High density edutainment…with cookies.
Fourth grade sleuths do it by the numbers in this STEM-centric series kickoff.
Showing every step in inset boxes of calculations and solutions inserted throughout the narrative, Starmer pitches a nonstop series of classroom mysteries at math whiz Abby “The Abacus” Feldstein, stats superstar Gabe Kim, and talented chemist/kitchen dynamo Cam McGill—collectively known as the Prime Detectives since, obviously, they’re indivisible like prime numbers. Shepherded by firm, kind teacher Mrs. Everly (think Ms. Frizzle but with an even larger wardrobe), the team solves conundrums ranging from why the Penderton triplets are tardy on the first day of class at Arithmos Elementary and why the initial batch of homemade cookies they bake for everyone tastes terrible (a recipe is included midway through) to the fate of a stolen iPad. Along with arithmetical operations and systematic evidence gathering, getting to answers involves rounding, estimation, and unit conversion…not to mention clear explanations of “buffalo theory,” the right way to scale recipes up, techniques for creating a “Memory Palace,” and several other intellectual tools as useful outside math class as in. In Kissi’s blue-tinted drawings, Abby and Mrs. Everly are light-skinned, Gabe is cued Asian, and Cam presents Black; their classmates are a racially diverse group.
High density edutainment…with cookies. (Fiction. 7-10)Pub Date: Aug. 29, 2023
ISBN: 9781250839282
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Odd Dot
Review Posted Online: June 8, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2023
An effort as insubstantial as any spirit.
Eleven-year-old Maria Russo helps her charlatan mother hoodwink customers, but Maria has a spirited secret.
Maria’s mother, the psychic Madame Destine, cons widows out of their valuables with the assistance of their apartment building’s super, Mr. Fox. Madame Destine home-schools Maria, and because Destine is afraid of unwanted attention, she forbids Maria from talking to others. Maria is allowed to go to the library, where new librarian Ms. Madigan takes an interest in Maria that may cause her trouble. Meanwhile, Sebastian, Maria’s new upstairs neighbor, would like to be friends. All this interaction makes it hard for Maria to keep her secret: that she is visited by Edward, a spirit who tells her the actual secrets of Madame Destine’s clients via spirit writing. When Edward urges Maria to help Mrs. Fisher, Madame Destine’s most recent mark, Maria must overcome her shyness and her fear of her mother—helping Mrs. Fisher may be the key to the mysterious past Maria uncovers and a brighter future. Alas, picture-book–creator Ford’s middle-grade debut is a muddled, melodramatic mystery with something of an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink feel: In addition to the premise, there’s a tragically dead father, a mysterious family tree, and the Beat poets. Sluggish pacing; stilted, unrealistic dialogue; cartoonishly stock characters; and unattractive, flat illustrations make this one to miss. Maria and Sebastian are both depicted with brown skin, hers lighter than his; the other principals appear to be white.
An effort as insubstantial as any spirit. (author’s note) (Paranormal mystery. 7-10)Pub Date: July 21, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-250-20567-4
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Christy Ottaviano/Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020
A mystery, a school story, sibling rivalry and the loss of a pet blend surprisingly well in this engaging chapter book. Charmingly awkward fifth grader Edgar Allan decides to solve a series of minor thefts that are plaguing his teacher, Ms. Herschel. Clues are plentiful—and rhymed—but the competition to solve them is fierce. Edgar’s nemesis, Patrick Chen, seems to have the inside track since his dad works in forensics. Edgar, however, finds that the friends he makes along the way provide the winning edge. Including transcripts of Edgar’s ingenuous interviews as well as poems written by a number of class members in her narrative, Amato provides a clear picture of both social and family dynamics while keeping the story moving smoothly along. The author’s characteristic humor is somewhat muted, but examples of amusing wordplay abound. Some readers may guess the identity of the culprit more quickly than Edgar and his friends do, but whodunit is not really the point. Solving puzzles, making friends and learning to see the world more clearly are the true aims of this adventure. (Mystery. 7-10)
Pub Date: Oct. 15, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-8234-2271-5
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: Aug. 31, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2010
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