33. Clubhouse Mysteries: The Buried Bones Mystery by Sharon Draper

33. Clubhouse Mysteries: The Buried Bones Mystery by Sharon Draper 


Draper, S. (1994). Clubhouse mysteries: the buried bones mystery. NY: Aladdin.

 

This book one of a six series collection about a group of neighborhood friends always looking for adventure. In book one, they four best friends: Rashawn, Jerome Rico and Ziggy think their summer is going to be boring after someone trashes their neighborhood basketball court.  They decide to form a club called the Black Dinosaurs.  They build a clubhouse behind Ziggy’s house out of an old wooden fence.  While digging, they discover a buried box of bones.  They want to get to the bottom of the mysterious box of bones. Several go to the library to look for answers, several ask their families.  They find out that the fence once surrounded an African American graveyard.  A big land developer bought the cemetery and instead of moving the graves, they built over them!  The box of bones was collected after the construction crew began construction.  

This book has a strong theme of friendship.  The characters are all different, but they form a bond that is not easily broken.  They complement each other, which I think always strengthens a relationship.  You have silly and fun Ziggy who pushes everyone out of their comfort zone.  Opposite of that is Rico.  He lives with his professional-type mom and complains about how boring they are.  Jerome is the serious friend that has a lot on his plate.  He and his little sisters live with their grandma. He has more responsibility than the rest.  The last is Rashawn.  He has the most “normal” home life.  He lives with both of his parents, his dad is a policeman, and they even have a dog. 

This book should be read with the rest of the series. 

Book #2 - Lost in the Tunnel of Time

Book #3 - Shadows of Caesar's Creek

Book #4 - The Space Camp Adventure

Book #5 - The Backyard Animal Show

Book #6 - Stars and Sparks on Stage

I found a web site by the author that has summaries, reviews and comprehension questions for all six books.

https://sharondraper.com/bookdetail.asp?id=2



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