Encyclopedia Brown

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Cover of Encyclopedia Brown: Boy Detective

Leroy "Encyclopedia" Brown is a fictional boy detective, the main character in a long series of children's books written by Donald J. Sobol since 1963. Only his parents called him by his given name of Leroy; the rest of the neighborhood children referred to him as Encyclopedia due to his above-average intelligence.

Books featuring Brown are subdivided into a number of (possibly interlinked) short stories, each of which presents a mystery. The mystery is always 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, but this part of the story is placed at the end of the book; the bulk of the story ends just at the moment when readers are invited to solve the case themselves, or flip to the section in the back with the answers.

Many books follow a formula where the first chapter involves Brown's father (the local police chief in the fictional town of Idaville) trying to solve a case, while later chapters involve outsmarting other locals, mainly Bugs Meany, a local bully. Often, Bugs plans for revenge (often involving framing Brown or one of his friends for wrongdoing) later in the book, but only to be foiled by Brown. Brown would charge 25 cents per day, plus expenses, as his fee for solving cases, but would not open his shop (in the family garage) until after his parents left the house for the day.

Playing Watson to Brown's Holmes is Sally Kimball, his friend {and occasional bodyguard – despite her tomboyish nature (she is reputed to be the only child in the area, male or female, whom Bugs Meany fears), Sally is rather well-educated in and observant of etiquette, and frequently solves cases where a lack of etiquette is the tip-off.

The enduring popularity of the Encyclopedia Brown books stems, at least partially, from the author's refusal to talk down to his young audience. Many adult readers also find the mysteries challenging. In 1975, the Mystery Writers of America honored Sobol and his Encyclopedia Brown series with a Special Edgar Award.

Encyclopedia Brown inspired many other solve-it-yourself mystery stories for younger readers, such as "Einstein" Anderson, and Hawkeye Collins & Amy Adams.

There have been several satirical versions of Encyclopedia Brown including one by the satirical newspaper The Onion.

Some of the stories were adapted into a TV series on HBO in 1989.

[edit] Book listing

The Encyclopedia Brown books, in order of publication and as numbered by original release cover art, are:

Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective (1963, ISBN 0-525-67200-1, 1982 reissue ISBN 0-553-15724-8)
Encyclopedia Brown Strikes Again (the Case of the Secret Pitch) (1965, ISBN 0-590-01650-4, second title reissue ISBN 0-525-67202-8)
Encyclopedia Brown Finds the Clues (1966, ISBN 0-525-67204-4)
Encyclopedia Brown Gets His Man (1967, ISBN 0-525-67206-0)
Encyclopedia Brown Solves Them All (1968, ISBN 0-525-67212-5)
Encyclopedia Brown Keeps The Peace (1969, ISBN 0-525-67208-7)
Encyclopedia Brown Saves the Day (1970, ISBN 0-525-67210-9)
Encyclopedia Brown Tracks Them Down (1971)
Encyclopedia Brown Shows the Way (1972)
Encyclopedia Brown Takes the Case (1973)
Encyclopedia Brown Lends a Hand (1974, reissued as Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Exploding Plumbing and Other Mysteries, ISBN 0-590-44093-4)
Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Dead Eagles (1975)
Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Midnight Visitor (1977)
Encyclopedia Brown Carries On (1980)
Encyclopedia Brown Sets the Pace (1981)

15½. Encyclopedia Brown Takes the Cake (1982) (Co-written with Glenn Andrews)

16. Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Mysterious Handprints (1985)
17. Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Treasure Hunt (1988)
18. Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Disgusting Sneakers (1990)
19. Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Two Spies (1995)
20. Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of Pablo's Nose (1996)
21. Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Sleeping Dog (1998)
22. Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Slippery Salamander (2000)
23. Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Jumping Frogs (2005)