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Encyclopedia Brown, Ranked From Best to Worst

Introduce your child to a lifelong love of reading and deductive reasoning with the best-selling easy-reader series, "Encyclopedia Brown."

Encyclopedia Brown, Ranked From Best to Worst

Encyclopedia Brown, the 10-year-old boy detective, is more than just a crime-solving character in a book series. Many adults remember him as the first character they could relate to as kids, and kids today are still drawn to his knack for paying attention to details and following clues to solve mysteries. The format makes these books unique: the main character is presented with a mystery, gathers clues, asks questions, makes observations and quickly reaches a verdict. Readers are invited to figure out how EB solved the case, then check the back of the book to see if they were right.

“Encyclopedia Brown was one of the landmarks of my childhood reading,” says Harold Underdown, a children’s book editor and author of “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Publishing Children’s Books.” “They are great books for kids who are moving on from ‘learning to read’ books, and before they read full-length novels.”

Donald J. Sobol wrote 28 Encyclopedia Brown books — 29 if you count #15½, which featured recipes after each mystery — and they all followed the same formula. Each book was meant to stand alone, so kids don’t need to read them in the order they were published. Each chapter can stand alone as well. “Each short mystery can be read quickly, so that young readers don’t have to retain any previous knowledge of the plot if they leave the book for a few days and then come back to it,” says Kathy Jarombek, the director of youth services at Perrot Memorial Library and a member of the 2014 Newbery Award Committee.

“Encyclopedia Brown is formula fiction — and therein lies its strength and weakness. For kids working on their reading skills, there is comfort in the familiar characters and tropes in these books.” Reading 29 of them can get tedious, however, even for an obsessed 7- to 10-year-old.

Here’s a list of them, from best to worst, so you and your children can get the most out of this enduring and engaging series:
 

  1. “Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective,” Book #1
    Even though order doesn’t make a difference, read the first book first!
     
  2. “Encyclopedia Brown Lends a Hand,” #11
    Featuring some of the sillier mysteries including an exploding toilet, a runaway elephant and a missing salami sandwich.
     
  3. “Encyclopedia Brown Gets His Man,” #4
    All-around bad guy Bugs Meany opens his own detective agency in this feel-good get-the-bad-guy story.
     
  4. “Encyclopedia Brown Keeps the Peace,” #6
    Meany does his best to outsmart and out-muscle Encyclopedia and Sally.
     
  5. “Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Soccer Scheme,” #28
    This was Sobol’s final book, published after his death. Discover new characters and enjoy the only time Sally gets to solve a case!
     
  6. “Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Treasure Hunt,” #17
    One of the few that doesn’t follow the formula, this book takes place during the summer with the detectives investigating local mysteries with neighborhood kids.
     
  7. “Encyclopedia Brown Finds the Clues,” #3
    This one has some of the odder mysteries including stolen teeth and a kidnapping plot.
     
  8. “Encyclopedia Brown Takes the Cake,” #15½
    So unique it doesn’t get its own number, recipes are interspersed with mysteries to solve.
     
  9. “Encyclopedia Brown Saves the Day,” #7
    The treasure map and the flying boy story are the two most interesting mysteries in this book, and they can be solved with simple deduction.
     
  10. “Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Secret UFOs,” #26
    Introduce kids to classic mysteries of faked photos of UFOs, missing cookies and stolen stamps.
     
  11. “Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Slippery Salamander,” #22
    Stolen bananas and surfboards make these mysteries a fun read.
     
  12. “Encyclopedia Brown Shows the Way,” #9
    One of the more adventurous mystery volumes contains a growling dog, rattlesnakes and more.
     
  13. “Encyclopedia Brown Takes the Case,” #10
    Even 5-year-olds can get in on the mysteries in the case of the talking house.
     
  14. “Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Dead Eagles,” #12
    EB and Sally investigate dead eagles and debunk a hypnotist in these crimes that have simple, solvable solutions.
     
  15. “Encyclopedia Brown Cracks the Case,” #24
    This book features some of the tougher and more fun mysteries to solve, including a case of a missing brooch, some stolen stamps and a forgetful jewel thief.
     
  16. “Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Carnival Crime,” #27
    In the second-to-last book Sobol wrote, the mysteries revolve more around working with Chief Brown, EB’s dad, to solve bigger crimes.
     
  17. “Encyclopedia Brown, Super Sleuth,” #25
    Some of the grittier EB mysteries are in here, updated with more modern technology (including computers), but it keeps the series’ old-fashioned, hometown feel.
     
  18. “Encyclopedia Brown Tracks Them Down,” #8
    Learn about how perfume is made from whale intestines, strange bird behaviors and more unusual facts.
     
  19. “Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Sleeping Dog,” #21
    Kids who like competition will enjoy a champion mouse, a dog food contest and a shower singing competition.
     
  20. “Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Midnight Visitor,” #13
    Fans of tennis tournaments and the idea of an Oddball Olympics will enjoy this compilation of mysteries.
     
  21. “Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of Pablo’s Nose,” #20
    Featuring Pablo Pizzaro, Idaville’s greatest boy artist.
     
  22. “Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Disgusting Sneakers,” #18
    Some of the mysteries here are a little more obscure but a couple are cute — especially for kids who like stories with things like stinky shoes.
     
  23. “Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Two Spies,” #19
    Everyone loves a good spy story, and the title story doesn’t disappoint. There’s a fun one about a sandcastle, too.
     
  24. “Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Mysterious Handprints,” #16
    Featuring some unusual themes but still focused on Bugs Meany and his penchant for petty theft.
     
  25. “Encyclopedia Brown Sets the Pace,” #15
    From stolen paintings to rigged bubblegum blowing contests, Encyclopedia and Sally are on the case in classic EB style.
     
  26. “Encyclopedia Brown Carries On,” #14
    More small-town old-fashioned mysteries from Idaville.
     
  27. “Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Jumping Frogs,” #23
    If you’ve made it this far in the series and still love the standard mysteries, this book simply contains more of the same.
     
  28. “Encyclopedia Brown Solves Them All,” #5
    A frightened playboy and an earthenware pig don’t stand up as well with readers today as they would have in 1968.
     
  29. “Encyclopedia Brown Strikes Again” (also known as “Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Secret Pitch”), #2
    A hitchhiker and an unsatisfying array of outdated references makes this one the least likely to hold up for today’s readers.

Pick up a volume or two at your local library and introduce your favorite young reader to the pleasures of deductive reasoning and independent thinking.

Cara J. Stevens is a freelance writer living in Connecticut with her husband and two children. She has written nine books for kids and began a lifelong love of reading with a passion for “Encyclopedia Brown” mysteries and puzzles. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter.