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Extract from the Story
Encyclopedia’s father was Chief of Police. Everyone thought that he must be the smartest police chief in the country. Chief Brown was smart and quick. He didn’t sit around and worry. When he came up against a case he couldn’t solve, he acted at once. He cleared his desk, put on his hat, and went home to dinner. Encyclopedia solved the case for him before dinner was over.
Chief Brown would have liked to tell everyone about his only child. But who would believe him? Who would believe that the best detective alive was an eighth grader? So, he said nothing.
Encyclopedia never spoke of the help he gave his father. He didn’t want to seem different from other boys. But there was nothing he could do about his nickname. He was stuck with it. Only his parents and teachers called him by his real name, Leroy. Everyone else called him Encyclopedia.
An encyclopedia is a book or set of books filled with facts from A to Z. So was Encyclopedia’s head. He read more books than anyone in Idaville, and he never forgot a fact. His pals said he was like a library and computer rolled into one, and more user-friendly.
Chief Brown would have liked to tell everyone about his only child. But who would believe him? Who would believe that the best detective alive was an eighth grader? So, he said nothing.
Encyclopedia never spoke of the help he gave his father. He didn’t want to seem different from other boys. But there was nothing he could do about his nickname. He was stuck with it. Only his parents and teachers called him by his real name, Leroy. Everyone else called him Encyclopedia.
An encyclopedia is a book or set of books filled with facts from A to Z. So was Encyclopedia’s head. He read more books than anyone in Idaville, and he never forgot a fact. His pals said he was like a library and computer rolled into one, and more user-friendly.
nickname
— pet name
Summary in Bullet Points
- Leroy Brown is called Encyclopedia. He reads widely, remembers facts and has an unusually sharp mind.
- His father is the Chief of Police. When Chief Brown gets stuck, he quietly discusses the case at dinner so Leroy can think about it.
- Leroy stays humble. He never tells others that he solves police mysteries because he does not want to seem different from other boys.
Questions from this Section
Why is the nickname “Encyclopedia” suitable for Leroy?
2 Marks
How to answer:
Give the direct reason and one supporting detail.
View Answer
Answer: It is suitable because Leroy reads more books than anyone around him and remembers facts extremely well. His head is compared to an encyclopedia filled with information.
Why does Chief Brown keep Leroy’s detective ability private?
3 Marks
How to answer:
Explain the reasoning and why it matters to the mystery.
View Answer
Answer: Chief Brown is proud of his son, but he believes people may not accept that the best detective in town is only an eighth grader. Leroy also prefers not to appear different from other children.
