Bitsy And the Mystery at Tybee Island (Bitsy Burroughs Mysteries)

By Vonda Skinner Skelton

Book Overview

Aimed at readers of ages 10 years and above, this book presents a story - set on Tybee Island, Georgia - told by Bitsy, a twelve-year-old tomboy whose imagination and curiosity repeatedly get her into... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1570722544
• ISBN13: 9781570722547
• Release Date: January 2003
• Publisher: Overmountain Pr
• Length: 120 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.3" x 0.8" x 6.3"
• Age Range: 9 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 4 to 7

Customer Reviews

Read This Together

Who of us can't remember what it feels like as a child to really, really want to follow our curiosity, even if it meant becoming caught up in a scary experience? That delicious, irresistible attraction is what Bitsy and the Mystery at Tybee Island offers young readers and their parents. Bitsy and her cousin, Matt, turn an otherwise normal family beach vacation into a chilling, chase-in-the-dark, pirate treasure, "dead body" thriller. After tagging along on this adventure, you will want to visit the Tybee Island lighthouse and historic fort where some of the action takes place.Parents, watch for your children to put this book down and grab your chance to read it. You will love the lively dialogue Skelton uses to portray Bitsy's feisty, endearing character. You'll appreciate the lessons your child can learn from choices Bitsy makes and their consequences.Better yet-read this book together!

Impressive First Book

It's no mystery why this book is so well liked. Ms. Skelton has a nice blend of dialogue and narrative and knows how to keep readers turning the page. Plus, it has a natural rhythm for reading aloud either to your children or in a story-time setting.The characters in this story are believable and, most importantly, likable. This is an impressive first book and I'mlooking forward to reading the next one in the series, Bitsy and the Mystery at Amelia Island

I Love A Mystery

I love a mystery, and always have. I started reading them when I was a kid. Thankfully, we have a new generation of children's mystery authors like Vonda Skelton who can bring the enjoyment of mysteries to a new generation of children.Bitsy is a 12-year-old girl from a poor but very loving family, who finds mystery and adventure while on vacation at Tybee Island, Georgia. This is a good myster, and a great story -- very memorable and authentic characters. Very much reminescent of Gertrude Chandler Warner's "The Boxcar Children" books.The Tybee Island atmosphere is dead-on -- I have explored all of these places with my own grandchildren, including climbing the 178 steps to the top of the lighthouse.

A Classic Mystery for Children

As a long-time mystery fan who first got hooked on Nancy Drew, it's a kick to find a new mystery series suitable for young people. But unlike the cookie-cutter Carolyn Keene books, the first Bitsy mystery takes a more well-rounded, down-to-earth approach as it introduces kids to the (in my opinion) best genre of all. Skelton's twelve-year-old tomboy character, Bitsy Burroughs, isn't a glamorous blonde paper doll with her very own blue roadster; Bitsy's family lives on the edge. Her father drives a bread truck and dreams of striking it rich with unlikely scheme after scheme. Her long-suffering mother is pregnant with baby number four, and the budget is so tight, the family endures a steady diet of fatback and stale honey buns, culled from the bread company's discards. Nonetheless, the Burroughses are a loving family, who pray together, forgive one another and manage to find humor in their situation. When a windfall gives them a chance to spend some time at a cabin on Georgia's Tybee Island, feisty Bitsy and her cousin Matt take the opportunity to explore and quickly become involved with a legend of secrets, pirate treasure and maybe even murder. All the elements of a good mystery are here: abundant clues, red herrings, mistaken identity and, of course, peril for Bitsy and Matt. Children are sure to enjoy the twists and turns of the plot and will find the end highly satisfying. It's a good writer who can turn out an entertaining, positive book for children without being saccarine, and Vonda Skelton is very good. Bitsy is a character who demands a sequel.