Probably the most famous child detective of them all, ranking right up there inpopularity with teenage sleuths The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew, ENCYCLOPEDIA BROWN first appeared in Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective in 1963 by Donald J. Sobol, and the series hasn't been out of print since.
That first book set the pattern for the twenty-odd that have followed. Each chapter is a short mystery with the solution in the back of the book. The clues are pretty fair and quite numerous, and well-distributed through each story. As well, Sobol turns out to be a deft storyteller. Each story is a little gem, rich in atmosphere, with plots that are often quite inventive, full of jokes and metaphors. Although perhaps a little dated now, the details of kids' life and activities still ring true. They've proven extremely popular with young readers, and have been translated into over a dozen languages around the world.
Encyclopedia lives in Idaville, Florida, often referred to as a typical American town. He's aided in his investigations by his best friend, Sally, who plays Watson to his Holmes. The perennial villian in many of the stories is Bugs Meany.
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Hey - I can see my house from here!