NATE

THE GREAT
NATE THE GREAT GOES UNDERCOVER

NATE THE GREAT AND THE LOST LIST

NATE THE GREAT AND THE PHONY CLUE
NATE THE GREAT AND THE STICKY CASE
NATE THE GREAT AND THE MISSING KEY
NATE THE GREAT AND THE SNOWY TRAIL
NATE THE GREAT AND THE FISHY PRIZE

NATE THE GREAT STALKS STUPIDWEED

NATE THE GREAT AND THE BORING BEACH BAG
NATE THE GREAT GOES DOWN IN THE DUMPS
NATE THE GREAT AND THE HALLOWEEN HUNT
NATE THE GREAT AND THE MUSICAL NOTE
NATE THE GREAT AND THE STOLEN BASE
NATE THE GREAT AND THE PILLOWCASE
NATE THE GREAT AND THE MUSHY VALENTINE
NATE THE GREAT AND THE TARDY TORTOISE
 NATE THE GREAT AND THE CRUNCHY CHRISTMAS
NATE THE GREAT SAVES THE KING OF SWEDEN
NATE THE GREAT AND ME:
THE CASE OF THE FLEEING FANG
NATE THE GREAT AND THE MONSTER MESS
NATE THE GREAT, SAN FRANCISCO DETECTIVE
NATE THE GREAT AND THE BIG SNIFF
NATE THE GREAT ON THE OWL EXPRESS
NATE THE GREAT TALKS TURKEY
NATE THE GREAT AND THE HUNGRY BOOK CLUB

AND CONTINUE THE DETECTIVE FUN WITH

OLIVIA SHARP
by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat and Mitchell Sharmat
illustrated by Denise Brunkus

OLIVIA SHARP: THE PIZZA MONSTER

OLIVIA SHARP: THE PRINCESS OF THE FILLMORE STREET SCHOOL
OLIVIA SHARP: THE SLY SPY
OLIVIA SHARP: THE GREEN TOENAILS GANG
 Contents

Cover
Other Books by This Author
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
First Page
Extra Fun Activities
About the Author
My name is Nate the Great.
I am a detective.
I work alone.
Let me tell you about my last case: I had just eaten breakfast.
It was a good breakfast.
Pancakes, juice, pancakes, milk, and pancakes.
I like pancakes.
The telephone rang.
I hoped it was a call to look for lost diamonds or pearls or a million
dollars.
It was Annie.
Annie lived down the street.
I knew that Annie did not have diamonds or pearls or a million dollars
to lose.
“I lost a picture,” she said.
“Can you help me find it?”
“Of course,” I said.
“I have found lost balloons, books, slippers, chickens.
Even a lost goldfish.
Now I, Nate the Great, will find a lost picture.”
“Oh, good,” Annie said.
“When can you come over?”
“I will be over
in five minutes,” I said.
“Stay right where you are.
Don’t touch anything.
DON’T MOVE!”
“My foot itches,” Annie said.
“Scratch it,” I said.
I put on my detective suit.
I took my notebook and pencil.
I left a note for my mother.
I always leave a note for my mother
when I am on a case.
I went to Annie’s house.
Annie has brown hair and brown eyes.
And she smiles a lot.
I would like Annie if I liked girls.
She was eating breakfast.
Pancakes.
“I like pancakes,” I said.
It was a good breakfast.
“Tell me about your picture,”
I said.
“I painted a picture of my dog, Fang,” Annie said.
“I put it on my desk to dry.
Then it was gone.
It happened yesterday.”
“You should have
called me yesterday,”
I said, “while the trail was hot.
I hate cool trails.
Now, where would a picture go?”
“I don’t know,” Annie said.
“That’s why I called you.
Are you sure you’re a detective?”
“Sure, I’m sure. I will find the picture of Fang,” I said.
“Tell me. Does this house have any trapdoors
or secret passages?”
“No,” Annie said.
“No trapdoors or secret passages?”
I said. “This will be
a very dull case.”
“I have a door that squeaks,”
Annie said.
“Have it fixed,” I said.
“Now show me your room.”
We went to Annie’s room.
It was big. It had yellow walls, a yellow bed, a yellow chair, and a
yellow desk.
I, Nate the Great, was sure of one thing.
Annie liked yellow.
I searched the room.
I looked on the desk.
And under the desk.
And in the desk.
No picture.
I looked on the bed.
And under the bed.
And in the bed.
The bed was comfortable.
I looked in the wastebasket.
I found a picture of a dog.
“Is this it?” I asked.
“No,” Annie said.
“My picture of Fang is yellow.”
“I should have known,” I said.
“Now tell me. Who has seen your picture?”
“My friend Rosamond has seen it, and my brother Harry. And Fang.
But Fang doesn’t count. He’s a dog.”
“Everybody and everything counts,”
I said. “I, Nate the Great, say that everything counts.
Tell me about Fang.
Is he a big dog?”
“Very big,” Annie said.
“Does he have big teeth?” I asked.
“Very big,” Annie said.
“Does he bite people?”
“No,” Annie said. “Will this help the case?”
“No,” I said. “But it might help me.
Show me Fang.”
Annie took me out to the yard.
Fang was there.
He was big, all right.
And he had big teeth.
He showed them to me.
I showed him mine.
He sniffed me.
I sniffed him back.
And we were friends.
I watched Fang run.
I watched him eat.
I watched him bury a bone.
“Hmm,” I said. “Watch Fang bury that bone.
He buries very well.
He could bury other things.
Like a picture.”
“Why would he bury a picture?” Annie asked.
“Maybe he didn’t like it,”
I said. “Maybe it wasn’t a good picture of him.”
“I never thought of that,”
Annie said.
“I, Nate the Great, think of everything.
Tell me. Does Fang ever leave this yard?”
“Only on a leash,” Annie said.
“I see,” I said.
“Then the only place he could bury the picture is in the yard.
Come. We will dig in the yard.”
Annie and I dug for two hours.
We found rocks, worms, bones, and ants.
But no picture.
At last I stood up.
I, Nate the Great, had something to say.
“I am hungry.”
“Would you like
some more pancakes?” Annie asked.
I could tell that Annie was a smart girl.
I hate to eat on the job.
But I must keep up my strength.
We sat in the kitchen.
Cold pancakes are almost as good as hot pancakes.
“Now, on with the case,” I said.
“Next we will talk to your friend Rosamond.”
Annie and I walked to Rosamond’s house.
Rosamond had black hair and green eyes.
And cat hair all over her.
“I, am Nate the Great,” I said.
“I am a detective.”
“A detective?” said Rosamond.
“A real, live detective?”
“Touch me,” I said.
“Prove you are
a detective,” said Rosamond.
“Find something.
Find my lost cat.”
“I am on a case,” I said.
“I am on a big case.”
“My lost cat is big,”
Rosamond said.
“His name is Super Hex.
I have four cats.
They are all named Hex.”
I could tell that Rosamond was a strange girl.
“Here are my other cats,” she said.
“Big Hex, Little Hex, and Plain Hex.”
The cats had black hair and green eyes.
And long claws.
Very long claws.
We went into Rosamond’s house.
I looked around.
There were pictures everywhere.
Pictures of cats.
Sitting cats. Standing cats.
Cats in color
and in black and white.
We sat down.
Little Hex jumped onto Annie’s lap.
Plain Hex jumped
onto Rosamond’s lap.
Big Hex jumped onto my lap.
I did not like Big Hex.
Big Hex did not like me.
“Time to go,” I said.
“We just got here,” Annie said.
She liked Little Hex.
“Time to go,” I said again.
I stood up.
I tripped over something.
It was long and black.
It was a cat’s tail.
“MEOW!”
“Super Hex!” Rosamond cried.
“You found him!”
You are a detective.”
“Of course,” I said.
“He was under my chair.
Except for his tail.”
Annie and I left.
It was a hard thing to do.
I could smell pancakes in Rosamond’s kitchen.
“Rosamond did not take the picture of your dog,” I said.
“Rosamond only likes cats.
And pancakes.
Now where is
your brother Harry?”
I met Annie’s brother.
He was small.
He was covered with red paint.
“Me paint,” he said.
“Me paint you.”
“Good,” I said. “No one has ever painted a picture of me, Nate the
Great.”
Harry took his paintbrush.
It was covered with red paint.
All at once I was covered with red paint.
“He painted you,” Annie said.
“He painted you.”
Then she laughed.
I, Nate the Great, did not laugh.
I was on a case.
I had a job to do.
I looked around the room.
Harry had painted a clown, a house, a tree, and a monster with three
heads.
He had also painted part of the wall, one slipper,
and a doorknob.
“He does very good work,” I said.
“But where is my picture?”
Annie asked.
“That is a good question,” I said.
“All I need is a good answer.”
Where was the picture of Fang?
I could not find it.
Fang did not have it.
Rosamond did not have it.
Harry did not have it.
Or did he?
All at once I knew I had found the lost picture.
I said, “I, Nate the Great, have found your picture.”
“You have?” Annie said. “Where?”
“Look!” I said. “Harry has a picture of a clown, a house, a tree, and a
monster with three heads.”
“So what?” Annie said.
“Look again,” I said.
“The picture of the clown is red.
The picture of the house is red.
The picture of the tree is red.
But the picture of the monster is orange.”
“So what?” Annie said again.
“Orange is great for a monster.”
“But Harry paints with red,”
I said.
“Everything is red but the monster.
I, Nate the Great, will tell you why.
Harry painted a red monster over the yellow picture of your dog.
The yellow paint was still wet.
It mixed with the red paint.
Yellow and red make orange.
That is why the monster is orange.”
Annie opened her mouth.
She did not say a word.
Then she closed her mouth.
I said, “See!
The monster has three heads.
Two of the heads were
your dog’s ears.
The third head was the tail.
Yes, he does do good work.”
Annie was very mad at her brother.
I was mad, too.
I, Nate the Great, had never been red before.
“The case is solved,” I said.
“I must go.”
“I don’t know how to thank you,” Annie said.
“I do,” I said.
“Are there any pancakes left?”
I hate to eat on the job.
But the job was over.
We sat in Annie’s kitchen.
Annie and I. And Harry.
Annie said, “I will paint a new picture.
Will you come back to see it?”
“If Harry doesn’t see it first,”
I said.
Annie smiled. Harry smiled.
They even smiled at each other.
I smiled, too.
I, Nate the Great, like happy endings.
It was time to leave.
I said good-bye to Annie and Harry and Fang.
I started to walk home.
Rain started to fall.
I was glad I was wearing my rubbers.
Nate’s Notes: Colors
Rosamond’s Crayon Cats Project
Nate’s Pancake Recipe
Detective Talk
Rosamond likes to color. And she likes her cats. These cat crayons are purr-
fect for her. You’ll like them, too.

Ask an adult to help you with this project.

GET TOGETHER:

• broken crayons
• heavy paper cups
• an old spoon
• a pot holder
• cat-shaped candy molds*

* Look for these at craft stores. You can also buy them online.
MAKE YOUR CRAYON CATS:

1. Remove all paper from the crayons.

2. Sort the crayons by color. Or mix colors to see what happens.
3. Put the crayon pieces into the paper cups.
4. Place the paper cups in the microwave. Heat at half power for one
minute. Stir. The crayons will still be lumpy. Heat and stir until all the
lumps melt.
5. Using the pot holder, pour the melted crayons into the molds.
6. Place the molds in the freezer to cool.
7. Pop the cat crayons out of the molds.
Use them to create something cool!
Pancakes help Nate think. They’re also good when you’re hungry.

Ask an adult to help you with this recipe.

GET TOGETHER:

• a mixing bowl
• 1 cup flour
• a pinch of salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 1½ cups milk
• a nonstick skillet
• syrup

1. In the bowl, mix together the flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder.
2. Add the egg, melted butter, and milk. Stir until just mixed together.
2. Add the egg, melted butter, and milk. Stir until just mixed together.
Lumps are okay.
3. Warm the skillet over medium heat. Drop a tiny bit of water on the
skillet. If the water skitters around, the skillet is hot enough.
4. For each pancake, pour about half a cup of batter onto the skillet.
Wait until your pancakes have bubbles on top. Flip them. Cook them
one more minute.
5. Put your pancakes on a plate. Pour syrup on top.
6. Eat (and think deep thoughts).

Serves one hungry detective, with leftovers for his dog.

Detectives need to be tough. They like to sound tough, too. Here are some
words to help you sound like a detective.

case: the mystery a detective is trying to solve.

client: the person who asks for a detective’s help.

clue: a piece of information that helps the detective.

Some detective words are ordinary words with secret meanings.

Fishy usually means “smells like a fish.” But when detectives says
something is fishy, they mean it’s suspicious.

A stalk is part of a plant. But detectives stalk—or follow—fishy-looking

characters.

Pecan rolls are sticky—that is, gooey. But a sticky case is one that’s
difficult to figure out.

When detectives go undercover, it doesn’t have anything to do with

staying warm. It means they’re working on a case in secret.
Nate the Great: Meet Nate, the great detective, and join him as he uses
incredible sleuthing skills to solve his first big case.

Nate the Great Goes Undercover: Who—or what—is raiding Oliver’s

trash every night? Nate bravely hides out in his friend’s garbage can to
catch the smelly crook.

Nate the Great and the Lost List: Nate loves pancakes, but who ever
heard of cats eating them? Is a strange recipe at the heart of this
mystery?

Nate the Great and the Phony Clue: Against ferocious cats, hostile
adversaries, and a sly phony clue, Nate struggles to prove that he’s still
the greatest detective.

Nate the Great and the Sticky Case: Nate is stuck with his stickiest case
yet as he hunts for his friend Claude’s valuable stegosaurus stamp.

Nate the Great and the Missing Key: Nate isn’t afraid to look anywhere
—even under the nose of his friend’s ferocious dog, Fang—to solve the
case of the missing key.
Nate the Great and the Snowy Trail: Nate has his work cut out for him
when his friend Rosamond loses the birthday present she was going to
give him. How can he find the present when Rosamond won’t even tell
him what it is?

Nate the Great and the Fishy Prize: The trophy for the Smartest Pet
Contest has disappeared! Will Sludge, Nate’s clue-sniffing dog, help solve
the case and prove he’s worthy of the prize?

Nate the Great Stalks Stupidweed: When his friend Oliver loses his
special plant, Nate searches high and low. Who knew a little weed could
be so tricky?
Nate the Great and the Boring Beach Bag: It’s no relaxing day at the
beach for Nate and his trusty dog, Sludge, as they search through sand
and surf for signs of a missing beach bag.
Nate the Great Goes Down in the Dumps: Nate discovers that the only
way to clean up this case is to visit the town dump. Detective work can
sure get dirty!

Nate the Great and the Halloween Hunt: It’s Halloween, but Nate isn’t
trick-or-treating for candy. Can any of the witches, pirates, and robots he
meets help him find a missing cat?
Nate the Great and the Musical Note: Nate is used to looking for clues,
not listening for them! When he gets caught in the middle of a musical
riddle, can he hear his way out?

Nate the Great and the Stolen Base: It’s not easy to track down a stolen
base, and Nate’s hunt leads him to some strange places before he finds
himself at bat once more.

Nate the Great and the Pillowcase: When a pillowcase goes missing,
Nate must venture into the dead of night to search for clues. Everyone
sleeps easier knowing Nate the Great is on the case!

Nate the Great and the Mushy Valentine: Nate hates mushy stuff. But
when someone leaves a big heart taped to Sludge’s doghouse, Nate must
help his favorite pooch discover his secret admirer.

Nate the Great and the Tardy Tortoise: Where did the mysterious
green tortoise in Nate’s yard come from? Nate needs all his patience to
follow this slow … slow … clue.

Nate the Great and the Crunchy Christmas: It’s Christmas, and Fang,
Annie’s scary dog, is not feeling jolly. Can Nate find Fang’s crunchy
Christmas mail before Fang crunches on him?

Nate the Great Saves the King of Sweden: Can Nate solve his first-ever
international case without leaving his own neighborhood?

Nate the Great and Me: The Case of the Fleeing Fang: A surprise
 Happy Detective Day party is great fun for Nate until his friend’s dog
disappears! Help Nate track down the missing pooch, and learn all the
tricks of the trade in a special fun section for aspiring detectives.
Nate the Great and the Monster Mess: Nate loves his mother’s
deliciously spooky Monster Cookies, but the recipe has vanished! This is
one case Nate and his growling stomach can’t afford to lose.

Nate the Great, San Francisco Detective: Nate visits his cousin Olivia
Sharp in the big city, but it’s no vacation. Can he find a lost joke book in
time to save the world?
Nate the Great and the Big Sniff: Nate depends on his dog, Sludge, to
help him solve all his cases. But Nate is on his own this time, because
Sludge has disappeared! Can Nate solve the case and recover his canine
buddy?

Nate the Great on the Owl Express: Nate boards a train to guard Hoot,
his cousin Olivia Sharp’s pet owl. Then Hoot vanishes! Can Nate find out
whooo took the feathered creature?

Nate the Great Talks Turkey: There’s a turkey on the loose, with Nate,
his cousin Olivia Sharp, Sludge, and Claude in hot pursuit. Who will find
the runaway bird first?

Nate the Great and the Hungry Book Club: Rosamond has started a
book club. Nate and his dog, Sludge, attend a meeting as undercover
detectives. The case: find out what “monster” has an appetite for ripping
book pages and making others go missing.
MARJORIE WEINMAN SHARMAT has written more th an 130 books for children and young
adults, as well as movie and TV novelizati ons. Her books have been translated into nineteen
languages. The award-winning Nate the Great series, hailed in Booklist as “groundbrea king,” has
resulted in Nate’s real-world appearances in a New York Times crossword puzzle, sporting a milk
mustache in magazines and posters, and on more than 28 million boxes of Cheerios. Marjorie
Weinman Sharmat and her husband, Mitchell Sharmat, have also coauthored many books,
including titles in both the Nate the Great and the Olivia Sharp series. The Sharmats live in
Tucson, Arizona.

MARC SIMONT won the Caldecott Medal for his artwork in A Tree Is Nice by Janice May Udry, as
well as a Caldecott Honor for his own book, The Stray Dog. He illustrated the first twenty books
in the Nate the Great series. Marc Simont lives in West Cornwall, Connecticut.