Bibliography:
Hale, B.(2000). The Chameleon Wore Chartreuse. San Diego: Harcourt Inc.
Book Summary
This is the first book in the Chet Gecko Mystery series.Chet Gecko, a lizard, is a private eye fourth grader. He solves mysteries around the school. Chet is hired by Shirley chameleon to find her troublesome brother Billy who is a first grader. Billy was last seen with the Gila monster named Herman. Chet is accompanied by Natalie a mockingbird who helps him follow various clues, some of them dead end, that he uncovers in his search. Finally Chet not only find Billy but also uncovers a plot against the school's football team, instigated by Herman Gila Monster and his gang. Chet manages to avert disaster during a football game.
My Impression
The author uses a lot of humor making the story fun to read. There is a variety of characters, some of whom are very quirky. The dialogue is lively and the first person narrative allows the reader to learn a lot about Chet’s thoughts and character. The author uses descriptive language to portray the different characters such as the first grade teacher Mrs. Toaden and the rat sisters. The plot is simple enough to keep young readers on track with the story and a variety of characters spice up the story. Most kids would enjoy the sleuth like actions of Chet as he tries to solve the mystery. I would recommend this for 2nd to 4th graders.
Reviews
BookList:
Books for Youth, Middle Readers: Gr. 3-6. The hard-boiled mystery style gets an unexpected twist when the detective is a fourth grader--and also a lizard. "It was a hot day in September. The kind of day when kindergartners wake up cranky from their naps." Chet Geko gets involved with a fourth-grade "dame," who has misplaced her brother. Chet is on the case. Billy has been seen with Herman the Gila monster, star of the football team, and Chet follows the trail, which leads to a plot to steal the team mascot. But the plot is of less interest than the style. Although kids won't have a clue who Raymond Chandler is, his terse, private-eye tone travels surprisingly well, right down to middle-grade levels. The pencil illustrations add to the fun, though why some of the animal characters wear clothes and some don't is puzzling. Fans of this first book in the series will be pleased that more books are on the way. ((Reviewed May 15, 2000)) -- Ilene Cooper
Use in a Library Setting
Ask the kids to name all the animals in the story and write the names on the board. Ask them to pick two different animals from the list and write down their characteristics as portrayed in the story. Then ask them to look at the real life characteristics of the animals and see how they compare.
References
Book image from Barnes & Noble at: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Chameleon-Wore-Chartreuse/Bruce-Hale/e/9781599614625/?itm=3&USRI=the+chameleon+wore+chartreuse