November 1, 2002
Gr 3-6-Many librarians and teachers dismiss series books like the Hardy Boys as poorly written formula stories that should, at best, be tolerated in their collections. What many of us have forgotten about the Hardy Boys are the constant references to old fashioned family morals. Sprinkled through every chapter are comments on the value of a college education, hard work, and doing the right thing. In this episode, the Hardy Boys even go to the theater and enjoy a production of Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice. Narrator Bill Irwin develops the characters through his careful use of accents and vocal inflections. The technical quality is excellent. There is minimal background orchestration, but the opening music perfectly establishes an aura of mystery. While the series' audience is usually third and fourth grade, this would be an excellent way to introduce the mystery genre to older reluctant readers. This audiobook will be popular in public and school libraries.-Linda R. Skeele, Western Elementary School, Georgetown, KY
Copyright 2002 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.