Freddy the Detective
Recommended. Age: 8+. A Catholic review of this book for parents.
Our review
Freddy is a funny, clever book with a serious heart. It teaches that truth has to be proved, that the accused deserve a fair hearing, and that friends stand by the innocent. Nothing in it works against the faith. The one reservation is that it forms natural virtue only. God and prayer never come up, so it is good fun rather than spiritual food.
For parents
Read aloud from 6. Independent reading from 8, where Good Books for Catholic Kids places it. Two comic robbers fire pistols at Freddy and miss. Ask why Freddy needs evidence before he blames anyone. Ask why the animals wanted to go to jail, and what was wrong with a jail that was all play.