Sami and the Case of the Missing Mascot Banner

Ages 6–8

When the championship banner vanishes hours before the pep rally, Sami follows a trail of tiny blue paint flakes to crack the case before the whole school notices it's gone.

Sami learns that careful observation and asking questions before jumping to conclusions solves problems better than blame ever could.

Pep rally day! The gymnasium buzzed with gold and navy streamers, and everyone waited to see the championship banner unrolled. But when Coach Diaz reached for the hooks, an arm froze mid-air. "It's gone," a voice whispered. Sami felt his stomach drop — the banner, with its roaring falcon, had vanished.

"Someone took it!" Milo blurted, adjusting his round glasses. Sami held up a hand. "We don't know that yet," he said calmly. "Look close. Look twice. First we look for clues." He knelt by the empty hooks, pulling out his brass magnifying glass to study the floor inch by inch.

There! Tiny flecks of sky-blue paint glittered on the floor, right where the banner used to hang. Sami leaned close. "This isn't school paint," he said. "It's thicker — like the kind from the drama room easels." Milo's eyes went wide behind his glasses.

Make it with your child's name and photo · Browse the Story Library