There are a thousand stories at Raymond Chandler Elementary School.

Most of them have happy endings.

But sometimes, things get messier than a kindergartener finger painting during an earthquake.

That's where I come in. My name is Sam Archer. I'm a gum shoe.

That's an old-timey word that means detective. Also, I literally have gum stuck to the bottom of my shoe.

I'm good at what I do. In fact, I'm the best detective in the whole third grade. When people have a mystery they need solved, they come to me.

Sam Archer, third grade detective.

Episode 1, the Silent Howl.

Okay, everybody, please take out your homework packet from yesterday.

It was a day like any other in Mr. Kozlowski's third grade class.

It was raining buckets outside, and recess had been canceled.

Personally, I like the rain. Of course, I wear a long rain

coat and a hat everywhere I go. As you can see at the bottom of page 42, first you multiply

three times four, then add six. So there we were, stuck inside, learning multi-step math problems.

We were only halfway through math class, and my eyes had already glazed over like my favorite donut.

That's when we heard the scream.

No!

It was J.T. O'Shaughnessy, the best kickball player in the third grade, possibly the whole school.

To my trained detective years, J.T. sounded like he needed help.

Uh, help? A little help here? I need help.

Mr. O'Shaughnessy, what seems to be the problem?

I can't find Nero. He was right here in my backpack, and now he's gone!

...