Hello blog readers! Welcome to my first book review! (I hope my ramblings are coherent enough to understand)
The book opens with Nan Bobbsey (the eldest girl) being helped with her makeup for a rock band she is in by her younger sister Flossie. Flossie's twin Freddie appears seemingly hurt by a monster, but it is only older brother Bert playing around with his makeup gear. We are right away introduced to town bully and general bad guy Danny Rugg, who also is in a rock band. A local amusement park (named "Jungle Park") is hosting a battle of the bands contest where youths compete with their rock bands for a prize. The show has hardly begun when what appears to be a fire disrupts the entertainment!
It is shown that the emergency was a prank-a smoke bomb, but the police treat the matter seriously. Lieutenant Pike of the police force (more will be said about him later) knows that it's no joke when a crowd is panicked. People could get seriously hurt in the chaos that could ensue. The Bobbseys ask him if they can investigate afterwards, and he grudgingly agrees. The contest goes on, and the Bobbseys band (the Aliens) tie for first place with Danny Ruggs band (the Skulls). Both will play again in an elimination heat at a later date.
The Bobbseys do their thing and search for clues afterwards finding an eyepatch and a swizzle stick (i always thought this was a bendable straw, or maybe a coffee cup stirrer. If anyone has any other ideas, please tell me)
The eyepatch may point to Danny since his costume has one, but the Bobbseys know better than to assume anything without more definitive proof. Still Bert thinks that with Danny's history, he's the likely prankster. Freddie has more confidence in the clue of the swizzle stick. It has the logo for the Sunset Grill on it. Fortunately for him, the Bobbsey family goes out to eat once a week, and it's his turn to pick the restaurant. Sunset Grill it is!
This place turns out to be a cheap one-star dive where the food is awful at best. But Freddie and Nan are able to sneak into a private hallway and listen at the door of an office where a deep-voiced man is growling on the phone "The problem is Tiny!" Of course, this isn't easily understood by our heroes who wonder if the problem is small, why is he so mad. Their eavesdropping is cut short as they are discovered. With the old standby excuse that they were looking for the washroom, Nan and Freddie take their leave and go back to the dining area.
The next morning, the Bobbseys hear a radio report of strange accidents happening at Jungle Park. Simon Harris-co-owner (who also owns restaurants and real estate all over town) is interviewed. Freddie recognises the voice as the deep-voiced man at Sunset Grill, and Nan and the younger twins go to investigate.
When they get there, they find Lieutenant Pike also doing an investigation. They sweet talk their way into joining him as he interviews some of the employees. First, is co-owner Mr. Loomis. He mentions that his partner Mr. Harris and he are upset that business is slow because of the accidents and strange happenings. Mr. Harris is even hiring a fix-it man from his own pocket to save expenses. He's a redhead with an eyepatch! (Dum, dum, dum!)
Next they speak to the animal trainer, Beverly Baku. She's kind of a hippie black woman. She manages to annoy Lt. Pike, and the Bobbseys decide to take their leave (Lt. Pike only tolerated them being there by a narrow margin, and they feel that if he's annoyed, they don't want to upset the apple cart)
As Nan and Flossie try to decide their next move, Freddie goes into action! He spotted the bald co-owner Mr. Harris and follows him. When the girls catch up, they spot the eyepatched, redheaded man. Not much happens though, and the siblings go home to regroup.
At home, they meet up with Bert who was tailing Danny put didn't find out anything. The older twins decide to search the park after hours. They don't get far because someone let the animals loose and they almost get trampled by a stampeding elephant! Shaken from their narrow escape, they beat a hasty retreat back home.
The next day, the kids go to Jungle Park to rehearse with the rest of the Aliens. After this, they break away to do more detecting. It seems Beverly Baku left town suddenly, and as the twins talk to Mr. Loomis, the eyepatched fix-it man comes into the office and is big and frightening:
Mr. Loomis gives the handyman instructions and he leaves. After this, he chats with the twins for a bit, mentioning such things as how ironic it is that a big man like him has the nickname of "Tiny", and then offers to let them ride a roller coaster for free.
The coaster ride is fun, and they even see Mr. Eyepatch waving at them from the ground far below, but then terror strikes! During the ride, the cars come loose! Realising something has gone wrong, Mr. Loomis is able to shut down the ride before the kids get hurt. When they recover from their shock, the twins determine that the coaster cars were sabotaged-this was no accident! Since the handyman supposedly worked on the roller coaster, the twins and Mr Loomis search for him. He was seen heading to the fun house, so they go there, only to find a redhead wig and an eyepatch. It was a disguise!
Brainstorming back home, they realise that Mr. Harris was saying that Mr. Loomis (aka "Tiny") was the problem on the phone, not the size of the issue.
Next day, the twins follow Mr. Harris and see him talking to members of a construction company. Mr. Bobbsey owns a lumberyard, and he later explained that Peabody construction wants to build a mall where the amusement park stands. The twins figure out that Mr. Harris wants to sell it, but Tiny won't agree. As co-owners, they both need to sign off on it, so "the problem is Tiny". Nan sketches Mr. Harris, and then adds a red wig and eyepatch. It's the handyman! They're one and the same person!
Now, the twins call Lt. Pike, who lets them ride in the police car for the final showdown. They find a man in a gorilla suit (who blends in since the park has many people in costume), but wait! He's jimming the lights! After a funny chase, they capture the gorilla, aka the redhead handyman, aka Mr. Harris
And the final band competition? Despite a dirty trick, Danny Rugg tried to pull, the Aliens win! A nice wrap up to the case!
My thoughts: What can i say? I loved these books as a tween (this came out in '87 making me about 11 or 12 years old), and they still hold a place in my heart. Maybe some of that is nostalgia, but i really think the adventure is just right for young kids, and would recommend this to any parent with young children to read.
Every detective has a policeman who has a love-hate relationship with them all the way down from Sherlock Holmes and Inspector Lestrade. Lt. Pike is such a policeman for our young detectives. But despite a bit of gruffness, he is kind, and really does value the twins' thoughts as can be seen by the way he does allow them to tag along.
Each book has about 10 illustrations in them. (Here's a little secret-i love the books so much that a few years ago, i bought prints of the pictures used by the artist as a basis for his artwork! As a photographer, i find these especially interesting) These illustrations were by George Tsui in the first few books, and then by Paul Jennis until book #18. This along with the "ghostwriters" for the first half of the series marked the heyday of the series for me. Book #1 is 5 stars in my opinion, and the series has new life breathed into it!
Please join me soon for a review of book #2!
Looks great with the pictures:)
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Orianne