The Feathered Detectives Club · Book One
Sherlock Cockatoo and the Mysteries Under Your Beak
The extra activity pack
Free printables. No sign-up.
- The Dancing Statue, a free case (PDF)
- Featherland Detective diploma (PDF)
- Questions to talk about (PDF)
- Reading aloud guide (PDF)
- Blank case sheet (PDF)
Color the Clue
Four coloring mysteries with Sherlock. Follow the numbers and the answer appears in the squares behind him. Page 2 of each PDF is the answer, for grown-ups.
- What Is Hiding Behind Sherlock? (PDF)
- What Is Sherlock Pointing At? (PDF)
- What Did Sherlock Write Down? (PDF)
- What Is Sherlock Thinking About? (PDF)
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is it for?
- Ages 7 to 10. Younger children enjoy it read aloud; older ones solve the cases on their own.
- How long does each case take?
- About five minutes. There are 24 cases, each one a complete story, so a child can finish one in a single sitting.
- Does my child need anything else?
- Just a pencil. The 36 puzzles (mazes, spot-the-difference pages, logic grids and Detective Club tests) are done right in the book.
- Is it good for reluctant readers?
- That is what it was made for. Children's attention spans are short, so each case is short too: long enough to keep them hooked, short enough to finish before they lose interest. Finishing one makes them want to start the next.
- Are there villains?
- No. Every case ends with someone who made a mistake, or needed help and did not ask. Children solve the mystery and also see why it happened.
- Can teachers use it in class?
- Yes. The free printables include discussion questions, a read-aloud guide and a blank case sheet for students to write their own case.
- Are the printables really free?
- Yes. Direct PDF links, no email and no sign-up.
About the author
J.P. Brocca started writing the Sherlock Cockatoo cases for his own kids. He wanted something that would pull them away from screens and into reading, and that would leave them with something good to think about.