A to Z Animal Mysteries #1: The Absent Alpacas

My daughter is obsessed with these books. They’re below her reading level as a 4th grade who’s reading high school level books. But she loves them and the mystery.

Grandson likedthis book enough to request another . The race horse book. Will keep buyi nm g as long as he keeps asking. Thank You.

I thought I’d get this for my 11 yr old who loves A to Z mysteries, but she was turned off by the younger characters. Probably better for 8-10 yr olds.

The Absent Alpacas, the first book in Ron Roy and Kayla Whaley’s A to Z Animal Mystery series, is a delightful, kid-appropriate mystery story that entertains and educates.My kids read all of the original A to Z Mysteries (including the Super Editions) and thoroughly enjoyed them. This new series incorporates animals and introduces a fresh new set of kids. Abbi Wallace and twins Lydia and Daniel Herrera, along with Abbie’s dog, Barkley, continue in the tradition of the original mystery kids – Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose. It is nice to see Abbi, who is in a wheelchair, is clearly the leader of this trio. This adventure starts with Abbi, Lydia, and Daniel going to the Maine State fair. The highlight of the fair is the Alpaca Costume Contest. Margery Meadows, a friend of Mrs. Herrera, has an alpaca named Alpaca in Wonderland competing. The contest is delayed when all the other alpacas go missing. When suspicion falls on Ms. Margery, the kids go into detective mode to prove otherwise and find the missing alpacas.In addition to being a fun read, the book deals with social issues in a readily accessible manner. Animal activists are picketing the fair, and there is some emphasis on the difficulties Abbi has with her wheelchair. The kids, however, take it in stride and help her when needed. The mystery is solved in a straightforward manner. I do feel that an opportunity to explore the possibility of the protesters as possible alpaca-nappers was missed, but the story was otherwise solid.The book also presents a learning experience. I didn’t know that there was such a dog as a Bassador (cross between Basset Hound and a Labrador Retriever). And there is a list of alpaca facts at the end of the book. Another fun fact for readers of the earlier Ron Roy series is that Abbi’s adoptive mom is mystery writer Wallis Wallace (who first made an appearance in The Absent Author, albeit as a pen name for Mavis Green).Beginning chapter readers who love animals should really enjoy The Absent Alpacas (and likely the rest of this series), and I recommend it highly.Note: I received an ARC of The Absent Alpacas from NetGalley and Random House Children’s, Random House Books for Young Readers. The above is my honest review.

This book seems to be best suited for ages 6-8 year olds as my 10-year old felt it was a little young for him. He liked the characters but missed the original A to Z Mysteries' characters. He loved that it was about animals but wished there were more facts about alpacas included. He thought the mystery was pretty good but could have been better. He did enjoy that there were lots of funny parts. He is hoping to be able to read the next books in the series.We received a complimentary electronic copy of this book from NetGalley.

A cute children's chapter book about a girl, Abbi, and her two best friends who help solve a mystery. The main character, Abbi, uses a power wheelchair, and the authors do a great job of not focusing on it, but still making it a part of her character. Abbi and her friends are excited about the alpaca costume contest at the state fair, only to get there and discover all but one of the alpacas is missing. Abbi and her friends follow clues and help unravel the mystery of the absent alpacas. This book references some of the characters from the original A to Z Mysteries, but is a new series that can be read without reading the original series. Highly recommend for young readers!I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

A to Z Animal Mysteries #1: The Absent Alpacas is a fun mystery that any elementary student would enjoy reading. Abbigail “Abbi” Wallace and her two friends twins Lydia and Daniel are excited to attend the alpaca costume contest at the Main State Fair the only problem is when they get there all the alpacas except one has disappeared. A family friend, Ms. Margery seems to be the number one suspect. Can the friends find the missing alpaca and solve who and why someone would take the alpaca? This book does not disappoint. Love the added bonus of alpaca facts at the end of the book. Highly recommend for newer avid readers. A to Z books are a great introduction to the genre of mystery and the mystery surrounding animals makes them even better. Thank you Netgalley for this read.

My son age 8 enjoyed reading Ron Roy's books over the last year. Recently we discovered there were even more books to read! He just finished reading all the A-Z Super Mystery books out, but the A-Z Mysteries were still his favorite. But then he read A to Z Animal Mysteries #1: The Absent Alpacas... when he finished that book, he yelled how much he LOVED it and began to re-read it a second time. He wants the entire series now. That is the best praise any kids book can get - for the books to be re-read and for the child to want to own the entire series. I hope they collaborate for the entire series from A through Z!

These have color illustrations and are aimed at younger kids.