Caitlind Alexander is the author of over 60 books for children, including the Jamie and Kendall Broderick Mystery series, the 14 Fun Facts and 101 Fun Facts series, the Wonderful World of Animals Series, and the Miss Jones series.
She lives in California where she loves to visit historic places and learn about new things. She also loves to travel and has been all over the world.
“I need your help.” Brian said “Sure,” Kendall said. “Let me just grab my sister. “JAMIE,” he yelled. A moment later she came through the door. “Hi, Brian. What’s up?” she asked.“Peter Markham is going to sell some cat’s teeth at 3 o’clock today. I’m thinking of starting a collection." Peter is known for being dishonest. Is this his latest scheme? See if you can solve this 15-minute mystery.
“You guys are the best at solving mysterie,” Kris said. He dropped the backpack he was carrying and pulled out a tablet. He turned it on and tapped the screen. A moment later he was looking at an online auction. "My mom loves shipwreck stuff. I saw this thing online and I was wondering what you thought?”
Is the water jug really from an old shipwreck?
See if you can solve this 15-minute mystery.
Peter, the local bully stood before Kris Williams. They were standing outside the school at the end of the day. “Something came in that your mom would love,” Peter said. “I know you’ll want to buy it.”
“What is it?” Kendall asked.
“It’s supposed to be an old diary,” Kris explained. “It’s from a child who crossed the plains with her family.” Is the book real? See if you can solve the mystery.
“Oh no!” Jamie said. “What has Peter done now?”
“He sold me this,” Steve said, holding up a piece of paper. “He said it was an authentic document written by one of the pilgrims. I checked and the spelling looks right. The signatures do too. Peter even showed me a picture of the Mayflower Compact in a book. I compared the signatures and words to it.”
Is the paper really written by a Pilgrim?
“Welcome to our little museum,” they heard a voice say. “I’m Salty Bill and I’ll be your guide today. That will be two dollars each,” he added. “Cash only.” M.r Broderick turned over six dollars and the man quickly stuck it in a cash box under the counter. Jamie stepped up to look at one of the cases. “This is strange,” she said. What is the story behind the panty hose in the case, and is it true?
“Wow! Could you imagine living in a house like this?” Kendall asked. “Could you imagine having to clean a house like this?” Jamie answered.
At that moment they were visiting a huge mansion that allowed tours. They had come with their friends Erica and Andrea. Suddenly they heard a crash from the room next door. They entered to find a smashed statue. Can you discover who smashed the statue?
“I’ve gotten most of what I need for the trip,” Jim said eagerly. “I just need your share to help cover the cost of supplies and travel.
“I put in 5,000 myself. If you give me 5,000 it will be enough to get everything I need.”
Jim eagerly handed over a list of the supplies he would need. Cousin Jim has found an old miner's map that leads to a treasure. Is it real? Can you solve this mystery?
“You guys have to help me!” Megan said as she raced up to Kendall and Jamie. “Luda is going to kill me!”
“What’s wrong?” Jamie and Kendall asked together.
“I lost Gracie,” Megan wailed. “I can’t find her anywhere!”
See if you can solve this 15-minute mystery before the Brodericks do.
LearningIsland.com believes in the value of children practicing reading for 15 minutes every day.
“Before we go to lunch, I need you all to think about the talks that you have heard,” Miss Tate said. “One of the reports has a problem with it. Can anyone tell me what that talk was, and what the problem was?” she asked. Jamie thought back to all the talks she had heard that day. Mostly she thought about her own talk. Did she get something wrong? Can you spot the mistake before Jamie does?
“Hey, look at this,” Jamie said. She pointed to the inside of the trunk lid. Stamped on the lid were some words: This trunk belongs to President Abraham Lincoln Springfield, Illinois
“This trunk belonged to Abraham Lincoln?” Kim asked.
Is this really Lincoln's trunk? See if you can solve the mystery before Jammie and Kendall Broderick do.
Jamie and Kendall Broderick catch up to their father at a fancy party. An expensive crystal vase has been stolen. They watch as the police ask their father to go through his movements at the party. Can they help the police find the stolen vase? See if you can solve this 15-minute mystery before the Brodericks do. LearningIsland.com believes in the value of children reading 15 minutes every day.
Tommy Watkins rode up to the Broderick house on his bike. He was breathing hard. Sweat was running down his face, but Tommy didn’t seem to care. “Hi Tommy,” Jamie said. “Someone stole my science experiment,” Tommy wailed. “You guys solve mysteries. I need your help. If I don’t get those pellets back before tomorrow I won’t be able to finish." Can you solve this mystery before the Brodericks do?
“Will you help me?” Jamie looked up from the book she was reading to find Leah Redstone in front of her. She looked like she was about to cry. Leah’s crayons have been stolen, but is there any way to prove it? See if you can solve this 15-minute mystery before the Brodericks do.
LearningIsland.com believes in the value of children practicing reading for 15 minutes every day.
“The local Bank of Hannibal was robbed at gunpoint thirty minutes ago,” the announcer said. “The thief got away with over $100,000. He was last seen heading south on Highway 79 toward the Mark Twain Caves. The police have set up a road block just south of the caves, but they have not yet caught the theif. Can you help Kendall and Jamie discover who the theif is?
Benny Samson walked up to Kendall and Jamie just as they were about to leave the school yard. “I want to hire you guys to help me win the big chili contest on Saturday.”
“Help you win?” Kendall asked.
“Yeah,” Benny said. “I know my chili recipe is better than Jerry Smart’s, but only if we cook fair.”
See if you can tell if Jerry plays fair in this 15-minute mystery. Can you solve it?
“I’m hoping that you can give me a lead,” Officer Hall said. A moment later they were in the kitchen and Jamie was popping some popcorn in the microwave. Kendall got them each a glass of milk. When the popcorn was done, they settled around the table. “We had a small burglary last night,” Officer Hall began. “Can you look at these and tell me what you think?" See if you can solve this case!
“It was the guy with the kangaroo,” a woman’s voice said. “He stole our wallets. I saw him.” “Everyone calm down,” another woman said. “We’ll get to the bottom of this.” “I know that voice,” Jamie said. “It’s Officer Hall.” Jamie immediately headed into the tent. Kendall followed. Hopefully they could help find out who had stolen the wallets.
See if you can solve this 15-minute mystery!
“Hey, can you help me,” he said to Kendall. “Jack Washington just stole my jeans and my mom is going to kill me if I don’t bring them home.”
“Not Jack Washington, again” Jamie said. Jack was the neighborhood bully. He was always trying to take things from the other kids. But how could they prove it?
See if you can solve this 15-minute mystery before the Brodericks do.
This book is a shorter version of our popular “Reindeer: Nomads of the North”, aimed at beginning readers. With only 1234 easy to read words, young children can experience for themselves the joy of learning about the reindeer. They will find out: What is the difference between a caribou and a reindeer? Why are a reindeer’s hairs hollow? What sound do reindeer make when they walk? And much more!
Giraffes are the tallest animal alive today. A male giraffe can grow to be over 18 feet (5.5 m.) tall. That's taller than a two-story house! Giraffes look like a horse with a stretched out neck and stretched out legs. They have long skinny legs and a very long neck. Their front legs are longer than their back legs. That is why their backs slope down toward their rump. Find out more in this book!
What?! You didn’t get enough gross and disgusting things that animals do in that last book? OK, here are some more of the best, or the worst, things that animals do. Let’s see if you know the answers to these questions before you read them in this absolutely disgusting book. What do salamanders do after they shed their skin? How do giraffes clean their noses? How do barnacles eat? And many more!
The Mississippi River is the largest river in the US, and one of the most well known rivers in the world. People have been discovering things about this river for many years. How much do you know about America’s waterway? Do you know: Where does the Mississippi River begin? Where does it lose most of its elevation? How much of America’s rainfall ends up in the River? Find out in this fun book.
She stands in New York Harbor, lifting her light to the world. The Statue of Liberty is a symbol of the U.S. How much do you know about her? Do you know: What is the Statue of Liberty’s real name? What was the Statue originally used for? What was the first part of the Statue to be finished? Which is taller, the statue or the pedestal? Find out this and more in this fun fact-filled book.
Huge blue whales inhabit our oceans. Scientists are studying them and learning more about them all the time. How much do you know? Can you answer these questions? How many gallons of air can a whale’s lungs hold? How many krill can a blue whale eat in a day? What is covering a blue whale’s eyes? How large is a blue whale’s throat? Find the answers to these questions and more in this fun book.
This book is a shorter version of our popular “Gorillas: Men of the African Forest” and is for early readers. With only 1107 easy to read words, young children can experience for themselves the joy of learning about the gorilla. They will find out: Do gorillas walk around on their back legs? How long are a gorilla’s teeth? Where does a male gorilla sleep? Can gorillas swim? And much more!
This book is a shorter version of our popular “Spiders: Spinners of the Sticky Web” and is for early readers. With only 1367 easy to read words, young children can experience for themselves the joy of learning about the spider. They will find out: How many eyes do spiders often have? How many body parts do spiders have? What is in the back part of their bodies? How do spiders breathe? And more!
This book is a shorter version of our popular “Ostriches: Flightless Birds of Wonder” and is for early readers. With only 1138 easy to read words, young children can experience for themselves the joy of learning about the ostrich. They will find out: What color are male ostriches? What color are female ostriches? Do ostriches like to take baths? Are ostriches picky eaters? And much more!
This book is a shorter version of our popular “Roadrunners: Birds That Like to Run” and is for early readers. With only 1026 easy to read words, young children can experience for themselves the joy of learning about the roadrunner. They will find out: Do roadrunners really say beep-beep? What is funny about a roadrunner’s feet? Can roadrunners fly? When did the roadrunner get its name?
And more!
This book is a shorter version of our popular “Cougars: Lions of the Mountains” and is for early readers. With only 1048 easy to read words, young children can experience for themselves the joy of learning about the cougar. They will find out: What is the difference between a cougar, a puma and a mountain lion? Are there all black cougars? Do cougars catch most of what they chase? And much more!
This book is a shorter version of our popular “Beavers: Gnawers of the Northern Woods” and is for early readers. With only 1284 easy to read words, young children can experience for themselves the joy of learning about the beavers. They will find out: What color are a beaver’s front teeth? How does a beaver’s jaw help him carry logs? How many eyelids does a beaver have? And many more!
This book is a shorter version of our popular “Wolves: Howlers of the Night” and is for early readers. With only 1291 easy to read words, young children can experience for themselves the joy of learning about the wolf. They will find out: How many wolves can there be in a pack? Why is a wolf’s place in his pack important? How does a wolf say “I want to play"? And many more!
This book is a shorter version of our popular “Raccoons: Masked Robbers of the Night” and is for early readers. With only 1229 easy to read words, young children can experience for themselves the joy of learning about the raccoon. They will find out: What do raccoon hands look like? Which is bigger, a male or a female raccoon? What happens if a raccoon tries to wash a slice of bread? And more!
This book is a shorter version of our popular “Bighorn Sheep: World of the Mountain Walkers” and is intended for beginning readers. With only 1320 easy to read words, young children can experience for themselves the joy of learning about the bighorn sheep. They will find out: How long do male bighorn sheep fight for? What happens if you move a group of bighorn sheep to a new area? And many more!
This book is a shorter version of our popular “Octopuses: Eight Armed Wonders” and is intended for beginning readers. With only 1006 easy to read words, young children can experience for themselves the joy of learning about the octopus. They will find out: What are the two ways to say more than one octopus? What color is an octopus’ blood? Can an octopus change color? And much more!
This book is a shorter version of our popular “Barnacles: Hated Squatters of the Sea” and is for early readers. With only 1178 easy to read words, young children can experience for themselves the joy of learning about the barnacle. They will find out: How many legs does a barnacle have? How does a barnacle eat? When a barnacle glues itself to a rock does it ever move? Learn this and more!
It towers over the Paris skyline and is one of the most recognized monuments in the world. The Eiffel Tower has a storied past and has served its city well as a worldwide ambassador. How much do you know about this monument? Do you know: What is the Eiffel Tower’s nickname? How many pieces of iron make up the Eiffel Tower? Why was the Eiffel Tower built? Learn about the tower in this fun book.
This is a shorter version of our popular “Zebras: Striped Horses of Africa”, aimed at early readers. With only 1089 easy to read words, young children can experience for themselves the joy of learning about the zebra. They will find out: How do you tell how old a zebra is? Do zebras like to live with other animals? When a zebra herd runs from danger, who leads the pack? And many more fun facts.
This is a shorter version of our popular “Tigers: The Lion with Stripes”, aimed at early readers. With only 1323 easy to read words, children can experience for themselves the joy of learning about tigers. They will find out: What colors can tigers be? Why does a tiger hold his tail up when it runs? Why are their back legs longer than their front legs? Do they see better at night or in the day?
This book is a shorter version of our popular “Hippos: Giants Who Love the Water”, intended for early readers. With only 1156 easy to read words, young children can experience for themselves the joy of learning about the hippo. They will find out: How wide can a hippo open its mouth? Why do hippos sleep in the water? Can hippos surf on the waves? Do hippo babies get sunburned? And many more!
This book is a shorter version of our popular “Penguins: Birds in Tuxedo Suits”, intended for early readers. With only 1296 easy to read words, young children can experience for themselves the joy of learning about penguins. They will find out: How does a penguin’s color help keep it safe? When they swim, does a penguin’s tail push it through the water? How big are the biggest penguins? And more!
This book is a shorter version of our popular “Polar Bears: Bears of Ice and Sea”, intended for early readers. With only 1263 easy to read words, young children can experience the joy of learning about the polar bears. They will find out: What color is a polar bear’s skin? What does a polar bear's fat do? What two things does a polar bear spend most of its time doing? And many more!
A frogfish is one of the craziest animals you will ever see. Have you ever seen a fish that cannot swim? Or a fish that walks around the bottom of the sea on two hands? Or even a fish that fishes for its food? Well then meet the frogfish!
This book is a shorter version of our popular “Frogfish: The Weirdest Fish in the Sea”. Intended for early readers it has only 792 easy to read words.
This book is a shorter version of our popular “Sea Stars: Stars of the Sea”, intended for beginning readers. With only 1134 easy to read words, children can experience for themselves the joy of learning about the sea star. They will find out: How many arms can a sea star have? What kind of skin does a sea star have on the top of its body? How does a sea star turn itself over? And many more!
This is a shorter version of our popular “Rays and Skates: Pancakes of the Sea”, intended for beginning readers. With only 1215 easy to read words, young children can experience for themselves the joy of learning about the rays. They will find out the answers to these questions: Are all rays sting rays? What do a ray’s teeth look like? How do you keep from stepping on a ray?
Learn about rays!
A reindeer is a fur covered animal. Reindeer look like the animals that are said to pull Santa’s sleigh, but they don’t have shiny noses, and they can’t fly! Reindeer are often called caribou. In some parts of the world they are called reindeer. In other parts they are called caribou.
Find out more about the reindeer in this fun book!
How would you like to eat part of your house for food during the winter? Well that's just what beavers do. Beavers are animals that live in the water. They spend most of their time there, even though they are mammals. That means they breathe air, so part of the time they are also on land.
Beavers live in the water because it is safer for them. They can't run very fast, but they swim great.
A barnacle is an animal that lives in the sea. Many people don't think of a barnacle as an animal. That's because they never see it. The animal is hidden inside a shell. A barnacle has a round body. It also has six pairs of legs. That's twelve legs! But it doesn't use its legs for walking. It uses them to eat with. Barnacles actually live upside down! Their heads are at the bottom and their legs!
Sea stars are strange animals. They crawl along the sea floor on their spiny arms.
Sea stars used to be called starfish. But they are not fish. That is why their name has now been changed to sea stars.
A lot of people think sea stars only have five arms. Lots of them do. But they can have as few as four arms and as many as 18.
Find out more about these strange sea creatures in this fun book.
Sea dragons are very strange sea animals. They look like sea plants with a snout.
They have a long nose at the front of their head. But that is about the only part that looks like an animal. Their body is round and lumpy, and sticking out from everywhere are growths. These growths make the sea dragon look like it is covered with leaves or twigs. Find out more about this strange plant-like animal.
The Brodericks are visiting the Queen Mary. After peering into a bedroom, they move down the hall. Jamie quickly pulls out her camera and runs back to the room. As she steps into the doorway, she holds her camera up. “Oh!” she exclaimed. She pulled down the camera, just in time to see a ship’s steward step back through the room’s far door.
What was he doing? Can you solve the mystery?