Review by HannahsReads -- Serendipity Mystery: Diary of ...

[HannahsReads]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Serendipity Mystery: Diary of a Snoopy Cat" by R.F. Kristi.]

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2 out of 4 stars

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Serendipity Mystery: Diary of a Snoopy Cat is a children’s chapter book by author R. F. Kristi. This series features the cat-detective Inca and her furry friends. This book is volume seven in the series. In this volume, Inca and her family explore Indonesia while they search for a stolen sword.

The best feature of this series is that each book takes place in a different location around the world. The author does a good job describing these settings. In this volume, I enjoyed the author’s descriptions of Indonesia; she uses fun phrases such as “oodles of elephants” to bring the setting to life for young readers. I also enjoyed Inca's hijinks as she explores a jungle and sniffs out another crime. Many children's books have used the concept of an animal detective. However, Inca is a cute character; I think young readers will relate to her curiosity and desire for justice.

Good chapter books for children usually feature an engaging writing style, short sentences, and limited vocabulary. These qualities allow beginning readers to sound out words and interpret the meaning of the story on their own. This book does not meet these standards. The author fails to explain concepts and words that young readers might not be familiar with; for example, she mentions UNESCO World Heritage Sites twice in the story without explaining what a world heritage site is. She also uses vocabulary children might not be familiar with, such as “trishaw,” without any explanation. The tone is confusing at times; the author mixes child-friendly slang like “okay” and “bummer” with fancier language like “hence.” Heavy use of passive voice gives the book a monotonous feel.

I have previously read volume eight in this series. I was pleasantly surprised to find volume seven to be easier to read; it is slightly better edited and set in a more readable font. However, I did find six errors in this short book. I do not believe this book was professionally edited.

I would recommend Serendipity Mystery: Diary of a Snoopy Cat to readers who enjoy books like Hank the Cowdog by John R. Erickson and Ranger in Time: Rescue on the Oregon Trail by Kate Messner. This book does not contain any material that would be inappropriate for children. However, the lack of professional editing impacts the quality of this book.

This book has a fun premise and a lovely setting; unfortunately, those great qualities are marred by the poor writing style and lack of editing. I give this book a rating of 2 out of 4 stars.

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Serendipity Mystery: Diary of a Snoopy Cat
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

[Eutoc]

I'm sorry the poor editing nullified the adventurous experience you had reading this book.