Funny Bananas; The Mystery in the Museum — Georgess McHargue

Both of Ben Pollock's parents are scientists at New York's City's Museum of Natural History. Living nearby, and being an aspiring wildlife photographer himself, Ben spends almost all of his after-school hours at the museum.

One day, on one of his visits there, Ben learns of some mysterious goings on in the museum. It seems that the feathers of a wild red jungle fowl in one of the display cases have been ruffled and destroyed. And that isn't all. Talking to his friends, the museum guards, Ben learns that the information desk had been ransacked, the wastebasket dumped, and some “funny bananas” have been found. Soon Carmen, a young Spanish “witch” who seems very suspicious, is added to Ben's list of clues as he helps the New York City police solve the museum mystery.

The mystery is almost solved when late one night, Ben and Carmen, who is now is ally, are embroiled in a chase that leads them to the jaws of the giant Tyrannosaurus Rex -- and headlong into yet another museum mystery.