brainfindsalegTitle: The Brain Finds a Leg
Author: Martin Chatterton
Genre: Middle Grade
Publisher: Peachtree Publishers
Source: Review Copy Provided by Publisher
Parental Warning: nefarious activity by adults

Summary:
Farrago Bay Australia has seen it’s share of tragedy and curious circumstances — none smaller than a pack of formerly docile humpback whales attacking a tourist boat.  As a result Captain McGlone, the fearless leader of the ill-fated cruise, left his wife and two sons behind to make their way alone.

Most affected was Sheldon, the youngest, as he was an odd boy who was further thrust into the life of a loner and outcast among his peers.  The target of taunting and bullying Sheldon is befriended by a curious new boy in town who is equally as peculiar as he.  The Brain, a young wannabe sleuth, arrives at school one day full of pre-teen swagger and (quite literally) a great big noggin on his shoulders.  A brain made larger than the average child’s due to a medical marvel his dearly departed parents invented.

This medical marvel and the loss of his parents are what spurn The Brain to adopt Sheldon as the Watson to his Sherlock as they attempt to investigate a local surfer’s murder by peculiar circumstances.  Setting out to solve the case the twosome run into kooky town inhabitants, a plethora of animals acting strangely human, and ultimately come face to face with evil in the most unexpected of places.

Opinion:
A quirky read The Brain Finds a Leg will certainly entertain middle grade children.  Filled with wit and humor Chatterton puts his main characters in outlandish circumstances via a most fun and fantastical way.  From thieving kangaroos to stalking birds then back to an alligator that thinks she’s a dog the I was is taken on a wild ride through the animal kingdom, never once feeling like the strangely realistic behaviors different species took on were so far beyond outrageous that it drifted into the territory completely unimaginable.

It was, quite simply, just downright fun.

It is that same creativity and spirit that brought to life the main character of The Brain.  Always a child at heart this young boy maintains the intellect of those twice his age and more; yet in doing so it doesn’t diminish his likability or his believability as the person who had the most potential to solve the crime he and Sheldon were investigating.

I enjoyed the best buddy relationship between the two boys — Sheldon was introverted and picked on, the class outcast, so it was realistic that Brain (being the new kid in town) would gravitate towards befriending him.  Not only that but Sheldon allowed for Brain to hold the reigns in the relationship, steering them through the investigative process with the utmost trust that all would be alright in the end.  Brain too had endearing qualities as it related to his new partner.   He took great care to value Sheldon’s opinion and let him take change when it was most critical.

The mysterious circumstances surrounding the bizarre animal behavior and the events of the surfer’s death made for a good mystery.  There was just enough of an ick factor to make it appealing to boys yet not so distasteful for girls. It was not so complex that an attentive reader wouldn’t be able to have an idea of the direction the story would take, yet the events weren’t so transparent that I was bored with the twists and turns.  On occasion I was surprised by a revelation or two myself.

Chatterton has written both the plot and the characters with a winning combination of humor and intelligence making it perfectly crafted to enthrall your middle grader.

[This review is part of a blog tour arranged by Peachtree Publishers please visit the next stop in the tour tomorrow at Stella Matutina Blog]