# Identify This Young Children's Series (Vague) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 12, 2010, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-young-childrens-series-vague/550067 "2010-08-12T18:21:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2010, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-young-childrens-series-vague/550067/1 "2010-08-12T18:21:47Z")
Something that’s been bugging me for a long time, I can’t remember the name of a series of young children’s books. I must have read them when I was about 7 or 8. They have a special significance for me, as they got me into reading. Here’s what I have to go on: - They date to 1984 or before, they would have been in print in the UK before this time. I read them at primary school. - I think it was a series of 7, possibly 5. - A young boy has adventures. - They were slim volumes, probably less than 100 pages each. Possibly a lot less. - There were colour pictures (I think). - One book (possibly the last one) involves pirates. - At the end of the last book, the boy was reunited with his father. I remember being suprised by this, as I hadn’t realised he was looking for him. Pretty thin I know. I’d be grateful if anyone could help me. ---
**Author:** ![DaveRaver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/daveraver/32/1078_2.png) [@DaveRaver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaveRaver)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-young-childrens-series-vague/550067/2 "2010-08-14T02:36:51Z")
Encyclopedia Brown? ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-young-childrens-series-vague/550067/3 "2010-08-14T03:48:18Z")
> [@DaveRaver](#): > > Encyclopedia Brown? It couldn’t be. One of the recurring settings of the series was Encyclopedia sitting at the dinner table solving cases for his father, who was quite possibly the most ineffectual police chief on the planet. By far, his most important contribution to crimefighting was scoring with Encyclopedia’s mom. As for the name of the series that the OP is trying to remember, I wish something came to mind, but nothing does. I’m stumped. ---
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-young-childrens-series-vague/550067/4 "2010-08-14T11:10:54Z")
> [@DaveRaver](#): > > Encyclopedia Brown? I’m fairly sure it isn’t (although my recollection is sooooo vague that I can’t be completely sure). Your guess is still useful to me though, as it’s a very similar genre and aimed at the same age group, so I can try looking at related authors. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-young-childrens-series-vague/550067/5 "2010-08-14T12:54:09Z")
> [@Snooooopy](#): > > > [@DaveRaver](#): > > > > Encyclopedia Brown? > > It couldn’t be. One of the recurring settings of the series was Encyclopedia sitting at the dinner table solving cases for his father, who was quite possibly the most ineffectual police chief on the planet. By far, his most important contribution to crimefighting was scoring with Encyclopedia’s mom. I always hoped they’d reveal that she had a criminal background, as a safecracker or a counterfeiter or something, so Encyclopedia would grow up learning the best of both worlds. Re: the OP, no idea. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-young-childrens-series-vague/550067/6 "2010-08-14T13:23:32Z")
All I can think of is Alvin Fernald, but he never dealt with Pirates, and he knew who his Dad was, so that’s not even close. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-young-childrens-series-vague/550067/7 "2010-08-14T13:31:49Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > > [@Snooooopy](#): > > > > It couldn’t be. One of the recurring settings of the series was Encyclopedia sitting at the dinner table solving cases for his father, who was quite possibly the most ineffectual police chief on the planet. By far, his most important contribution to crimefighting was scoring with Encyclopedia’s mom. > > I always hoped they’d reveal that she had a criminal background, as a safecracker or a counterfeiter or something, so Encyclopedia would grow up learning the best of both worlds. > > Re: the OP, no idea. Actually, her high school nickname was “World Book” and it had nothing to do with her brains. 😃