“This is the principal.”

From Gary Paulsen’s Mudshark.

Twelve-year-old Lyle Williams has gained a reputation (and nickname) for himself thanks to his quick reaction time from living with his young triplet sisters Kara, Tara, Sara, his lifelong love of reading, and his practically photographic memory. At school and almost everywhere else in life, everyone calls him Mudshark, and all the kids look to him for help with a wide variety of problems. So many kids have looked to Mudshark for help that he’s developed The Mudshark Detective Agency for all the kids at school so that he can help the most kids find all kinds of missing items. In a school plagued by rapidly overpopulating crayfish, Mudshark finds himself constantly needed for the countless disappearances and mysteries at his school, by both students and faculty. A while ago, Mudshark was able to help the school librarian, Mrs. Underdorf, solve the mystery of the immobility of library’s first pet. However, when the library’s next pet, a parrot, begins to shout out the answers for kids that come seeking Mudshark’s help before the boy can even open his mouth to answer, he realizes that something odd is going on at school. When the school principal reaches out to Mudshark, asking for his help in finding where all the school’s blackboard erasers have gone, the boy begins to search for the truth about all the odd things that have been going on at school recently. While Mudshark knew he could figure out what happened to the erasers, he never imagined that it might lead to results that would change his school forever.

Paulsen’s short story filled with lots of laughs for readers of all ages. The main character is extremely likable and easy to connect with, as is the mystery of the story. Mudshark is the perfect read for young readers looking for a solid story or older readers looking for a humorous quick read.