The Double Cousins and the Mystery of the Missing Watch

By Miriam Jones Bradley

Book Overview

When double cousins Max Rawson and Carly Johnson with their siblings, Dorie, Chad, and Molly, arrive at their Grandparents' ranch for an annual visit, they are delighted with a surprise request that... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1579219993
• ISBN13: 9781579219994
• Release Date: January 2009
• Publisher: Winepress Pub
• Length: 119 Pages
• Weight: 0.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.0" x 0.5" x 5.0"
• Age Range: 9 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 4 to 7

Customer Reviews

We need more from Bradley!

As double cousins Max Rawson and Carly Johnson head to Grandma and Grandpa's farm for their annual trip with their siblings, Dorie, Chad, and Molly, they believe this summer will be as uneventful as the others. A natural tendency toward curiousity is hightened when on this particular trip, Grandpa shares an unsolved mystery linked to a watch. While still reeling from the excitement of having an authentic mystery to solve, a new hired hand arrives on the farm. Slim is kind enough, but that doesn't keep Max from suspecting he's got secrets. As the cousins spend their days picking berries, fighting poison ivey, riding horses and helping with farm chores, they also work to solve what is now two mysteries. As the summer winds down and the fair marks the official ending, the cousins recieve more than just answers to their mysteries. A heartwarming ending leaves the reader satisfied, and this reviewer hoping to see more from Bradley. Double Cousins is an irresistable and entertaining book for the pre-teen. Written with Christian values and small town tradition, the reader is transformed to a quieter place where there was time to do everything-from work, to play, to solving mysteries. Bradley writes from her own experience and it shows as her work is colorful and descriptive, overwhelming in the best of ways with a charm missing in most adolescent novels. As a parent you will be delighted to pass Double Cousins on to your children, but don't be surprised if you find yourself engaged in the storyline as well!

Stories for Children Magazine 5 Star Review

Reviewed by: Wayne Walker If you had a long lost relative, what do you think would be the best way to go about trying to find him? Ten-year-old double cousins Max Rawson and Carly Johnson, along with Max's younger brother Chad and Carly's older sister Dorie and younger sister Molly, all arrive for their annual summer visit to their grandparents' ranch. To help them pass the time away, Grandpa suggests that they try to uncover the mystery surrounding his grandfather's twin brother Zachary who left home at the age of eighteen to seek his fortune in the West more than 100 years ago and was never heard from again. The only clue is Grandpa's pocket watch which is an exact match to the one Zachary carried. Their search is complicated by the arrival of a new ranch hand named Slim, a young man who left his family and has been homeless but has a watch that appears similar to Grandpa's. Will the children be able to solve the mystery about Zachary? And can Slim be trusted or does he have something to hide? I have the privilege of reading and reviewing a lot of books for young people, and this is truly one of the best stories that I have read in a good while! First, it is very realistic. In fact, author Miriam Jones Bradley wrote, "This book is a work of fiction. However, many of the events portrayed in this story are based on the experiences my cousins, siblings, and I had as children visiting our grandparents' ranch....Sadly, we never had a mystery to solve as the children in this story do. The seed of the idea for the mystery did, however, come from a true-life event. My Great-great-grandpa Jones left home to find work and never returned." The children are not portrayed as perfect. Max especially is suspicious of Slim and grumpy because of it, and they do make some mistakes, but their grandparents lovingly help them to see their errors and correct them. In the process, they learn some valuable lessons about forgiveness and acceptance. And second, it is well-written and fun to read! The suspense will keep youngsters turning the pages, and the surprise ending will be a delight. The Double Cousins and the Mystery of the Missing Watch gets a high five from me.

Captivating wholesome mystery that is kid tested and parent approved!

My 12 year old home-schooled daughter loves mysteries, but it is hard to find wholesome mystery books that uphold our Christian values. My daughter says the author did "a great job and should definitely write more books!" I hope she gets more published soon so my kids can enjoy them! This is a great book that kids can enjoy and parents can trust.

My children loved this book!

We finished reading it aloud this morning and they wanted a second in the series! It is so hard to find children's literature that is well written and just fun. Thank you for writing this book!