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The Mystery of the Blue Ring (Polk Street Mysteries by Patricia Reilly Giff)

July 16, 2011 by Jennifer

Raise your hand if you ever spent a Free Range Saturday when you were growing up trying to solve a mystery that you conjured up? Yeah, me too. Unlike the kids in the books I liked to read, there were never any real mysteries to solve.

The Mystery of the Blue Ring is the first book in the Polk Street Mysteries series, by Patricia Reilly Giff, originally published in the late 80’s. This short chapter book is only somewhat dated (like the fact that the 2nd graders can roam to and fro unsupervised as children did in the 80’s). The plot is simple and one that children will be able to understand and will relate to. One day Emily loses her special birthday ring with the blue stone. Dawn is a suspect, so she figures the only way to clear her name is to find the ring or the thief herself!

The kids don’t have attitude; there aren’t funny cartoons throughout — it’s just a book that is easy-to-read and engaging at the same time, which proves that good things come in old packages.

I may be in the minority here, but I’m so glad that they are releasing more children’s books as ebooks. For one thing, the price is right. For another, kids like using a device, and finally — it’s so easy to have unlimited ebooks on you! Even before I got my Kindle, Amanda was using the Kindle app on her ipod touch. I don’t like reading on that small screen, but she does. Kyle probably would too. He hasn’t gotten to this book yet, but he did read a couple of short books on my Kindle on our last driving trip, and I have this one loaded up for an upcoming trip.

Thanks to Open Road Media, who has re-released this series (along with a number of others for kids and adults), I have TWO copies of the ebook of The Mystery of the Blue Ring. If you win, you will be sent a download link where you can read it on your ereader of choice (Nook, Kindle, Ipad compatible), or your PC or Kindle app which is available on many devices.This giveaway is closed.

Leave a comment if you’d like to enter. I’ll announce the winners on July 27.

Don’t miss a thing: Check out our current giveaways. Subscribe to our feed or video reviews on YouTube. Follow us @5M4B on Twitter or on Facebook.

Jennifer Donovan isn’t sure that she wants to share her Kindle, however she’s happy that her children have yet another way to enjoy books. She blogs at Snapshot.

Filed Under: Children's Books, Easy Readers, Ereaders and Ebooks, Jennifer

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Comments

  1. Karen Gonyea says

    July 17, 2011 at 12:36 pm

    Pick me please 🙂

  2. jenna says

    July 17, 2011 at 5:44 pm

    I’d love to win – my kids are constantly wanting to play with my iPhone and I love when I can give them something educational to do or read!

    • Jennifer says

      July 26, 2011 at 8:40 pm

      Jenna–

      You won one of the copies! I will send your email address to my contact and she will send you instructions for receiving your ebook.

      Jennifer

  3. Kristin G says

    July 18, 2011 at 12:11 pm

    I loved mysteries as a kid

  4. Jessica T says

    July 18, 2011 at 4:55 pm

    Cool – I’d love to get this on my Kindle!

  5. riTa says

    July 19, 2011 at 11:57 pm

    Wonderful option for our kids nowadays who’d rather listen than read.

  6. June says

    July 20, 2011 at 6:24 am

    Such a great selection of books to read.(Really Like)

  7. Liz says

    July 20, 2011 at 5:28 pm

    Belonged to a Nancy Drew club (all 2 of us). Would love to have The Mystery of the Blue Ring for my great niece, who, of course, can do ebooks.

  8. Maureen says

    July 24, 2011 at 1:40 pm

    Thanks for the chance to win this for my three children who are learning to read….my six year old is just starting to enjoy chapter books so this would be great!

    • Jennifer says

      July 26, 2011 at 8:08 pm

      Maureen–

      You were one of our winners. I will send your email address to my contact, and she will send you instructions for downloading the book.

      Jennifer

  9. Colette McCorry says

    July 25, 2011 at 7:28 am

    It’s so lovely to let our children know that we are not making up all those stories about long lazy days spent without an adult in sight.

Trackbacks

  1. Beast Friends Forever: The Super Swap-O Surprise, Review and Giveaway – 5 Minutes For Mom says:
    July 18, 2011 at 12:02 am

    […] in this column on August 1.We have a giveaway for another great early chapter book going on now at 5 Minutes for Books. Check out The Mystery of the Blue Ring, a re-release of the popular Polk Street Mysteries series […]

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