A to Z Animal Mysteries - The Absent Alpacas

10/13/2023

A to Z Animal Mysteries: The Absent Alpacas written by Ron Roy and Kayla Whaley and illustrated by Chloe Burgett.

The original A to Z Mysteries, written by Ron Roy, was published from 1997-2005. Each title centered around three kids, with their pets, who solved mysteries. Each title in the 26-book series would begin with a consecutive letter in the alphabet. The School Library Journal described these books as “a good early chapter book that will be useful for remedial readers.”

Ron’s goal was always to create characters and stories that would appeal to reluctant readers. At the same time, create fun stories for parents to read along with their children. For as he says, when parents and kids read together, magic happens.

In this A to Z Mysteries series spin-off, Ron has created a new generation of mystery solvers that are kind, smart, and funny. Co-writer Kayla Whaley is keeping true to the original series formula. The A to Z Animal Mysteries series has three main characters Abbi, Lydia, and Daniel. Central to each story is their friendship and their support for each other. The new series of characters feature diverse characters, Abby is in a wheelchair and Lydia and Danial are Hispanic.

In The Absent Alpacas the three friends are off to the Maine State Fair to root for Lydia and Daniels’s alpaca in the alpaca costume contest. But the costume contest is on hold as all the alpacas are missing, except for Lydia and Daniel’s. The mystery has begun, and the search is on to solve the mystery of the missing alpacas.

This series is a breezy read, sure to engage mystery and animal lovers. The colorful illustrations are bright and jump off the page. Introduce this new series to your reluctant readers and mystery lovers.

Grab the first book of the series here today!

Reviewed by Nancy Stetzinger, Penworthy’s Product Manager