Chet Gecko's Detective Handbook (and Cookbook) Tips for Private Eyes and Snack Food Lovers by Bruce Hale with illustrations by the author is a cool book that my 14 year old son truly enjoyed reading. It just recently came out and has detective info at a kids level along with riddles, "official" forms and a lot more.. The recipes are fun too.. things like blowflie banana muffins (using chocolate covered raisins if you don't like blowflies), and tick taco salad (with lentils if you don't have ticks), ladybug fudge (white fudge with redhots for ladybugs) etc...



There are a lot of interesting things for kids to read throughout the book with 9 recipes scattered throughout. The kids will enjoy the track identification pages where they will determine what animal made what tracks IE: bird dancing the hokey-pokey, T-Rex with a limp etc.. and learn how to interrogate or follow suspects without being caught.

The book is full of drawn graphics and it's a top spiral notebook type with a binder type cover over that. I've never seen a book made like this before. It has 272 pages and will keep kids entertained for hours!

I know for a fact that young boys like it and I bet girls will too if they are adventurous. Each recipe lists whether it requires adult supervision and what tools are needed plus they are in step by step order so instructions can be easily followed.

Your child will love this book not only for the fun recipes but all the activities and fun reading. Visit the publisher - Harcourt Books and check out this book at www.harcourtbooks.com and get a copy for the young detective in your life.