Welcome TO THE MYSTERIES OF WHISPER BAY!
|
Join the gang as they solve the Mysteries of Whisper Bay using their creativity, skills, and knowledge, stirring up their courage, and relying on each other and God. Find out more below.
You can purchase the ebook or paperback versions. You may also find the books through your favorite online bookseller. |
|
Reader Reviews of The Crossword Puzzle Mystery
Reading The Crossword Puzzle Mystery took me back to memories of lying on my bed getting lost in my favorite mystery/adventure books.
Written in first person, kids will easily relate to the main character as she figures out mysterious clues, faces scary decisions, and has to deal with the conviction of wrong-doing at times. If readers solve the mystery before the kids do, they will feel brilliant for out-smarting the obviously smart kids.
“It was crime we would never have been involved in if we hadn’t gone to vacation Bible school at church. Yes, you heard that right. The whole thing started there.”
The book is laced throughout with humor and fifth graders are the heroes in spite of their bad ideas and imperfect but well-intentioned plans. The dangers are real, the clues unlikely, and the sense of adventure intriguing. Friendships are forged and the good guys win.
I can’t wait to gift this to my grandkids – they are going to love it! They will probably be forming mystery clubs while they wait for the next book in the series to be published! — C.P.
Written in first person, kids will easily relate to the main character as she figures out mysterious clues, faces scary decisions, and has to deal with the conviction of wrong-doing at times. If readers solve the mystery before the kids do, they will feel brilliant for out-smarting the obviously smart kids.
“It was crime we would never have been involved in if we hadn’t gone to vacation Bible school at church. Yes, you heard that right. The whole thing started there.”
The book is laced throughout with humor and fifth graders are the heroes in spite of their bad ideas and imperfect but well-intentioned plans. The dangers are real, the clues unlikely, and the sense of adventure intriguing. Friendships are forged and the good guys win.
I can’t wait to gift this to my grandkids – they are going to love it! They will probably be forming mystery clubs while they wait for the next book in the series to be published! — C.P.
The kids and I finished the book tonight, and they asked if there was a second one! — B.T.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What are these books like or about?
This is a series of chapter books for youth who enjoy mysteries, learning about new topics, and challenging their reading skills. They are not written down to the reader, but written up. These stories are set in a realistic setting (circa mid-1980s) without the use of magic, witchcraft, fantasy, New-Agey Star-Wars-type "force" or other special powers, superheroes, or anything but what a real person could do in a real situation. Readers may be confronted with new words, old technology, and challenged to learn about topics and hobbies that might not be as common in today's digital and fantasy-focused world. They will read about regular kids using their heads to make a difference in their community, solving mysteries to help people and in the process, learning how to be a good friend and follower of Jesus Christ.
You can read the blog post that announced the series here.
Imagine if you mashed up the following books:
You can read the blog post that announced the series here.
Imagine if you mashed up the following books:
- The Hardy Boys
- Nancy Drew
- Tom Swift
- The Dana Twins
- The Bobbsey Twins
- The Happy Hollisters
- Chesapeake Charlie
- Brains Benton
- The Mad Scientists Club
- Elizabeth Gail
- Trixie Belden
- Joy Sparton
- Crystal's Mysteries series
- Teddie Jo
- The Peppermint Gang
- The Thorne Twins
- Bro-Kee series
Are these books Christian in theme and content?
Yes. But not in a sappy way. The characters are imperfect and funny and sometimes learn from their mistakes. Faith, Jesus, prayer, church, and concepts of ethics, honesty, salvation, sin, respect of parents and leaders, truthfulness, respect of each other, understanding identity in Christ, etc. are woven into the books.
What grade level are these books?
I don't know exactly as I'm not an educator. You know your child's reading level best. I'm guessing, depending on reading level, about age 10 to early teen. Sample pages are available for you at the bottom of this page to gauge if they're a good fit for your child. I wrote them in a mix of the list you see above. I don't use small words or basic sentence structures all the time. If you want kids to be good readers, I would encourage giving them something challenging even if it means you read it to them.
These are chapter books, without pictures.
These are chapter books, without pictures.
Are these award-winning books of significance with deep motivations and plots?
Uh, probably not. They will never be made into a movie or held up as fine literature. But they might make the reader chuckle a bit, learn new things, spark creativity, and help spur them onto interests and hobbies like the characters in the books. And more importantly, the characters are not "woke" nor do they take on the modern tendencies of self-focus or the way we tend to define "strong character" now. The girls aren't shown as strong when they get mouthy and bossy, but neither are they weak or fearful. The boys aren't lumbering dolts, boorish, or effeminate. They are kids who learn to think, appreciate learning, and work through how to be a good friend in basic ways.
What is the paid mystery club all about?
A membership in the mystery club is an annual non-refundable fee for an individual/family to gain access to the areas of the website where you can get exclusive, reduced price, or early-bird content. There will be content in a variety of formats that aren't available outside of the club, including early access, exclusives, and freebies. These are things that aren't included in the books. These will be located in a paid membership area.
Some of this content may include, in the form of downloads, videos, audio recordings, blog posts, or other formats:
Some content will be exclusive members-only, some will be available to members first before anyone else, and some will be discounted for members.
By purchasing this membership, you acknowledge that the one making the purchase is an adult or has permission from an adult, and that the recipient of the membership has permission of a parent or guardian to access the content. You also agree that you will not share your login or the members-only contents elsewhere online or with people outside of your immediate family.
Currently, memberships are created manually, so once I'm alerted to your membership purchase, I will give you access as soon as I can.
I will use the email address you include during the purchase as the one to set up the membership for. If you are purchasing a gift for someone else (e.g. child, grandchild), there is a notes section in the order process where you can let me know the name and email address of the person you'd like to have access as a member if it is different from the one used on the order. My email is included in the receipt, and you can email me to change this info at any time.
When the year is up, I will email you to see if you want to renew your subscription. If not, your access will be removed.
There are no refunds on membership purchases once you've been given membership access.
Some of this content may include, in the form of downloads, videos, audio recordings, blog posts, or other formats:
- Maps, posters, coloring pages, activity guides, and worksheets to download
- Tips for young writers who might want to create their own stories
- How-to guides for things the characters do in the books
- Blog updates and information on what's in the works or coming next
- Behind-the-scenes photos or videos showing scouted locations for the books, how the artwork is done, and more
- Short stories featuring the characters from the books
- Coupons/discounts for Mysteries of Whisper Bay items that are available for sale in the online store
- Opportunities to interact or hear from the author via mail or video
- Fun stuff in the mail in the form of a welcome packet (one per subscription)
Some content will be exclusive members-only, some will be available to members first before anyone else, and some will be discounted for members.
By purchasing this membership, you acknowledge that the one making the purchase is an adult or has permission from an adult, and that the recipient of the membership has permission of a parent or guardian to access the content. You also agree that you will not share your login or the members-only contents elsewhere online or with people outside of your immediate family.
Currently, memberships are created manually, so once I'm alerted to your membership purchase, I will give you access as soon as I can.
I will use the email address you include during the purchase as the one to set up the membership for. If you are purchasing a gift for someone else (e.g. child, grandchild), there is a notes section in the order process where you can let me know the name and email address of the person you'd like to have access as a member if it is different from the one used on the order. My email is included in the receipt, and you can email me to change this info at any time.
When the year is up, I will email you to see if you want to renew your subscription. If not, your access will be removed.
There are no refunds on membership purchases once you've been given membership access.
Are there materials for media use?
If you'd like to spread the word about The Mysteries of Whisper Bay, you can use the materials below, or contact me, for more information. All images © Julie R. Neidlinger.
| Press Release Nov 2023 |
|
|
For Parents
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to email me directly and I'll answer you as soon as I can. You can review a few sample pages below to see if you feel these stories are appropriate for your children. All book content Copyright 2023 © Julie R. Neidlinger.
|
|
|