads (4): Book Inspired Cakes-- Children's Books Inspired Cakes

Sweet Reads is a bi-monthly feature (Mondays) hosted here at Word Spelunking that showcases book inspired cakes, cupcakes and other goodies.

So, it's been awhile since I did a Sweet Reads post (I'm a bad, bad blogger!) but I'm ready to jump back into this yummy feature! Here's this week's awesome and amazing book cakes, which were inspired by Children's Books!

Clifford the Big Red Dog

Look how cute Clifford looks! I'm not sure I could cut into him

Goodnight Moon

I read this book SO many time to my little sister when she was a toddler!

 Howl's Moving Castle

How awesome is this 3D creation?!

 Olivia

This is so pretty! Olivia looks absolutely loverly!

 The Giving Tree

This book still makes me cry but this cake makes me smile BIG

 The Rainbow Fish

This is so stunning in its simplicity! What beautiful colors!

Winnie-the-Pooh

Look at that 3D work! Puts a rummbly in my tummbly ^_^

What do you think of these Children's Books inspired cakes?!

I have a birthday coming up next month and would love to make book inspired cupcakes...any ideas?!

Tatted Thursday (12): Children's Book Inspired Tats

Tatted Thursday... is a weekly meme hosted here at Word Spelunking that features literary inspired tattoos .You can easily  participate by grabbing the picture above (or making your own) and posting your tattoo finds.

This week's tats are inspired by Children's Books:

Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren

Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

Stuart Little by E.B. White 

Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne 

Whaddya think of these tats?!

Leave your thoughts or links in the comments :)

Double Review: Cinderella Smith and The More the Merrier

Today, I have a double children's book review of both Cinderella Smith and Cinderella Smith: The More the Merrier by Stephanie Barden

TITLE: Cinderella Smith               SERIES: Cinderella Smith #1 AUTHOR: Stephanie Barden      PUB DATE: 4/26/11 PUB: Harper Collins                       FORMAT: pb, 148 pgs SOURCE: from pub for review

Cinderella Smith has a problem with a capital P. She loses shoes almost as quickly as she puts them on her feet. But now she’s lost the most important shoe of all: her shiny, ruby red tap shoe. Without it she won’t have a chance of being chosen Pumpkin Blossom Fairy for the fall dance recital—and that means no special tutu, no crown, and no solo!The school year is starting out with big problems too. Her new teacher laughs at her name, she’s sitting at the smart-boys table, and her old best friend is ignoring her. Now the new girl, Erin, has asked for her advice on wicked stepsisters. And Cinderella doesn’t have stepsisters—wicked or otherwise!The recital is just around the corner and the stepsisters are on their way. Can Cinderella and Erin solve the capital P problems in time?

THREE FIVE WORDS: Cute, with a capitol C

MY REVIEW: It’s been a while since I’ve read a book for the younger MG crowd and I didn’t realize how much I’ve missed these fun, quick reads. And Cinderella Smith is a great example of why I love these children’s books so much.

Josephine-Kathryn, better known as Cinderella, doesn’t have a wicked stepmother or ugly stepsisters, just a habit of losing her shoes. But when she enters the third grade, Cinderella has even bigger problems: a best friend turned mean girl who is determined to make sure Cinderella doesn’t get to be the Pumpkin Blossom Fairy in the dance recital, a missing red tap shoe and a new friend with a tricky problem. What’s a clever third grader to do?

In Cinderella Smith, author Stephanie Barden introduces readers to a wonderful character whose charm and spirit are reminiscent of Junie B. Jones, Ramona Quimby and Judy Moody. Full of lots of laughs, unforgettable characters and relatable situations, this is a very entertaining MG read.

The story is told from Cinderella’s laugh out loud point of view and Barden has captured a pitch-perfect third grade voice. Cinderella’s honesty, excitement and joy are infectious and irresistible. I love how when she’s excited, Cinderella talks LIKE THIS!!! And she doesn’t just have problems; she has Problems, with a capitol P. And when life gets dramatic she lets out a sighy Alas. The story is over the top and dramatic in the best, most enchanting way possible.

I love that each chapter’s title reflects the pair of shoes Cinderella is wearing, and her habit of losing just one shoe is too funny. Barden touches upon some very relatable and important issues (mean girls, losing best friends, divorce and new step-families) and she explores these in a way that younger readers will understand and parents will appreciate.

Readers of all ages will enjoy Cinderella’s sparkling charm, her quirky personality and  reading about her genius idea of just how to discover whether her new friend Erin’s future step-sisters are wicked and her troubles with her friend Rosemary T.

(Final thoughts below review two)

MY RATING

TITLE: The More the Merrier    SERIES: Cinderella Smith #2 AUTHOR: Stephanie Barden    PUB DATE: 4/24/12 PUB: Harper Collins                     FORMAT: hc, 144 pgs SOURCE: from pub for review

Vexylent. V-E-X-Y-L-E-N-T. Vexylent.Okay, okay, "vexylent" isn't a real word! Cinderella Smith made it up as a combination of "very" and "excellent." But Cinderella and Erin are hard at work learning to spell real words, because whoever wins first place in the spelling bee gets to pick the theme of the class party!Speaking of words, Rosemary T. has been using some pretty mean ones lately. So Cinderella decides to give her the silent treatment. But Cinderella's aunt Flora tells her that it's time to have a "what's what" with Rosemary. Will Cinderella be able to say, and spell, everything she needs?

THREE WORDS: Awesometastic and Vexylent


MY REVIEW: I jumped right into Cinderella Smith: The More the Merrier after reading the first book, excited to join in Cinderella’s merry dance once again.

Cinderella Smith, the quirky and charming third grader is back with even more friendship troubles, missing shoes and fun adventures. Cinderella’s lifelong friend Rosemary T. continues her mean teasing, but Cinderella’s cool Aunt Flora is around to help her deal with anything. And Cinderella’s new hobby of making up new words comes in handy when the big spelling bee arrives. Whoever goes the farthest in the bee gets to decide the theme of a big class party and Cinderella thinks that’s a vexylent (very excellent) prize.

In The More the Merrier, author Stephanie Barden brings to life Cinderella’s sparkling and captivating personality once again. I gobbled up this chuckle inducing MG read quickly and loved getting to spend more time with my newest favorite third grader. When Cinderella’s parents go away on a trip, her dental hygienist Aunt Flora, along with her grumpy cat, come to stay and she brings a lot of fun, excitement and silliness into the Smith home. 

From purple pancakes to mismatched high-tops to awesome new words, the fun and laughs never stop. But, Barden explores the topic of bullying and broken friendships more in-depth in this second book. Cinderella and Rosemary T.’s feud is relatable and very realistic. Young readers will be able to identify with Cinderella’s hurt feelings and anger. I really liked the “what’s what” Cinderella finally has with Rosemary T.

Cinderella’s journey to the spelling bee is exciting and even makes spelling fun! But, more importantly, Barden offers a wonderful message in the way Cinderella discovers that you should always just be yourself and true to who you are.  

MY RATING

MY FINAL THOUGHTS ON BOTH BOOKS: Cinderella Smith is a charming and lovable MG character and her funny adventures shine. These books are perfect for independent reading or to be read aloud. This series is very Cute (with a capitol C) and fantabulous, F-A-N-T-A-B-U-L-O-U-S, fantabulous.

Find the author: Website / Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon / B&N / Book Depository
Cinderella Smith is only $1.99 for Kindle!