Leroy "
Encyclopedia"
Brown is a
fictional boy detectiveDetective fiction is a branch of crime fiction in which a detective , either professional or amateur, investigates a crime, often murder...
, the main character in a long series of
children's novelsChildren's literature is for readers and listeners up to about age twelve and is often illustrated. The term is used in senses which sometimes exclude young-adult fiction, comic books, or other genres. Books specifically for children existed by the 17th century...
written by
Donald J. SobolDonald J. Sobol is an award-winning writer in Miami, Florida. He is best known for his children's books, especially the Encyclopedia Brown mystery series....
since 1963.
Books featuring Brown are subdivided into a number --usually 10 or more -- of (possibly interlinked) short stories, each of which presents a
mysteryMystery fiction is a loosely-defined term that is often used as a synonym for detective fiction — in other words a novel or short story in which a detective investigates and solves a crime...
. The mysteries are intended to be solved by the reader, thanks to the placement of a logical or factual inconsistency somewhere within the text.
Leroy "
Encyclopedia"
Brown is a
fictional boy detectiveDetective fiction is a branch of crime fiction in which a detective , either professional or amateur, investigates a crime, often murder...
, the main character in a long series of
children's novelsChildren's literature is for readers and listeners up to about age twelve and is often illustrated. The term is used in senses which sometimes exclude young-adult fiction, comic books, or other genres. Books specifically for children existed by the 17th century...
written by
Donald J. SobolDonald J. Sobol is an award-winning writer in Miami, Florida. He is best known for his children's books, especially the Encyclopedia Brown mystery series....
since 1963.
Style
Books featuring Brown are subdivided into a number --usually 10 or more -- of (possibly interlinked) short stories, each of which presents a
mysteryMystery fiction is a loosely-defined term that is often used as a synonym for detective fiction — in other words a novel or short story in which a detective investigates and solves a crime...
. The mysteries are intended to be solved by the reader, thanks to the placement of a logical or factual inconsistency somewhere within the text. Brown invariably solves the case by exposing this inconsistency, in the "Answers" section in the back of the book.
Often these books follow a formula where the first chapter involves Brown solving a case at the dinner table for his father, the local police chief in the fictional town of Idaville. Encyclopedia solves these cases by briefly closing his eyes while he thinks deeply, then asking a single question which directly leads to him finding the solution.
The second mystery often begins in the Brown garage on Rover Avenue, where Encyclopedia has set up his own detective agency to help neighborhood children solve cases for "25 cents per day, plus expenses." This second case usually involves the
town bullyThe town bully is a stereotypical character, especially from the mythology of the American Wild West. The town bully generally oppresses meeker residents of the town. This character is often featured in movies, sometimes as a greaser or a gangster. In 1980s films, he may be a bad-tempered preppy...
and
mischiefMischief is a vexatious or annoying action, or, conduct or activity that playfully causes petty annoyance. Young children, when they hear of mischief, think of practical jokes....
maker,
Bugs Meany, leader of a gang who call themselves the Tigers, who, after being foiled, will attempt revenge in the third mystery.
In the third mystery it involves his partner,
Sally Kimball, the one person under 12 years of age to successfully defy Bugs. In that story Bugs or his gang usually sets up some sort of trap to get Encyclopedia or Sally in trouble. However like in the previous story they make a key mistake which Encyclopedia exposes.
Later cases may find Encyclopedia assisting his father at a crime scene (rarely more serious than larceny, and Encyclopedia is always discreet when helping his father) or interacting with people around town, often exposing scams. One such example is a high school dropout and would-be con artist named
Wilford Wiggins who spends time trying to dream up schemes to fleece kids out of their money. Like Bugs his schemes have an inconsistency which Encyclopedia exposes.
In several cases it is Sally and not Encyclopedia who figures it out because in her words, "You are a boy." In other words she notices things that only a female would find inconsistent.
Legacy
The
Encyclopedia Brown books experienced some enduring popularity. In 1975, the
Mystery Writers of AmericaMystery Writers of America is an organization for mystery writers, based in New York.The organization was founded in 1945 by Clayton Rawson, Anthony Boucher, Lawrence Treat, and Brett Halliday....
honored Sobol and his Encyclopedia Brown series with a special
Edgar AwardThe Edgar Allan Poe Awards , named after Edgar Allan Poe, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America...
.
The books were originally published by Lodestar Books (a branch of E.P. Dutton).
Bantam SkylarkBantam Books is an American publishing house owned by Random House; it is an imprint of the Random House Publishing Group. It was formed in 1945 by Walter Pitkin, Jr., Sidney B. Kramer, and Ian and Betty Ballantine...
acquired the publishing rights in the 1980s after the demise of Lodestar. Current editions of the books feature new illustrations in place of the originals by Leonard Shortall, updated to contemporary cultural styles.
Encyclopedia Brown inspired many other crack-the-mystery-yourself mystery stories for younger readers, such as "Einstein" Anderson, and Hawkeye Collins & Amy Adams.
TV series on HBO
A TV series of Encyclopedia Brown premiered on
Home Box Office (HBO)HBO is a premium television programming subsidiary of Time Warner, offers two 24/7 pay television services to over 38 million U.S...
in 1989 with 30-minute episodes. Scott Bremner played the title role, with Laura Bridge playing Sally. The
live actionIn film, theatre and video, live-action refers to works that are acted out by human actors, as opposed to by animation. As it is the norm, the term is usually superfluous, but it makes an important distinction in situations in which one might normally expect animation, as in a Pixar film, a video...
series ran a little over 10 episodes, which was produced by
Howard DeutchHoward Deutch is an American Film director. His most recent theatrical release was My Best Friend's Girl, starring Jason Biggs, Kate Hudson, Dane Cook, and Alec Baldwin...
and directed by
Savage Steve HollandSavage Steve Holland is an animator and director who wrote and directed the cult films Better Off Dead and One Crazy Summer , starring John Cusack. He also directed the movie How I Got Into College , and animated the "Whammy" on the game show Press Your Luck. He later went on to create and...
.
It also included a 60-minute episode.
Novel series
The Encyclopedia Brown books, in order of publication (parenthesis indicate numbers on original release cover art):
- (1) Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective (1963, ISBN 0-525-67200-1, 1982 reissue ISBN 0-553-15724-8)
- (2) Encyclopedia Brown Strikes Again (the Case of the Secret Pitch) (1965, ISBN 0-590-01650-4, second title reissue ISBN 0-525-67202-8)
- (3) Encyclopedia Brown Finds the Clues (1966, ISBN 0-525-67204-4)
- (4) Encyclopedia Brown Gets His Man (1967, ISBN 0-525-67206-0)
- (5) Encyclopedia Brown Solves Them All (1968, ISBN 0-525-67212-5)
- (6) Encyclopedia Brown Keeps the Peace (1969, ISBN 0-525-67208-7)
- (7) Encyclopedia Brown Saves the Day (1970, ISBN 0-525-67210-9)
- (8) Encyclopedia Brown Tracks Them Down (1971, ISBN 0-553-15721-3)
- (9) Encyclopedia Brown Shows the Way (1972, ISBN 0-553-15142-X)
- (10) Encyclopedia Brown Takes the Case (1973, ISBN 0-553-15723-X)
- (11) Encyclopedia Brown Lends a Hand (1974, ISBN 0-553-48133-9, reissued as Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Exploding Plumbing and Other Mysteries, ISBN 0-590-44093-4)
- (12) Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Dead Eagles (1975, ISBN 0-590-43343-1)
- (13) Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Midnight Visitor (1977, ISBN0-553-15586-5)
- (14) Encyclopedia Brown Carries On (1980, ISBN 0-027-86190-2)
- (15) Encyclopedia Brown Sets the Pace (1981, ISBN 0-027-86200-3)
- (15½) Encyclopedia Brown Takes the Cake (1982, ISBN 0590078437) (Co-written with Glenn Andrews)
- (16) Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Mysterious Handprints (1985, ISBN 0-553-15739-6)
- (17) Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Treasure Hunt (1988, ISBN 0-553-15650-0)
- (18) Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Disgusting Sneakers (1990, ISBN 0688090125)
- (19) Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Two Spies (1995, ISBN 0385320361)
- (20) Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of Pablo's Nose (1996, ISBN 0385321848)
- (21) Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Sleeping Dog (1998, ISBN 0385325762)
- (22) Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Slippery Salamander (2000, ISBN 0385325797)
- (23) Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Jumping Frogs (2003, ISBN 0385729316)
- (24) Encyclopedia Brown Cracks the Case (2007, ISBN 978-0-525-47924-6)
- (25) Encyclopedia Brown, Super Sleuth (2009, ISBN 978-0-525-42100-9)
Related works
- Encyclopedia Brown's Book of Strange But True Crimes (1992, ISBN 0590441485)
- Encyclopedia Brown's Book of Wacky Animals (1985, ISBN 0553153463)
- Encyclopedia Brown's Book of Wacky Cars (1987, ISBN 0688062229)
- Encyclopedia Brown's Book of Wacky Crimes
- Encyclopedia Brown's Book of Wacky Outdoors
- Encyclopedia Brown's Book of Wacky Spies
- Encyclopedia Brown's Book of Wacky Sports
- Encyclopedia Brown's Record Book of Weird and Wonderful Facts (1979, ISBN 0440023297)
- Encyclopedia Brown's Second Record Book of Weird and Wonderful Facts (1981, ISBN 0440022606)
- Encyclopedia Brown's Third Record Book of Weird and Wonderful Facts (1985, ISBN 0688057055)
External links