Ripley Publishing, 2010
ISBN: 9781893951525
Availability: New and Used
The Ripley’s Bureau of Investigation (RBI) is a collection of teenagers that go on undercover missions to uncover the truth about reports of the unbelievable. In A Scaly Tale, there are rumors of a man-like lizard living in the Everglades, and it’s up to them to determine whether or not the rumor is true…all while being hampered by the Department of Unbelievable Lies (DUL), their archenemies.
A Scaly Tale is fast-paced and had plenty of action, with terrifying Florida creatures around every corner. It is perfect for reluctant readers, particularly 3rd or 4th grade boys. There are Ripley fact boxes every few pages, with interesting trivia about creatures the characters encounter in the story. The plot wandered quite a bit, and it felt like the story was built on the facts that they wanted to fit in rather than rising organically from the characters. However, I think that upper elementary boys will like it, and that is one of the most difficult ages to find novels for.
I recommend this book for most libraries, particularly if they find that each year’s copy of the original Ripley’s Believe it or Not disappears from the shelf constantly.
Contains: Depictions of real people who have made bizarre modifications to their bodies(from the Ripley’s database).
Reviewed by Cherylynne W. Bago