The Tree Street Kids series continues as Jack, Ellison, Roger, Ruthie and Midge develop new and better friendships, and also solve a mystery.
Tree Street Kids series by Amanda Cleary Eastep, illustrated by Aedan Peterson: Lions to the Rescue! and Mystery in Crooked Creek Woods. Moody, 2022.
Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 8-10
Recommended For: Ages 8-10
Lions to the Rescue!
Jack’s adjustment to a new neighborhood and making new friends continues when he joins his friend Ellison at a new school. He is eager to be accepted by DJ and the guys on the peewee football team, but Ellison would rather sign up for the Library Club.
How can he persuade Ellison to play football while supporting his friend’s love of reading, AND care enough to try to understand the challenges Ellison faces with having a different skin color?
Inspired by an old photograph of an early book wagon, Jack modifies Ellison’s bike to make a bookmobile so he can make book recommendations and deliveries throughout the neighborhood. When things don’t go as smoothly as he had hoped, his friendship with Ellison is jeopardized.
Difficult providences unfold, leading to blessings in disguise as Jack’s Dad finds himself with more time to help his son repair the damages, and new neighborhood bridges are built.
Mystery in the Crooked Creek Woods
When Jack and Ellison try their pen at writing a mystery for a young authors’ contest and practice their impersonation of the great detectives Poirot and Holmes, weird lights at night and men in black seem to indicate a real mystery is at hand in their neighborhood.
Jack already has the villain figured out, but what is he doing down in the canyon, who else is involved, and why?
Also, the news that Mr. Bruno is moving to California brings a new problem: where will the Tree Street Kids hold their meetings without their neighbor’s permission to use Da Bomb Shelter?!
There’s a whole lot of candy eating at the end when the moment of truth arrives.
Tree Street Kids Series
Eastep’s series somewhat resembles a book list with a story woven throughout. It’s also a tribute to her love of nature, fascinating facts, and writing. I chuckled a few times at the humor, and appreciate that the stories include Jack’s growing faith in God while avoid triteness.
Gently handling themes of racism, reconciliation, family concerns, friendship, and loving your neighbor in general, Eastep continues the Tree Street Kids series as solidly as she began.
Win a copy of both books!
Who is your favorite literary detective, OR what is your favorite mystery series? Leave a comment below! Winner will be drawn at random.
DEADLINE: SATURDAY, AUGUST 6, 2022 AT NOON, EST.
Overall Rating: 4.75 out of 5
- Worldview/Moral Rating: 5 out of 5
- Literary/Artistic Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Read more about our ratings here.
Related Reading From Redeemed Reader
- A Review: Review of the first two Tree Street Kids books, Jack vs. the Tornado and The Hunt for Fang
- A Resource: Browse the rest of our mysteries
- A Reflection: Maybe Jack should try some of the sports books on this list.
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My kids’ favorite detective is Encyclopedia Brown! I think my favorite right now is Myrtle Hardcastle.
Father Brown is one of my favorites!
I love Nancy Drew books! Definitely my favorite mystery series!
Frank and Joe Hardy!
I would love to win a copy of this for my 10 year old son! If I don’t I will be purchasing regardless!!
My oldest 8-year-old grandson is an avid reader, so I am always on the lookout for good news reads for him. I will definitely be looking into these mysteries for him! As far as mysteries, I love the old Nancy Drew books.
Peroit!!!!
These look great
I enjoy Mma Ramotswe of the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series.
I love mystery books, so it is hard to narrow it down to one detective! I’ll choose a lesser known series: Nero Wolfe mysteries by Rex Stout. Witty & clever series set in New York in the 1930s.
My children’s favorite mysteries right now are the Boxcar Children.
The Boxcar children are my kids favorite right now too 🙂
Gotta say Miss Marple 😉
Sugar Creek Gang books are fun, wholesome mysteries that have captured my boys’ attention (8 and 10). This new series looks like it’d be right up their alley!! Thanks for the chance to win a copy!!
Nancy drew was my first mystery series love as a kid! It’s hard to beat books that made you fall in love with reading and book series. 🙂
I think my daughter will love these! Would love to add them to our bookshelves. It’s so hard to find books like this.
Whoops hit submit too quickly! We’ve enjoyed Nancy Drew- love that they have many levels for kids and my early reader loves Nate the Great!
Kids like Boxcar Children, Magic Treehouse, Sugarcreek Gang. Thanks!
Sherlock Holmes!
We’ve looked Nancy Drew, Boxcar Children and Geronimo Stilton at various ages.
Nancy drew and we haven’t read yet but got the fancy Nancy clue books.
Wollstonecraft Detective Agency
These new books look awesome for my adventurous boy. I would have to say Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew for mystery favorites.
My boys’ favorite mystery characters are the Hardy Boys. They especially love listening to the audiobooks over and over again!
The Boxcar Children – hands down!
My students love Jerry Jenkins’ Red Rock Mysteries.
Nancy Drew!
Agatha Christie
Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys are still our favorites!
Magic Treehouse
Babysitters Club
Encyclopedia Brown!
My oldest son really likes the Spy School series!
Mine is Chief Inspector Armand Gamache. My daughter enjoyed Boxcar children.
Nancy Drew and Boxcar Children!
My kids have loved the Boxcar Children and also the Mysterious Benedict Society.
I am a big fan of Sherlock Holmes. Also, I really like Inspector French by Freeman Wills Crofts.
Sherlock Holmes
My son loves the Sugar Creek Gang series!
My daughter, who has read the first 2 Tree Street Kids books and enjoyed them, loves Nancy Drew and pretty much any mystery book she reads!
My son’s favorite detective is Geronimo Stilton for sure! As far as books for older readers go, I can’t go wrong with Agatha Christie (cheating I know!).
Boxcar Children
My younger ones like Boxcar children, older ones like the Fun Jungle series by Stuart Gibbs and still like Hardy Boys.
Brother Bear from the Berenstain Bears is my favorite!
Nancy Drew!
My daughter says Matthias from Redwall, and she justifies that Redwall counts as a mystery series because of the riddles.
My kids love Max B Kid Spy!
I really enjoy Louise Penny and the Inspector Gamache series! As a kid I loved Nancy Drew.
Our favorite mystery books are the Nate the a great series!
My favorite literary detective has to be the hilarious Amelia Peabody☺️. The mystery is never too intense which I appreciate. Not all my kids are mystery fans, but Encyclopedia Brown is likely the favorite of my one mystery-loving child.
Sherlock Holmes sets the standard for great mystery!
I really like Agatha Christie’s Tommy and Tuppence. And Sayers’ Lord Peter, of course.
Nancy Drew as a child and Armand Gamache as an adult. My girls love Geronimo Stilton!
My boys really lovely the Ballpark Mystery series. I think they would really like those too!
We like boxcar children around here!
Right now it is Flavia De Luce.
We have been listening to the first Charlie Thorne book and really enjoying it.
My daughter really enjoys the Boxcar Children.
We love Nancy Drew and the Boxcar children! We would love a chance to win these…thanks!
Lord Peter Whimsey is my favorite literary detective!
My son is devouring Hardy Boys!
I enjoy Mma Ramotswe of the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency.
Mom loves Poirot and Miss Marple. Sister likes Secrets of the Manor. Brother likes Butt Detective ( a series published in Mandarain).
Nancy Drew forever! She always knows when to pause for a delicious sounding snack.
Tom and Liz Austen Mystery Series by Eric Wilson.
I love Agatha Christie for her mysteries and Dorothy Sayers for her excellent writing! My daughter has read the Aggie Morton series and really likes the Nancy Drew diary series.
We have loved Nancy Drew and the Boxcar Children! We also just discovered the American Girl Mystery series and my 10 year loves them.
My son has started reading Cooper Kids by Frank Peretti.
Thea Stilton
Maryellen (American Girl)
Baker Family Adventures
Encyclopedia Brown
My daughter and I really enjoy reading the Enola Holmes series by Nancy Springer.
Lord Peter Wimsey!
For kids my fav is Nancy drew, for adults I love Sherlock Holmes but Miss Marple by Agatha Christie is my second fav!
My current favourite series is “Inspector Gamache” by Louise Penny.
Nate the great was one of our first chapter books that we loved. And Hank the cowdog. Does that count as mystery? 😊
Hercule Peroit
Auxier is our favorite mystery writer!
GK Chesterton’s Father Brown
My favorite detective series growing up (the one that started it all for me) was Encyclopedia Brown. Still classics in my opinion.
I recently discovered Myrtle Hardcastle and I love her! I can’t wait for my daughter to be a little older so I can share the Myrtle books with her.
Nancy Drew as a kid. Lady Hardcastle and also The Thursday Murder Club now.
Nancy Drew was a favorite when I was growing up! It isn’t drawing in my oldest quite the way it did for me, but that’s okay. My second is just about the perfect age for these “Tree Street Kids” books- I’m excited to have a new idea for him!
This look fantastic! My kids like the A-Z Mystery crew and I love all things Agatha Christie!
Nancy Drew is a favorite from the time I was a young girl reading them.
The Boxcar Children
Ayelet (7) says the Nancy Drew and her buddies Bess and George. Ari (9) says the Hardy brothers. Mom (43) says The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency!
Trixie Belden.
Boxcar children are the favorite in our home!
Nancy Drew was my favourite as a child, and my daughter really enjoyed her too, while my sons preferred Encyclopedia Brown.
I love all of the Sherlock Holmes books! Watson is the best!
The Nancy Drew and Hardy Book series !!
Our favorite mystery series are Boxcar Children and Sugar Creek Gang.
My favorite detectives are Hercule Poirot and Mary Russell(in the Beekeeper’s Apprentice).
I love the old Nancy Drew! I would so appreciate winning these books as I am setting up a library in my middle school classroom this year.
My favorite detective? Hercule Poirot books by Agatha Christie! I was almost 40 before I read a Christie book and was hooked!
My 11 year old loves this series and would be thrilled to win!
For the kids: Boxcar Children, A to Z Mysteries and Roman Mysteries!
For me: The No 1 Ladies Detective Agency, Gray Whale Inn, and the Cat Who!
Sherlock Holmes and the Hardy Boys 🙂
Joy Sparton
Nancy Drew for me for sure. Have always loved those and now try to encourage the kiddos that come into the library to give them a try!
I was a big fan of Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden as a child. I am currently loving the books by Louise Penny.
I know so many before me have mentioned the same thing, but I just loved the old Nancy Drew books as a kid. Those are the books I remember reading out on the swing set, at the dining room table, on the bus, at my desk when I got done with my school work, under a sheet with a flashlight at night, etc!
Mysteries are the best!
Mysterious Benedict Society
Sherlock Holmes is my hero!
I am a big Inspector Gamache fan!
Sherlock Holmes and Father Brown
Mine are the Louise Penny books. My kids haven’t been exposed to very many mystery books, but I do have a daughter who loves Nancy Drew 🙂
Always loved Nancy Drew as a young girl. This summer I’ve been reading mysteries by Josephine Tey. Her Inspector Grant is amazing with a good combination of intuition and solid sleuthing.
We really like Precious Botswana. She is a young version of the Ladies detective agency, by Alexander McCall Smith.
Miss Marple
Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden, and Hercule Poirot.
Our family loves Boxcar Children & all sports mystery books (Zach & Zoe, Ballpark, etc.)
Boxcar children, Nancy drew!
I don’t read mysteries much as an adult, but as a kid I loved Encyclopedia Brown and the Boxcar Children.
My girls are OBSESSED with the Boxcar Children; one is even writing her own spin-off series. My favorite detective is Inspector Gamache for his gentle humility and endurance of all manner of abuse, quietly confident that he will be vindicated in the end.
We like Nate the Great, Trixie Belden, Poirot, Alan Grant and Lord Peter.
Father Brown
My daughter loves Nancy Drew. I loved her as a kid, but grew into Agatha Christie. I am currently trying my first Dorothy Sayers.
I liked the Mandi series by Lois Gladys Leppard as a girl