I grabbed this one out of the galley pile at the store one day when I needed something to read at lunch. It’s solid realistic, opposites attract, friendship fiction, if somewhat exaggerated. Each of the girls is an extreme- the straight-A good girl from a health-food yuppie family, and the off-beat, free spirit, untruthful girl with a questionable history. There are plenty of morals, and you won’t miss them, but I’m sure kids will be amused by Annie’s antics, and may identify with her slice-of-life friendship with Natalie. ( )

Gr 4-6-Ten-year-old Natalie is resigned to a quiet summer of riding her bike around the neighborhood and entertaining herself. But when she almost crashes into the new kid on the block on the first day of vacation, she quickly realizes that this summer is going to be anything but ordinary. Annie is brash and outspoken, and adamant that the far-fetched stories she tells about herself are true. She lives with her uncle, who provides minimal supervision. Natalie's mother tries to steer her daughter away from this friend's questionable influence, but Annie's unpredictable nature calls to Natalie. In search of adventure, the girls form a spy club: Natalie becomes "Olive" and Annie, "Elvis." Spying on their neighbors seems harmless enough until private issues are brought to light during a block party, and both girls learn painful lessons. The characters are fairly two-dimensional, and the loose ends tied up too neatly, but fans of protagonists like Anne Mazer's Abby Hayes will enjoy the twists and turns the story takes as the two try to undo the damage they have caused. An additional purchase for large collections.-Kim Dare, Fairfax County Public Schools, VA Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information.
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This book is reminiscent of Harriet the Spy. Two young girls spend their summer spying on their neighbors, but things aren't always what they seem. It is a cautionary tale about being too nosey and the trouble that gossip can bring. ( )

Elvis & Olive are not their actual names. These 2 girls meet each other and decide to start a secret, spying, club. With all of these secrets, will they be spilled? Will these 2 girls remain friends forever? Or will it only last this one summer? This is written with a lot of creativity! ( )

Reviewed by Kira M for TeensReadToo.com

Natalie and Annie, nicknamed Elvis and Olive, are best friends. When Natalie decides to run for school secretary, she finds out she has to do a Helping Hands Project in order to run. The girls come up with the idea to start their own detective agency where they don't charge any money.

The campaign running is off to a rocky start, however, when the Principal says that their project isn't good enough. Between having to come up with a campaign slogan and a significant enough service project, Natalie and Annie start feeling the stress. Annie, however, starts feeling it worse when she starts questioning why her mother abandoned her.

Will Annie find a way to contact her mother? Will the girls solve an important enough mystery so that Annie can run for secretary?

A fun, humorous story about two girls and their adventures. The characters are entertaining and easy to relate to. The plot moves at a slower pace and isn't strictly a mystery story, but the author does a good job of keeping the reader's attention and interest. This book would be a good way to introduce detective stories or friendship in literature to young readers.

Readers who like realistic fiction and mystery stories will enjoy reading SUPER DETECTIVES. ( )