Module 8: Murder, My Tweet

Bibliography:  Hale, B. (2004). Murder, My Tweet. New York, NY: Harcourt, Inc.

Summary: This story follows the adventures of fourth-grade detective Chet Gecko and his sidekick Natalie Attired.  Chet and Natalie are in the midst of a case to discover why T-Bone LaLouche is cheating on his girlfriend when Natalie is framed for blackmail and suspended.  Chet vows to clear his partners name and with Natalie’s clandestine help follows a trail of clues to find the real blackmailer.  This trail leads them from one suspect to another: beginning with T-Bone and ending up with Olivier who has plans to take over the school with his robot army.  Chet, with the help of his friends, foils Oliver’ plans and saves the day.

Impressions:  Bruce Hale does weave a charming tale of mystery and mayhem that keeps the reader on his or her toes with suitable number of twists and turns.  The melding of slapstick humor and hard-boiled detective norms creates a fascinating amalgam of its own.  The frequent use of puns will delight the young reader but leave adults groaning.  Scattered throughout the text are a number of black and white illustrations that faithfully capture strategic moments in the story and the spirit of the old black and white detective movies.

Reviews:

“Number ten in the "Chet Gecko Mystery" series, Bruce Hale keeps up the nonstop puns and takeoff of the hard-boiled detectives of book and movie fame. It is hard to believe that Chet Gecko is a fourth grader; he really talks and acts much older. At least he admits that he is the brawn while his partner, a mocking bird named Natalie Attired, is the real brains. This time Chet has to try to prove that Natalie is not a blackmailer and get her reinstated in school. There are plenty of missed cues, red herrings and mayhem to keep readers turning the pages. The story takes an odd twist, but that is what makes it interesting--you never know what will happen next. Even though the story is short, it is targeted to middle readers because there are plenty of puns, which caused this reviewer to groan now and then. It is all in good fun, and the text is sprinkled with black and white drawings by Bruce Hale that pick up on the images of those movie detectives like Humphrey Bogart. The back of the book contains a brief synopsis of the other cases that feature Chet and Natalie.”  – Marilyn Courtot (Children’s Literature)

-          Courtot, M. (2004). Murder, My Tweet Review. Children’s Literature. Retrieved from http://libproxy.library.unt.edu:2378/cgi-bin/member/search/f?./temp/~847ikx:11

“Grade 3-6–Chet Gecko is on a case again. This time he must clear the name of his mockingbird partner, Natalie Attired, who has been accused of blackmail by the school's tough vice-principal, Ms. Shrewer. The fourth-grade gecko pools all of his wits and wittiness to track down and capture the mastermind behind the scheme. As he has in previous titles, Hale saturates the story with wacky wordplay, corny jokes, and droll humor. This mystery is just right for young readers willing to suspend belief and enjoy a lighthearted ride. The author's black-and-white illustrations highlight the action.” – Deanna Romriell (School Library Journal)

-          Romriell, D. (2004). Murder, My Tweet Review. School Library Journal. Retrieved from http://www.amazon.com/Murder-My-Tweet-Gecko-Mystery/dp/B000C4T302/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1312143096&sr=1-1

Suggestions for Use in a Library:

Set up a mini-mystery center for children.  Have them find ‘clues’ that will help them solve the mystery of the disappearing snacks.