Beginning readers are introduced to the detective mystery genre in these chapter books. Perfect for the Common Core, kids can problem-solve with Nate, using logical thinking to solve mysteries! Somebody has been raiding Oliver's garbage can each night. How can Nate narrow the long list of suspects down to one?Nate the Great might just have to go under cover . . . under cover of the garbage can lid, that is!Check out the extra content in the back the book, featuring activities for young detectives to try at home and a new letter, available May 2015, to adult fans of Nate the Great!Visit Nate the Great and Sludge!NatetheGreatBooks.com*“Marc Simont’s charcoal and pastel illustrations provide the perfect backdrop for this clever case.” —School Library Journal, Starred“First graders’ favorite private eye solves the case of Oliver’s scattered garbage in those short, easy sentences that Sharmat transforms into crisp, tough-guy humor.” —Kirkus Reviews (A Kirkus Reviews Editor’s Choice)

Born in Portland, Maine, in 1928, Marjorie Weinman Sharmat dreamed of becoming a writer. Little did she know that she would be the author of more than 70 books for children of all ages. Another of her childhood dreams, that of becoming a detective, has also been realized in her most popular Nate the Great series, begun in 1972.Many of Sharmat's books have been Literary Guild selections and chosen as Books of the Year by the Library of Congress. Several have been made into films for television, including Nate the Great Goes Undercover, winner of the Los Angeles International Children's Film Festival Award. Nate the Great Saves the King of Sweden has been named one of the New York Public Library's 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing.