The Case of the Messy Message and the Missing Facts - (Cayuga Island Kids) by Judy Bradbury (Paperback)

About the Book

The Cayuga Island Kids learn about sorting through research and clues to ensure information is factual as they deal with faulty assumptions, missing facts, flour bugs, and chocolate chip cookies.

Book Synopsis

It's Fall now and the Cayuga Island Kids are busy with homework, projects, and after school activities. But there's still plenty of time for mystery and adventure! In the third book in the Cayuga Island Kids chapter book series, Julian is exploring food science as he experiments with recipes on his quest for the perfect chocolate chip cookie. Being a cookie sampler takes Mac's mind off his troubles with fractions. Yoko is practicing gestures and facial expressions in anticipation of the school play tryouts. Maya is Ms. Choi's helper in the after-school Make-and-Take-Club for younger crafters. Lacey is taking care of the little community library that Gram built--and searching for the next mystery to solve. When two of Ms. Choi's glitter pens go missing, Maya turns to Lacey for help. The clues and evidence point to a suspect, but are they jumping to conclusions? When a classmate jumps to conclusions and shares false information about Julian's cookies, the Cayuga Island Kids join forces to set the facts straight. When the kids research explorers for a school project, they uncover misinformation that blurs the truth, and makes the reasons for being a fact detective crystal clear. As the fall leaves turn color, the Cayuga Island Kids come to realize that sorting through clues and evidence--just like research--means making sure information is factual, and not just a fraction of the truth. Young readers will cheer for the Cayuga Island Kids as they embark on this latest adventure involving faulty assumptions, missing facts, flour bugs, and chocolate chip cookies.

Review Quotes

​"Likeable kids use their distinctive personalities and particular interests to solve mysteries. Good fun and gentle humor abound. Author Judy Bradbury subtly guides readers in how to research a subject of interest. Gabriella Vagnoli's lively illustrations show that the children are as diverse as their interests." --Vivian Vande Velde, Edgar Award-winner and author of Twitch the Squirrel books

"Any book that begins with a map of an island is my kind of story. Enliven that setting with a diverse group of characters who are consistently kind--and bursting with curiosity--and you've got all the elements of a series that is alive with adventure, friendship, and mystery." --James Preller, author of the Jigsaw Jones mystery series

About the Author

Judy Bradbury is the author of several children's books as well as professional resources for educators and parents. A literacy specialist who has taught students from preschool through college, Judy's monthly column for LibrarySparks inspired the creation of the popular Children's Book Corner blog (www.blog.judybradbury.com) where she interviews authors and illustrators and offers suggestions for using their books to connect social-emotional learning to curriculum in Grades Pre-K--8. Judy welcomes the opportunity to visit schools to share her books with students as well as offering one-day or in-depth writing workshops. She presents at conferences and leads professional development nationwide on topics related to English Language Arts and connecting kids and curriculum to great books. A lifelong advocate for promoting reading through community initiatives, Judy pioneered a New York State-funded summer community reading program and has developed remedial and enrichment reading and writing curricula. She has served as the Educator Event Coordinator of the Western New York Children's Book Expo since its inception in 2015. She is an active member of the New York State Reading Association (NYSRA) and the Niagara Frontier Reading Council (NFRC), for whom she is the Professional Development Chair. She has received awards from both NYSRA and the NFRC for her service in promoting literacy. A first-generation Italian American, Judy is a Cayuga Island Kid with a large and loving extended family. Judy grew up on the island, which is located a few miles upstream from the mighty Niagara Falls. In the summers, she rode the bicycle her father built for her across the island searching for mysteries to solve. Now, she is the mom of a voracious reader with whom she shares books and giggles. Judy also laughs with her husband over the misadventures of their goofy dog and spunky cat. When not at her desk or chasing the dog, Judy enjoys jogging, cycling, traveling, reading, garden. Born in Italy, Gabriella Vagnoli became an illustrator via a circuitous route that allowed her to explore many other interests including theater, music, teaching, and languages. Her work in these fields all had a common thread: communication. And this is what she loves best about illustrating children's books--the opportunity to visually communicate a story in a way that will indelibly imprint it on young minds, just as she still has with her the illustrated stories from her childhood.