The Case of the Tortoise in Trouble — Nancy Krulik

Third grader Jack Doyle has a secret -- he can talk to animals! Can they help him crack this case?

Yeah! My third grade class was going on a field trip to a farm, and I couldn't wait for a day off from regular school. But I wasn't expecting to hear a voice coming from my backpack during the bus ride to the farm. It turns out my annoying little sister had hidden her pet tortoise, Tut, inside, and the voice was his! It's true--I can talk to animals, and they can talk to me.

As if babysitting a tortoise wasn't bad enough, things got worse when Tut disappeared. My mystery-solving partner, Elizabeth, and I had to interview all the cows, horses, goats, and flies on the farm as we looked for clues. It was up to us to find Tut before the end of the day, and we were on the case!