I was sad to learn this week about the death of Donald J. Sobol. His name might not be familiar to you, unless you happened to be a kid who grew up in the 70s and 80s. Sobol was the creator of the Encyclopedia Brown series of books for children. As a kid, I was obsessed with these books. Encyclopedia Brown was a ten year old detective who used his encyclopedic knowledge of random facts and deductive reasoning to solve mysteries. His nemesis was an older kid by the name of Bugs Meany (just about the best name for a children's book villain ever.) What was great about Sobol's books was the fact that the main character didn't win by force, but by using his intelligence. A great lesson for kids (particularly bright, precocious nine years olds with dark brown hair and glasses.)
I loved the characters and chose to honor a big piece of my childhood this week by writing a take-off on them. Week 28's play: The Redemption of Bugs Meany.
For more information about Sobol and his work:
Donald J. Sobol, Creator of Encyclopedia Brown, Dies at 87
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