Greetings from Somewhere, Book 9 - The Mystery of the Icy Paw Prints

The Briar family nears the end of the travels around the globe in the ninth book of this early reader mystery series.  It's rather a shame that the series ended with the 10th book - not sure if that was the author's intent all along, or if the books did not sell enough for the publisher to continue the series.  In either event, the series has been a fun jaunt around the world, and it is definitely something I would have thoroughly enjoyed when I was in first or second grade (heck, I usually have a smile now as an adult when I read them!).

The Mystery of the Icy Paw Prints finds the Briar family back in the United States, albeit far from the mainland in the snowy, freezing mountains of Alaska.  Author Harper Paris once again provides us with some great descriptions of the area, including Mt. McKinley and the surrounding volcanoes, icefalls, and glaciers.  They arrive in Anchorage, where they plan to stay, but a side trip to Nome finds the family stranded in an isolated forest area when their car breaks down.

This time, the mystery the twins find to solve does not come from their grandfather's e-mail; rather, they stumble across a mystery when a local woman and her daughter rescue them from their stranded vehicle and take them to the small village where they live to wait for a mechanic.  The fact that it will take two or three days for a mechanic to traverse the snow and ice covered land to get to them provides readers with a feel for the isolation some of these smaller villages in the outer parts of Alaska feel.

Paris provides a rather tame and obvious mystery - someone, or something, has been stealing fish from all of the locals, and no one knows who it is.  With nothing better to do while stuck in the small village, the twins, with the help of their newfound friend, Malina, investigate the area where the fish were stolen from Malina's mother.  They find some very unique tracks leading away from the empty container, and upon investigation, the tracks appear to be that of a polar bear - which Malina says is impossible, as polar bears do not come that far south.

As can be expected, the twins ultimately discover the culprit (by setting a trap), and the grown-ups are all thankful to have the "thief" exposed and happy to know their future fish finds will not be stolen.  Ethan and Ella's parents are somewhat concerned that their children got involved in yet another mystery (one that could have been dangerous considering he animals that roam the area), but they are proud of them nonetheless.

Leaving readers, as well as Ethan and Ella, to wonder what mystery the next book would have in store for them?

Again, this is a series that I highly recommend for parents who have beginning readers - the books are easy to read, they provide engaging stories with likable characters, and Marcos Calo illustrates the books with beautiful renditions of not only the characters, but the various exotic locales that the Briars visit.  Plus, the books provide a learning experience, since the author always includes various references to local vocabulary and history.

RATING:  7 grazing reindeer out of 10 for continuing to introduce young readers to the various wonders around the world!