True Story is about the boy who cried wolf, or in this case, cat. A sneaky kid blames his two tuxedo cats, Buddy and Max, for causing the mess in his bedroom and disaster in the kitchen. When his kitties create a “cat-caphony” of noise at night, the boy claims he’s innocent, but his pleas fall on deaf ears. His dad doesn’t believe him no matter how loudly he cries, “True Story.”

Inspired by his real-life cats, Buddy and Max, author Marty Chan teams up with illustrator Lorna Bennett to create a comedic tale of kittens who are framed. This book is aimed at animal lovers and reluctant readers aged 6 – 9.

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When Trina's bicycle is stolen, Marty and Remi gear up to solve the case. Once they start their investigation they are both stunned that the evidence leads them to the doorstep of their new elementary school teacher. Mr E proves to be quite resourceful as an opponent, and the new girl at school, Ida, seemingly foils their attempts to catch the school thief. When Marty discovers that he and Remi share the same feelings toward Trina, things get complicated as they try to find out who she likes. For Marty, friendship, loyalty, and trust suddenly seem less straightforward when the mystery of girls is involved.

The sequel to The Mystery of the Frozen Brains winner of the 2005 Edmonton Book Prize, and The Mystery of the Graffiti Ghoul, which won the 2008 Diamond Willow Award and was nominated for the 2007 Arthur Ellis Award and the 2008 R. Ross Annett Award for Children's Literature.

Reviews

Blacklin’s Reading Room Reviews

CM: Canadian Review of Materials

Ten-year-old Marty knows a few important things. One is that he is definitely Chinese and no other kid in his French-Canadian school is. He also knows that the Boissonault brothers and other bullies could pound him into dust; that teachers don't get mad, they just get disappointed; and that Remi Boudreau is his only trusted friend. But when someone tags school property with graffiti and his friend is the number one suspect, Marty knows that he must learn a lot more if he's to catch the real culprit and solve The Mystery of the Graffiti Ghoul.

Laced with humour and realistic boyhood codes of honour, friendship, and justice, Chan's The Mystery of the Graffiti Ghoul makes for an inviting adventure and engaging read. Recommended for anyone who has ever had to endure elementary school.

Themes: identity, verbal bullying and the dangers of gossip.

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A Chinese boy growing up in a prairie town believes his family are aliens because they don't look like all the other people in town. He teams up with a school friend to expose his parents as outer space visitors and find their flying saucer. Instead, they find frozen brains in the freezer and believe they are the only two warriors against an impending alien invasion.

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CM: Canadian Review of Materials