The real McCoys / Matthew Swanson & Robbi Behr.

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

The first book in an illustrated middle-grade series in which a precocious detective solves mysteries with her super-smart little brother.

Her name's Moxie. Moxie McCoy.

Bold, opinionated, and haplessly self-confident, the world's greatest fourth-grade detective faces her biggest challenge! When someone kidnaps beloved school mascot Eddie the Owl, Moxie is on the case--but she's forced to fly solo now that her best friend (and crime-solving partner) has moved away.

Moxie must interview her classmates--both as potential new best friends and as possible suspects. She finds clues and points fingers but can't save the owl on her own. Enter Moxie's little brother, Milton. Quiet, cautious, and boring as a butter knife, he's a good listener.

Can the Real McCoys form an unlikely alliance and solve the crime of the century?

Bursting with interactive illustrations on every page, Matthew Swanson and Robbi Behr's The Real McCoys delivers clever storytelling, laugh-out-loud humor, and heartwarming insight. This is the first book in a series.

An Imprint Book

"Readers will breeze through this ingenious combination of text and art, eager for Moxie and Milton's next case." -- School Library Journal , starred review

"Swanson's witty text is enhanced exponentially by Behr's bold, original artwork to create a uniquely told whodunit with wide appeal ... An exceptional book." -- Booklist , starred review

"Delightfully topsy-turvy...readers will hope to see more of both siblings soon." -- Publishers Weekly , starred review

"An exceptional middle-grade read packed with giggles for young sleuths who love to explore a little off the beaten path." -- Kirkus Reviews

"An ingenious new series...an innovative reading experience that surprises and delights. Wordplay, witty descriptions and visual jokes abound." -- The Washington Post

"Swanson and Behr have created a gem with this hilarious elementary-level read with graphic novel tendencies." -- The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"This clever, funny, delightful book is just what this crazy world needs. The surprising and inventive interaction between text and illustration shows that two brains are, indeed, better than one--especially when they belong to Matthew Swanson and Robbi Behr." --Andrea Beaty, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Ada Twist Scientist

An Amazon Best Book of the Month

A Junior Library Guild Selection

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Publishers Weekly Review

Swanson and Behr-the husband-wife creators of Everywhere, Wonder and Babies Ruin Everything-track a delightfully topsy-turvy day at Tiddlywhump Elementary in this heavily illustrated and impressively designed story. Their heroine is the hugely self-confident and aptly named Moxie McCoy, a 10-year-old aspiring sleuth inspired by an intrepid fictional detective. As the novel unfolds, Moxie interviews candidates to replace a best friend who moved away, attempts to identify the person who stole school mascot Eddie the Owl, and expects to clinch the award given to the student "who has best lived up to Eddie's ideals of courage, patience, and wisdom." Quick to judge and jump to conclusions, she doesn't mince words: a pair of twins vying for the award "are about as lovable as the bumps on the end of an alligator's nose." Snappy analogies, similes, and double entendres play out in Behr's energetic illustrations, a rambunctious jumble of cartoons, fonts, and dialogue balloons. At the heart of the story is Moxie's deepening rapport with her bookish younger brother, Max, and readers will hope to see more of both siblings soon. Ages 8-12. Agent: Meredith Kaffel Simonoff, DeFiore and Co. (Nov.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

School Library Journal Review

Gr 3-5-A lot can happen in one day when you're the world's greatest fourth grade detective. Moxie McCoy aims to find both her school's stolen mascot and a new best friend while surviving multiple trips to the principal's office. Moxie's biggest surprise of the day? A new appreciation of her "boring as a butter knife" younger brother Milton, who reveals detective skills of his own. Moxie knows the meaning of her name, and embraces it as a mantra. With fictional girl detective Annabelle Adams as her muse, Moxie crackles with enthusiasm and ideas that leave her hair literally standing on end. Heavily illustrated, the book's design makes it a standout: playful interactions between text and black monochromatic cartoon art create a visual treat. Moxie bumps her head in frustration against a line of text; on another page, she's buried under her principal's angry word bubble. Drenched in slapstick humor, hyperbole, and wit, Behr's artwork makes every page unique and keeps a longer book within reach of younger readers. Adding depth to the fun is Moxie's glossary of vocabulary ("happenstance") and phrases ("go for the jugular") along with wrap-up questions encouraging personal reflection and understanding of the book's characters. VERDICT First in a series, readers will breeze through this ingenious combination of text and art, eager for Moxie and Milton's next case. A first purchase for all middle grade collections.-Marybeth Kozikowski, Sachem Public Library, Holbrook, NY © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Booklist Review

*Starred Review* Swanson's witty text is enhanced exponentially by Behr's bold, original artwork to create a uniquely told whodunit with wide appeal to middle-grade readers. Moxie McCoy commands her name fittingly: she's an independent, self-assured fourth-grader who is as obsessed with solving mysteries as she is with finding the perfect replacement for her best friend, who has recently moved away. With guidance from her literary hero amateur sleuth Annabelle Adams Moxie is determined to solve the critical question of who took school mascot Eddie the owl out of his display case, and in time for the awards ceremony at day's end. Whimsical cartoon illustrations and evocative hand lettering work in tandem with the text to tell a refreshing school story that genuinely captures the paramount importance of everyday elementary school experiences. Laugh-out-loud one-liners (guacamole is basically just an avocado that fulfilled its destiny) and short comic strips juxtapose refreshing moments of sincerity that normalize different types of diversity. What starts as Moxie's solo mission ends up a family endeavor as her timid little brother, Milton, becomes a vital player and ultimately Moxie's new sleuthing partner. Equally hilarious and informative back matter (a glossary and mission debrief) is the perfect conclusion to an exceptional book that respects its young readers.--Kling, Caitlin Copyright 2017 Booklist

Horn Book Review

Fourth grader Moxie McCoy and best friend Maude were "the perfect problem-solving duo" until Maude moved to California. Now Moxie is interviewing classmates to both find Maude's replacement (who, it turns out, is another McCoy) and determine who stole the school mascot. Exuberant text and black-and-white illustrations work in tandem, conveying a wealth of wit and imagination. Readers will eagerly await the next installment. (c) Copyright 2018. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus Book Review

Fourth-grader Moxie McCoy must solve the crime of the century when the school mascot goes missing. She's aptly named, but the spunky white girl prefers to go by Slim while she's on a case. When the stuffed owl mascot, Eddie, is taken from a display case, the entire school is in an uproar. Moxie, whose entomologist mother has named an insect after her, takes it upon herself to find the culprit. Like any good detective with "high standards and excellent taste," she narrows down her suspects by process of elimination. Trouble is, Moxie is a tad impulsive and has a tendency to jump to conclusions. With some behind-the-scenes help from her little brother, Milton, and a lot of patience from the school principal, illustrated as a black woman, Moxie comes to examine what she did right and where she might need improvement. More Pippi Longstocking than Nancy Drew with her sassy gumption, unflappable enthusiasm, and wild imagination, Moxie has a flair for the frequent offbeat declaration: "I am fairly certain that a dilemma is a kind of ferocious desert animal. I am surprised that Principal Jones thinks I might have one." Each page is ebulliently decorated with hurly-burly fonts and rambunctious graphics. Questions to readers in the form of an "official debrief" prompt critical thinking about Moxie's narrative. An exceptional middle-grade read packed with giggles for young sleuths who love to explore a little off the beaten path. (glossary) (Fiction. 8-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Author/illustrator and husband/wife duo Matthew Swanson and Robbi Behr spend all day , every day, making stuff together, including the Real McCoys series and their picture books Everywhere,Wonder and Babies Ruin Everything. In addition to speaking and leading workshops on collaboration and creative entrepreneurship, raising four small children, and fishing commercially for sockeye salmon on the Alaskan tundra each summer, Matthew and Robbi run Bobbledy Books (an indie press offering picture books and music for kids) from the hayloft of their home/barn/studio on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.