Caitlin Smith

Franklin and the Case of the New Friend Caitlin Smith

Marc Notes: Based on the character by Paulette Bourgeois and Brenda Clark. Publisher Marketing: Franklin the turtle and his good friend Beaver are playing on the merry-go-round in the park when they discover a hand-drawn picture of a skunk girl with her skunk parents. But there aren't any skunk families living in Woodland, so who could have left this drawing? It's a real mystery. "A mystery!" they both shout. "That sounds like a job for the Super Cluepers!" Franklin, Beaver and five more of their friends -- in their Super Clueper personas, of course -- gather together to begin plotting their strategy. First they must find the skunk girl, then they can ask her if she wants to be their new friend! Combining adventure, mystery and a heartwarming tale about making new friends, this appealing Franklin title is perfect for very young children. Based on the popular 3D-animated television series Franklin and Friends, the Franklin stories continue to be favorites with small children because of the pitch-perfect way they resonate with their own real-world problems. Here, youngsters are encouraged to be curious about the world around them and to work at figuring out things they don't understand. Teachers and librarians will be gratified by the group's decision to begin solving their mystery by first heading to the library. This title provides an excellent story to read aloud to a group. And it's ready-made as a tie-in for a character education lesson on empathy, compassion, inclusiveness or teamwork.