Real-Life Mysteries

This energetic, hands-on sleuthing primer provides readers with facts, prompts, and visuals to hone their investigative skills as they speculate on intriguing and inexplicable phenomena. Martineau follows succinct yet conversational descriptions of known information surrounding each of 11 mysteries by a “Case File” recapping “the evidence so far.” Among the alleged incidents examined are stories of Bigfoot encounters, benign specters, cursed objects, UFO sightings, incidents of spontaneous human combustion, and unsolved disappearances. Jam-packed pages feature a bulletin-board format and Barker’s colorful matte illustrations, so readers can evaluate such data as witness statements and proffered theories to help them draw their own conclusions to an array of unanswered questions. Bundling together mystery and history, this volume offers armchair detectives a thought-provoking tutorial on deduction and conjecture. Ages 7–10. [em](Sept.) [/em]