It’s time for another Nate the Great book! If you read my review of Nate the Great and the Fishy Prize, you know I am a fan! So, when I came across more Nate the Great books in my children’s book collection, I jumped at the opportunity to include them in my monthly blog posts! Today’s book is so well loved (can you tell by the photo) and one I mentioned in my previous review of Nate the Great. Let’s take a look at this fantastic children’s book!
Title: Nate the Great and the Missing Key
Author: Marjorie Weinman Sharmat
Plot: Nate the Great must find his friend’s missing house key in time for a party she is hosting.
When Nate the Great’s friend Annie can’t seem to find her house key, she desperately needs Nate the Great’s help! She must find the key, or she won’t be able to host her dog’s birthday party that all their friends will attend that day! Despite Nate’s fear of Annie’s big dog, Fang, he takes the case! As he interviews people, decodes confusing notes from Rosamond, and tries to lose Oliver, who keeps following him, he once again proves his skill as a detective when he finds the key!
Nate the Great and the Missing Key is another great hit for the Nate the Great series! This quick but fun mystery is a fun adventure and an excellent opportunity for kids to learn deductive reasoning! As always, Sharmat does a great job of showing the mind of a young and skilled detective at work in a neighborhood full of unique characters. From big dogs to Oliver, the kid who collects shiny things, and Rosamond, the very strange girl with a bunch of cats, he has a lot of places to look for his key. As usual, he does his best thinking at home over a pile of pancakes. And it is there he finally puts the clues together! I have yet to read a Nate the Great I do not like. This book gets five stars!
Let’s see what our family reviewers think!
Kate gave this little book a four-star rating, saying, “I resonate with Nate because I don’t like dogs either.” Josiah wasn’t as interested, giving it two hearts, saying, “I didn’t like it because of the dogs.”
Alyssa gave this book five stars, saying, “Characters are developed so well and it is simple but holds not only my daughter’s attention but also mine! Plus pancakes help me think, too!” Chandler wasn’t sure how she felt about the book, giving it a “I don’t know/neutral” rating of three hearts. When asked about her favorite part, she said, “It was about Nate the Great finding the key and also stuff. I felt like this emoji 😅. The book made me nervous about the dog.” When asked why she felt this way, she stated, “I don’t know why that was my favorite part.”
Emily, James, Christine, and Peter
Emily gave this book four stars, saying, “I love Nate’s detective voice! It reminded me of an old fashioned radio drama.” When asked why this was her favorite thing about the book, Emily explained, “It’s nostalgic, and a fun thing that parents can enjoy while reading a story that is pretty simple. Some children’s books aren’t that fun for parents.”
Emily has three children who wanted to help out with these fun reviews! James gave it four hearts, saying, “My favorite part was when he got the idea of where the key was. I liked this part because it was interesting. If I were Rosamond I would have buried the key, and wouldn’t keep cats because Daddy is allergic to them, and they would drive our dog, Sophie, nuts!” Christine gave this book a rating of four hearts, saying, “My favorite part is when Nate finds the key. It’s a really interesting part because he solves the mystery.” Peter gave this book five stars, saying his favorite part was “When Nate found the key.” When asked why this was his favorite part, he said, “Because he found the key on the collar of the dog, and I like dogs. I would like Fang.”
