Marjorie Weinman Sharmat is the author of over twenty Nate the Great adventures, including NATE THE GREAT STALKS STUPIDWEED, NATE THE GREAT AND THE BORING BEACH BAG, NATE THE GREAT AND THE HALLOWEEN HUNT, and NATE THE GREAT AND THE MUSHY VALENTINE. She has written dozens of books for young readers. She named Nate the Great after her father. Her books have been named as Children's Choice books and Junior Literary Guild selections, and been picked as Books of the Year by the Library of Congress.
NATE THE GREAT AND THE BORING BEACH BAG offers more than the usual high standard of entertainment readers have come to expect from Marjorie Weinman Sharmat. Filled with the wit and humor of any other Nate the Great book, this particular entry also involves rudimentary mapping skills and an introduction to logical thinking. Also, long-time fans will really get the humor in Rosamond's Restaurant, where the sandwiches actually come packed with sand! The first-person voice of Nate the Great is an absolute delight to read on its own, but even better to share with a young reader just beginning to discover the worlds and adventures that lie between the covers of a book. Marc Simont's artwork, especially since it is out of the urban locale that the Nate the Great adventures usually favor, is eye-catching and colorful.
Young readers will enjoy the whole Nate the Great series because the tales are told in a familiar fashion and involve a solid cast of characters that return book after book. These books are also some of the best to choose for read-alouds to pre-readers or for the last story before bedtime because they can be read in just a few moments. The Nate the Great mysteries are fun and addictive for both parent and child.