Danger Goes Berserk

The Brixton Brothers #4

by Mac Barnett, Matthew Myers (Illustrations), Matt Myers (Illustrator )

When a missing surfboard proves to have hidden depths, twelve-year-old super-sleuth Steve Brixton must go undercover—and underwater—to tackle a puzzling tangle of mysteries.

Steve Brixton’s finally gotten a hang of this super-sleuth thing. After a few months of busting bad guys he finally has his own office—even if it’s a bit small, and outside, and okay, used to be a doghouse.

So when someone asks him to help track down a board stolen by a local surf gang, it’s just a matter of slipping into a neon wetsuit and blending in with the surfers—right?

But when the assignment goes all wrong, Steve is going to have to test his wits against pirate smugglers, thick-necked goons, and a sixth-grader who just wants his gym shorts back—all with the help of the tips and tricks he learned from his beloved Bailey Brothers books, of course!

Genres: Mystery, Middle Grade, Humor, Fiction, Juvenile, Childrens, Chapter Books

256 pages, Hardcover

First published October 2, 2012

About the author

Born to non-farmers in a California farming community, Mac Barnett now lives near San Francisco. He's on the board of directors of 826LA, a nonprofit writing center for students in Los Angeles, and he founded the Echo Park Time Travel Mart, a convenience store for time travelers.

Reviews

[Kate Willis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the fourth (and currently final book) in the Brixton Brothers series, one I’ve been enjoying immensely for the last few months. I was excited to read this one, especially since I heard it was connected to a case in the previous book. First off, Steve’s dogho--er, office was hilarious. Talk about cramped quarters! The mystery was actually quite complicated, and it was neat to see that fascinating loose thread from the previous book picked up. I enjoyed having Dana on his own side case. Some of his ideas were pretty clever even if Steve solved the case in the end. :D Steve trying to blend in with surfers was really funny--especially when he accidentally broke out of character and called Dana “chum”. :P Even though I suspected who the villains were all along, I could have never imagined such a motive! That was a surprise. XD The content/danger levels were about the same as the other books, although this one was a bit more bizarre than usual. Also, there was a mention of dating teenagers holding hands.

I already sent the book back to the library, so I don’t have a “best quote” this time. Pretty much any time Steve talks in surfer lingo is pretty funny.

Altogether, I enjoyed this installment, and I hope the author writes more! :D

[Cameron G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just started reading the book Danger goes Berserk by Mac Barnett. One day Steve Brixton (12 year old supersluth) gets told about a case where someone had their surfboard stolen from a local surf gang called the Berserkers. Not actually knowing how to surf, Steve and his good friend Dana plan to gain the Berserker's trust and retreve the stolen surfboard. I can't really relate to Steve so far because he didn't really plan things out. If I were in this situation I would probably come up with a more dependable plan. I really like this whole book series and would highly recomend it.

[EmilyChen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Danger Goes Berserk by Mac Barnett was a good book but not as good as the other books in the series. Steve Brixton is freshly back from retirement and turned the old dog house in the yard into a detective agency. While reading a book from his favorite serious, a man came in to the "office." The man was named Danimal and Steve had met him in the last book, It Happened on a Train. Danimal had a case for Steve about a local surf gang called the Berserkers stealing his board. Although this sounds simple enough, undercover work done by Steve and his best friend named Dana leads to bigger problems. Steve tries to go to the police but they are working on a big case that has to do with smuggling ships. This information catches Steve and the cops and Steve make a deal: if Steve can find the pirates that have been stealing the ships, and if Steve brought in evidence that the Berserkers stole Danimal's board, then the police will arrest the Berserkers. Steve agrees and so he goes undercover as a professional surfer. he thinks that it will be easy to catch them red handed but in the end, there are multiple twists that add to the excitement.
i recommend this book to anyone who likes mysteries and plot twists. I liked this book because of the suspense and because the culprit is unknown until the last few chapters. However I think this book was a little weaker than the last three because there were not as many dangerous kidnappings and Steve was not in as many life and death situations. This book was less exciting and less adventurous as well. On the last page of the book, the author gave clues as to what the next book was about but book 5 " A Message From a Maniac" did not come out yet. Overall this was a good book.

[Bobby Simic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Does the target audience love these books as much as I do? I certainly hope so. A mystery series that's hilarious and exciting, I can't praise these books enough.

Only child Steve Brixton (of the Brixton Brothers Detective Agency) is working overtime on two cases (three if you count the missing gym shorts mystery, which Steve isn't counting) - one involving a stolen surfboard and the other involving pirate smugglers.

Two hilarious moments (among many others) that can be added to the goofy lore of these books: Steve's office is in an old St. Bernard doghouse; the mirrored glasses/walking backwards approach to tailing a suspect.

My only gripe is that Adam Rex no longer does the illustrations. Matthew Myers' are fine, but Rex's were more in sync with Barnett's quirky style.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

My sons ages 8 & 10 love this series. My daughter age 12 even enjoyed listening to this book. I love the old fashioned small town feel on the boys’ lives. It’s interesting how adults take them seriously. I can’t imagine my children doing any of the dangerous things Steve and Dana do. The boys are constantly sneaking out at night to investigate and either don’t get caught or when they do they are never reprimanded for it.

[Jill CD · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this without reading the prior books in the series and it worked well as a standalone. I could see 3rd graders and up enjoying this mystery.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love this series! The ending suggests another sequel, where is it??

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

My least favorite in the series.

[EN · Rating 4 out of 5]

Steve is smart enough to catch robbers but not smart enough to know that double sided pictures don’t exist? Weird. Not the best in the series so far. What happened on a train was better.

[Katy Lovejoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was kind of all over the place but not in entirely a bad way

[Christy Gould]

They’re getting a little more unrealistic with every book. (Why are these boys’ mothers not preventing them from sneaking out every night?!)

[Cecilia Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely wonderful addition to this series. I sure hope he writes more.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still good, but unfortunately this one made me laugh way less than the others, especially the first two. Fun mystery as always, though.

[Marfita · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finished with a big smile on my face.
Steve Brixton solves another case ... or two or three. They're all connected in the Bailey Brothers mysteries, so why not in Steve's real life?
Someone has stolen surfer dude Danimal's longboard. A black Lamborghini nearly runs Steve and his definitely-not-a-"chum" friend and reluctant associate, Dana, off the road. Pirates are hijacking big ships. And last, but definitely least, someone is stealing Brody Owen's gym shorts.
Conducting his investigations from his office in the former doghouse in the back yard or out tailing miscreants, Steve and Dana quibble and carp at each other. How many more times will Dana be kidnapped?
This was so reminiscent of Nancy Drew stories where you learn a little about something from the adult world, along with some vocabulary: Nancy goes to a dude ranch, learns about riding and cowboy vernacular, etc. Steve tries to pass himself off as a surfer ... in a pink wetsuit. There's a touch of The Lucy Show that makes me cringe in this book, knowing that Steve will totally cock up his impersonation of an expert Hawaiian surfer, but I soldiered on and thoroughly enjoyed it. That's the point of Steve's detecting: he goes about it so terribly, awfully, hysterically, over-the-top badly, yet he still gets to the solution.
The mystery actually was pretty good and the climax pretty exciting. Barnett's wry style is what makes the books in this series so appealing and enjoyable on many levels and for all ages (well, except for teens who probably wouldn't think a kid's book was cool - oh, how wrong they'd be!).

[Timothy M · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently finished Danger Goes Berserk by Mac Barnett. In the book, Steve Brixton suspects a local surf gang called the Berserkers of committing many crimes but the police chief doesn't believe him. Meanwhile, a gang of "pirates" are stealing cargo ships full of Lamborghinis and a sixth grader's gym shorts are disappearing. I really like this book because it is definitely full of a lot of action, suspense, and most of all, mystery. I really like when the end of a chapter is a cliffhanger, and when Barnett is writing, that's true every chapter. I can relate to Steve and his friend Dana because they had never surfed before and they weren't very good. I'm assuming that is how I would surf the first time around. This is definitely a fast paced book because of all of the action taking place. I was surprised when Steve decided to tell the Berserkers that he and Dana were professional surfers from Hawaii that wanted to join them because I thought for sure they were going to get busted for their attempt to get close to the action and investigate. Overall, it was a great book by my favorite author. I would give it five out of five stars because I thought it was a great book.

[Elissa Schaeffer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Steve Brixton and the Brixton Brothers Detective Agency is back! This time with an office! Or at least a giant doghouse turned office that can barely fit two people. But it's still an office! Danimal drops in for another visit as some surfer thugs stole his favorite surfboard. Steve and Dana are on the case, but this time there's also smuggling, pirates, and missing gym shorts involved!

Steve continues to be one of the most amusing characters I've read--he is self-assured and confident, even when he is clueless. So strong is his belief, he can't be swayed from pursuing the truth, even when there's danger and thrills awaiting him, which there are in this installment, too.

Unlike the others, I read this one instead of listening as I couldn't find an audiobook of this, which was sorely disappointing. However, like the others, I again was brought to laughter with Steve and Dana's adventures. These books are wonderful and I will definitely not hesitate in recommending them. My only gripe? There's no number five to read. :(

Definitely recommended, grades 3 and up.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

How does a guy getting his surfboard stolen relate to pirates stealing a freighter and sailing it to Mexico? Steve and Dana are on the case to find out if, indeed, there is a connection. And while they're at it, who's stealing Owen Brody's gym shorts? Is there a connection there, too? Another hilarious adventure begins when Steve and Dana try to infiltrate a surfer's gang, The Berserkers, posing as Bull's-eye Tubesnake and his faithful friend, Dana. The leader of this gang, Tremor, seems a little on the nutty side. He even thinks he and Steve are one and the same: "We're outcasts. We live outside the borders." Dead ends abound during the investigation, but the plucky pair persist.

I love the running jokes throughout the series that keep all the books connected. It makes the reader feel like an insider - they get the joke - they even knew it was coming, and it's still funny.

[B · Rating 4 out of 5]

A spoof of the Hardy Boys and similar series, Steve and his "chum", Dana, are back to help solve the mysteries of a stolen surfboard, boat heisters off shore, and missing gym shorts. Like the other three in the series, this one is laugh out loud funny as Steve refers again and again to The Bailey Brothers' Detective Handbook, which is filled with silly advise on disguises, tricks, etc. on catching baddies, as well as the many books of the Bailey Brothers mysteries and brimming with valuable information such as surfer lingo.

I suspect Mac Barnett was a great reader of Hardy Boys at one time...

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a really good series for pre-teen readers. I'm an adult reader and I've really enjoyed this series so far. However, this one was not as good as the others. It was a bit bizarre, especially the fact that the Police Chief relies on a 12 year-old to solve a difficult criminal case and shares details about it with a kid..

12 year-old detective Steve Brixton constantly refers to his Bailey Brothers books and guides- it's a thinly disguised reference to the Hardy Boys series. In this one he takes on a missing surfboard mystery, which leads him to a surfing gang, called the Berserks, and the mystery of piracy of ships off the coast of California.

[Karen Arendt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Steve Brixton solves his best case yet in this surfer caper. His chum, Dana, actually begins to take an interest in sleuthing and attempts to solve a parallel case of the missing gym shorts. A great installment in the Brixton Brothers Detective Series. Sometimes, Steve seems to come off as a know-it-all, but in the end, he proves that he is! I enjoyed how the Chief of Police agreed to take Steve's help in solving the missing freighters. I was happy that I figured out a few clues before the clues were explained, too!

[Gabriel · Rating 5 out of 5]

The setting is California. The characters are as follows: Steve, a 12 year old detective, Dana, Steve's best friend/side kick, and the Berserkers, a local surf gang.

In this book Steven and Dana pretend to be prefessional surfers from Hawaii. They try to chase down Lamborghini hungry "pirates". The Berserkers are big hogs. THey won't let anyone surf within a mile of them. The Berserkers go to jail. Steve and Dana find out that the "pirates" aren't real.

[John C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought the book was great! It was fast paced and quick to the chase. Each chapter was left on some kind of a cliff hanger and you'd have no idea what was going to happen next, whether it's Steve who is in danger, Dana, or other special reappearances! This book is a must read, but get familiar with the books by reading, The Brixton Brothers #1, The Case of The Case of The Mistaken Identity! Great Series!!

[Janice · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm told this is popular with kids. This is of the old school where the adults are clueless. (thank you, Disney) The annoying part was the main character's use of the word "chum." I know it was supposed to be a play from the Hardy boys, but it just became really annoying.

Kid comes to the Brixton Brothers to get his surfboard back. Junior detectives find surfboard, missing gym shorts, hijacked ships, and save themselves and the adults.

I guess 9 to 11 year olds would like this.

[Chris Cutler · Rating 4 out of 5]

No fan of the Brixton Brothers should miss this newest case!
As always, Steve's powers of disguise boggle the imagination - I absolutely loved his infiltration into the surfer gang. Other detecting highlights include using mirrors to tail a suspect, sneaking into an ice cream truck, writing a letter to a girlfriend, and having a brick thrown through a picture window.

[Kathy Ellen Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious book in the Brixton Brothers series.
Loved all the surfing references...as a Santa Cruz-ian, I got them all :)
And how the cases were all tied together?
(Ok, well the gym shorts were their own separate thing...)
never saw that coming!

There's lots of great action sequences,
what seems like a million chapters,
and hilarious moments.

You'll love it!

[Brett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Continues to be a series that grown-up readers of the Hardy Boys will snicker over - a lot. Reminds me of M.T. Anderson's Jasper Dash series in its mixing of old-school "reads for adventurous boys" tropes & modern-day kids.

[Monique · Rating 5 out of 5]

Again, another entertaining, hilarious Brixton Brothers book. Oh, how I love this series. Cannot wait until the next one (A message from a maniac). I hope this author will write as many of these books as the Bailey Brothers series.

[Cara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the only one of the series that I did not listen to, and I didn't like it quite as much. The voice in my head just doesn't do it as well as the narrator of the other books. Overall it was still funny and fun.

[Hoover Public Library Kids and Teens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Steve is up to his eyeballs in mysteries involving surfboards, pirates, and sweaty gym shorts. This is the fourth in a series, and it's still living up to my high expectations.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is really good and it lived up to my exceptions from the other books!!! Also I can't wait for the next one!!:)