Leroy "Encyclopedia" Brown is a fictional boy detective, the main character in a long series of children's novels written by Sobol"">Donald J. Sobol since 1963.
The Encyclopedia Brown books experienced some enduring popularity. In 1975, the Mystery Writers of America honored Sobol and his Encyclopedia Brown series with a special Edgar Award. to reliable sources from April 2009" style="white-space: nowrap;"">[citation needed]
The books were originally published by Thomas Nelson Inc. and later, by Lodestar Books. They were also published by Inc." class="mw-redirect"">Scholastic Inc. and Bantam Books through arrangement with those publishers. The current publishing rights are held by Bantam Books. Current editions of the books feature new illustrations in place of the originals by Leonard Shortall, updated to contemporary cultural styles.
Encyclopedia Brown inspired many other crack-the-mystery-yourself mystery stories for younger readers, such as "Einstein" Anderson, and Hawkeye Collins & Amy Adams. needs references to reliable sources from April 2009" style="white-space: nowrap;"">[citation needed]
Style
Each book in the Encyclopedia Brown mystery series is self-contained in that the reader is not required to have read earlier books in order to understand the stories. The major characters, settings, etc. are usually introduced (or reintroduced) in each book.
Books featuring Brown are subdivided into a number — usually ten or more — of (possibly interlinked) short stories, each of which presents a fiction"">mystery. The mysteries are intended to be solved by the reader, thanks to the placement of a logical or factual inconsistency somewhere within the text. This is very similar to the layout of Donald Sobol's other book series: "Two-Minute Mysteries". Brown invariably solves the case by exposing this inconsistency, in the "Answers" section in the back of the book.
Often these books follow a formula where the first chapter involves Brown solving a case at the dinner table for his father, the local police chief in the fictional town of Idaville. Encyclopedia solves these cases by briefly closing his eyes while he thinks deeply, then asking a single question which directly leads to him finding the solution.
The second mystery often begins in the Brown garage on Rover Avenue, where Encyclopedia has set up his own detective agency to help neighborhood children solve cases for "25 cents per day, plus expenses." This second case usually involves the town bully and mischief maker, Bugs Meany, leader of a gang who call themselves the Tigers, who, after being foiled, will attempt revenge in the third mystery.
In the third mystery the plot involves Encyclopedia's partner, close friend and bodyguard, Sally Kimball, the one person under twelve years of age to physically stand up to Bugs. She is the only reason neither Bugs nor any of his Tigers ever try to physically attack Encyclopedia. Encyclopedia tends to dislike anyone that she has a crush on, possibly indicating that he has a crush on her. Also intelligent, she once attempted to prove herself smarter than Encyclopedia by stumping him with a mystery of her own creation. However, she was beaten in the contest (although Encyclopedia admitted that she almost tricked him), after which she became his friend. In that story Bugs or his gang usually sets up some sort of trap to get Encyclopedia or Sally in trouble. However, like in the previous story they make a key mistake which Encyclopedia exposes.
Later cases may find Encyclopedia assisting his father at a crime scene (rarely more serious than larceny, and Encyclopedia is always discreet when helping his father) or interacting with people around town, often exposing scams. One such example is a high school dropout and would-be con artist named Wilford Wiggins who spends time trying to dream up schemes to fleece kids out of their money. Like Bugs, his schemes have an inconsistency which Encyclopedia exposes.
In some cases it is Sally and not Encyclopedia who figures it out because in her words, "You are a boy." In other words she notices things that only a female would find inconsistent. Sally further displays her intelligence in the various mysteries in that she often can deduce who committed the crime, or whether a certain person is lying, but she simply cannot always prove it.
Other recurring characters in the books include:
- Duke Kelly, Rocky Graham, Spike Larsen, Ike Cassidy, Dutch Jones, Rowdy Quilp, Carl Higgensbottom, Jess Rae - Bugs Meany's Tigers.
- Charlie Stewart - Encyclopedia's friend who collects animal teeth.
- Cicero Sturgess - Idaville's leading child actor.
- Benny Breslin - Encyclopedia's friend who is notorious for his loud snoring. He usually appears in stories involving camping trips.
- Pablo Pizzario-Idaville's best child artist, who Sally has a crush on. Encyclopedia dislikes him, precisely because of Sally's crush on him. He started out as the culprit of a case, but became a usual victim later on.
Others: Pinky Plummer, Jody and Billy Turner, Chief Brown, Mrs. Brown, Red Slattery, and Ace Kurlasch
(Wikipedia)
Replies
Encyclopedia Brown Keeps the Peace
As Idaville's ten-year-old star detective, Encyclopedia has an uncanny knack for trivia. With his unconventional knowledge, he solves mysteries for the neighborhood kids through his own detective agency. But his dad also happens to be the chief of the Idaville police department, and every night around the dinner table, Encyclopedia helps him solve some of the most baffling crimes. With ten confounding mysteries in each book, not only does Encyclopedia have a chance to solve them, but readers are given all the clues as well and can chime in with their own solutions. Interactive and fun; it's classic Encyclopedia Brown!
Encyclopedia Brown Keeps the Peace Part 1 of 2.zip
Encyclopedia Brown Keeps the Peace Part 2 of 2.zip
I love the new avatar for Hallowe'en. Thanks so much for the postings.
Encyclopedia Brown Gets His Man
A ghost who whistles... Eight stuffed penguins... An underwater car... A famous explorer's fortune... and an ldaville boy who's literally lost his marbles! These are just some of the ten brain-twisting mysteries that Encyclopedia Brown must solve by using his famous computer-like brain. Try to crack the cases along with him--the answers to all the mysteries are found in the back!
Encyclopedia Brown Gets His Man Part 1 of 2.zip
Encyclopedia Brown Gets His Man Part 2 of 2.zip
Encyclopedia Brown Finds the Clues
Encyclopedia Brown works out of his parent's garage solving crimes (ten in this book), ranging from a stolen tooth collection to a movie star's lost lamb statue. Although the text may seem a bit dated for young readers (face it, "motor cars," "rubber pillows," "diving rods," and "25¢ fees per day" for Encyclopedia's crime solving may seem a little unrealistic), readers will love thinking through each and every crime--and reading the solutions in the back of the book. The updated cover shows a generic Encyclopedia who could almost be any number of kids in school today--only the Jug Head-type crown on the "bully" would give away that the story was originally written in 1966. All in all, this hip new cover will pull readers once again into a classic crime solver that they will not want to put down. Reviewer: Joella Peterson (Barnes and Noble)
Encyclopedia Brown Finds The Clues Part 1 of 2.zip
Encyclopedia Brown Finds The Clues Part 2 of 2.zip
Encyclopedia Brown Cracks the Case
Idaville appears to be an ordinary town but it is unique because no one commits any crimes. The town s police chief, Mr. Brown, and his son Leroy (a.k.a. Encyclopedia) are to be thanked for this reduction in crime. Encyclopedia Brown returns to solve ten unique cases that, at first, appear to be near impossible. The first case features a forgetful jewel thief. As many Encyclopedia Brown cases do, this one ends with a question for the reader to solve. If the case proves too challenging, or if readers want to check their answers, the solution appears at the end of the book. Throughout each case, subtle clues could possibly help one solve the case as easily as Encyclopedia. Whether about a missing brooch, a fraudulent astronaut or stolen stamps, each case stands alone and be read individually. While some of the information has been modernized, the cases (and Encyclopedia himself) seem a bit old-fashioned. Idaville appears to be devoid of the Internet or cell phones. In spite of this, one does need to use good listening skills and problem-solve in order to solve these cases. Second-, third- and some fourth-graders may enjoy the challenge these cases present. Reviewer: Elizabeth Fronk (Barnes and Noble)
Encyclopedia Brown Cracks The Case Part 1 of 2.zip
Encyclopedia Brown Cracks The Case Part 2 of 2.zip