The quicksand question

Ron Roy (born April 29, 1940) is an American writer of children's fiction, primarily mysteries for young readers. He is best known for the series A to Z Mysteries (from 1997), Capital Mysteries (from 2001), and Calendar Mysteries (from 2009). Roy was born in Hartford, Connecticut, grew up in East Hartford, and has lived in Connecticut most of his life. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Connecticut and his master's degree in early childhood education from the University of Hartford. He taught fourth grade for ten years until he sold his first book in 1978 and became a full-time writer.