About This Book

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, the court is in session with Judge John Dennenberg presiding and the reader sitting on the jury. Before the ten trials featured in the book get underway, Judge Dennenberg reminds readers, that as jurists, they must pay close attention to both plaintiff and defendant, consider the evidence presented, and ultimately come up with a sound and proper decision.

A typical trial is "The Case of the Sloppy Eater," in which one Edgar "Smiley" Hooper, the owner of Smiley's Coffee Shop, accuses Norma Quirk of carving a long, deep scratch into a wooden tabletop where she was eating a Giant Blimp sandwich. After questions and answers from both Smiley and Norma, photographs of the scene of the crime — the tabletop in the diner — show where food was left and indicate that a sloppy eater other than Norma might have been sitting at that table in question. Readers reach their own verdict and then compare their decision to the one provided at the end of the chapter. Case closed!

Each investigation in Marvin Miller's engaging, interactive books is filled with humor and challenging ideas. Young readers may find themselves laughing while they hone their critical-thinking skills and learn a few basics about jurisprudence.