Thursday, May 8, 2014

Book Encourages Observation and Critical Thinking Skills


Dr. Richard Kellogg, professor emeritus of psychology at Alfred State, is the author of a new book titled Barry Baskerville Returns. This children’s story, intended for an audience of young readers between the ages of 7 and 10, is beautifully illustrated in color by noted Hawaiian artist Gary Kato.

The book is about a precocious youngster named Barry Baskerville who lives in Watsonville. Barry aspires to become a famous detective like his role model Sherlock Holmes. As expected, Barry irritates his friends and teachers by wearing a deerstalker hat, peering at everything through a magnifying glass, and flaunting his astounding powers of observation and deduction. During a family vacation at the beach, Barry impresses his parents by investigating the case of the missing car keys. The Baskervilles conclude that it really is nice to have a detective in the family.

Barry Baskerville Returns shows school-age children the importance of making accurate observations and then making logical deductions from their observations. The lessons taught in the story are designed to enhance problem-solving abilities. The book is published by Airship 27 of Fort Collins, Colo., and is available in both print and Kindle formats.

Dr. Kellogg is the author of four previous books dealing with Sherlock Holmes; the most recent is titled Barry Baskerville Solves a Case (Airship 27, 2013). He has received grants from the SUNY Research Foundation to develop instructional materials on the problem-solving strategies of “The Great Detective.” A frequent contributor to The Baker Street Journal and The Serpentine Muse, Kellogg enjoys introducing young readers to Baker Street and the magical world of Sherlock Holmes and his loyal companion, Dr. John Watson.

Alfred State's Project-based learning is a cornerstone of Alfred State culture. When students work on real-world problems, they learn how to think, not what to think. As a result, Alfred State has a 99 percent employment and transfer rate.