As a young reading geek in the 80's, the Encyclopedia Brown series remained the apex of intelligent reading. I don't think I ever fully guessed the outcome of the mysteries, but I never minded. Besides the entertainment value of the stories, Sobol's characters made it okay to be smart - made it more respectable than it was to be smart in class. As my young reading geek son struggles with displays of intelligence in school, I hope that the example of Encyclopedia Brown using his thinking skills, and having those skills be appreciated by his peers, serves as inspiration to never dumb down his intelligence for others.
Now if only we can find a Sally Kimball for him...
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