‘Encyclopedia Brown’ author Donald J. Sobol dies

Encyclopedia Brown author Donald J. Sobol has died, his son John told The Associated Press.

Sobol was 87. He died of natural causes in Miami on July 11, his son said.

Sobol wrote the first Encyclopedia Brown book, Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective, in 1963 and the series would have celebrated its 50th anniversary next year.

The most recent book, Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Soccer Scheme, will be published in October.

The popular series of children’s mystery books was translated in 12 languages. They all followed Leroy “Encyclopedia” Brown and his best friend Sally Kimball. Brown, with his enormous knowledge of facts and figures, and Kimball, a tough athlete, would work together to solve mysteries.

There were always 10 mysteries per book, and the solutions were always presented to the reader at the end of the book.

Sobol was born in New York City on Oct. 4, 1924. He served in the Army Corps of Engineers during the Second World War and later worked at the New York Sun and the New York Daily News. He is survived by his wife Rose and their four children.  

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