Mudshark

by Gary Paulsen

Book Overview

The Mudshark Detective Agency is on the case in a winning tale from Gary Paulsen, about whom Booklist writes in a starred review, "When it comes to telling funny stories about boys, no one surpasses... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0545284074
• ISBN13: 9780545284073
• Release Date: January 2009
• Publisher: Scholastic
• Weight: 0.20 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Quick, Funny Read

I read this to my students and they loved it! Gary Paulsen writes books that are loved by all ages and this one is a fun, quirky read.

Heartwarming and Humorous Detective

I'm a big fan of Gary Paulsen's work. The author can turn out heartfelt stories like Tracker and The Cook Camp that resonate emotionally, write adventure that fills the imagination with the outdoors like Hatchet, and he can tickle your funnybone unmercifully. One of his newest books, Mudshark, is the latter variety and kept me glued to the pages. Lyle Williams is a 12 year old prodigy who's a keen observer like Sherlock Holmes. He's also uncannily quick, capable of having a thought and moving at the same time. He has three younger sisters, triplets, and preoccupied parents that often leave him in charge of them, so he's had to learn how to think on his feet. Those skills have pushed Mudshark, as he's become known after a particularly memorable game of Death Ball, into the school's unofficial detective. When something goes missing (including a brain, a cat, and a brand new car), Mudshark is the one that everyone goes to. Generally he solves everyone's problems just by being observant, logical, and persistent. However, when the school librarian brings in a parrot that apparently has psychic powers, Mudshark faces the toughest mystery's he's ever encountered in his young career. Is the parrot really psychic? Everyone thinks so, and they start going to the parrot instead of Mudshark. And what's happening to the school's erasers and the faculty lounge. Young readers need to share this book with their parents. It's meant to be read aloud. I wish I'd held off reading this one to share with my 12 year old, but I passed it off to him as soon as I was finished. This short novel (83 pages) is packed full of good humor and imagination. This is the kind of storytelling a lot of writers have gotten away from. I could imagine Gary Paulsen sitting in front of me, spinning this tale with broad exaggeration and a twinkle in his eye. The mysteries are well-thought out as well. Alert readers (and their parents) can catch onto clues and solve most of the puzzles themselves, but they won't always get the motivations behind the culprits. Paulsen outdoes himself by adding an extra depth to that part of his story. I don't know if Mudshark is going to spawn any sequels, though there is a hook left at the end of this one, but I'd gladly pick them up if Paulsen writes them. I loved his Hatchet spin-offs, and Mudshark is a character cut from the same dynamic cloth after his own fashion.

A funny easy reader follows Mudshark's dilemma

Mudshark is cool: fast-thinking and the guy with the answers: that's why he's started his own detective agency and is so successful - until a psychic parrot enters the school library. Can he outthink Mudshark? A funny easy reader follows Mudshark's dilemma in this step above chapter book status.

A Quick and Fun Read For Just About Any Age

Gary Paulsen, the prolific writer of award-winning books for boys, introduces a new character in his latest effort. Mudshark, aka Lyle Williams, loves to play death ball. He earned his nickname by making an amazing tackle during a game. But Mudshark is known for much more than his incredible ball-playing abilities. He has lightning-fast reflexes (honed from hours of chasing after his triplet sisters: Kara, Sara and Tara), and because he has a great memory and keen sense of observation, he is also good at solving mysteries. Strange things start happening at Mudshark's elementary school. Erasers are disappearing in large numbers from the classrooms, a gerbil is on the loose somewhere in the building, and there is a problem in the faculty restroom. The Principal calls on Mudshark for help. All the students know Mudshark is good at solving mysteries. If you lose your homework, you can count on him to find it. He is certainly up to the challenge of solving the "mystery of the disappearing erasers," but his mission is complicated by the librarian's pet parrot, who not only can talk, he also can observe things and speak in full sentences about them. For instance, when Betty wants to know where her recipe for lard is (Betty is always experimenting with formulas and recipes for all manner of concoctions), the parrot says, "Check the window ledge in the girls' restroom." Sure enough, the recipe is there. The students are amazed at the parrot's ability and believe he is psychic. They also think he might be as good as, or better than, Mudshark when it comes to solving mysteries. But the parrot doesn't solve the mystery of the missing erasers. Mudshark does after much observation and deduction. Answering that question, though, leaves him with a bigger one. The culprit admits to stealing the erasers, but he is doing so for a good cause. Mudshark is willing to keep the custodian's secret, but he has to find a way to prevent the parrot from spilling the beans. He does this with a plan that involves a cat, a fair helping of "Odors to Repel" (one of Betty's concoctions) and a bit of magic. Obviously, MUDSHARK is not of the serious HATCHET variety as it is humorous through and through. This newest cast of characters also includes Ms. Underdorf (the zany librarian who thinks a handbag is an armadillo) and Bill Wilson (the culturally educated custodian who collects art). Paulsen has written the book in such a way as to leave open the very real possibility of a sequel. Let's hope he adds more titles to the lineup with Mudshark as their star. The lively writing style and short chapters make it a quick and fun read for just about any age, especially for its target audience. --- Reviewed by Christine M. Irvin

Courtesy of Teens Read Too

MUDSHARK is a great addition to any Gary Paulsen collection. It's not the HATCHET adventure type, but rather one of the crazy, mad-cap mishap stories like HOW ANGEL PETERSON GOT HIS NAME and LAWN BOY. Mudshark is actually Lyle Williams. He got his name for his lightning speed and his incredible observation skills. These are skills he honed while keeping an eye on Kara, Sara, and Tara, his triplet sisters. When they became mobile, life became one accident-avoidance after another. Most of Mudshark's skills are put to use helping his friends at school. He has a certain knack for finding anything that goes missing. The main adventure, in what I hope is Paulsen's first in a series of Mudshark adventures, is locating the school's mysteriously missing erasers. Yes, gradually every eraser in the school has disappeared. The cast of characters in MUDSHARK is quite colorful. There's a talking parrot in the library, an easily excitable English teacher, a culturally educated custodian, and a "free-range" gerbil, just to name a few. I especially enjoyed the principal's announcements that opened each chapter. His running commentary on some sort of out-of-control situation in the faculty restroom was a hoot! Aimed at an audience of 8-12 year olds, MUDSHARK is one of those fabulous Paulsen books that can be enjoyed by anyone from a beginning chapter book reader to a senior citizen who remembers what it's like to be a kid. At only 83 pages long, MUDSHARK is a quick way to pass the time and enjoy a laugh or two. Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"