Readers will enjoy following Myron's developing, appealing voice as much as they do following clues.
Elementary school detectives put their (neurodiverse) heads together to investigate the case of a stolen robot.
When his doorbell rings on a Friday morning, Myron knows something is afoot; his autism makes him sensitive to changes in his routine. He's right; Jordan, a classmate from his special needs classroom, is calling on him and his friend Hajrah—aka the West Meadows Detectives—to find out who stole his robot for the upcoming Maker Faire. Logical, white Myron and hyperenergetic, Middle Eastern Hajrah brave the bullying Smasher McGinty and follow clues to find a plausible, lightly foreshadowed culprit. Myron and Hajrah's friendship is delightfully fleshed out through their bickering and understanding of each other's respective quirks—and quirks they are, free of medicalization. Myron's autism is quickly explained but is just as quickly understood as intrinsic to his personality, buzzing brain and all. While his literal thinking is sometimes unintentionally humorous, it doesn't preclude his own sense of humor—in fact, his awareness of it allows him to laugh at himself, and others laugh with him rather than at him. Nor does his logic preclude empathy; in fact, it aids in deducing others' emotions. Grand's friendly illustrations also offer glimpses of Myron's personality, from his detective posters to the pencil mug that reads, "The truth is out there." Jordan is depicted with East Asian features; Smasher is a white girl.
Readers will enjoy following Myron's developing, appealing voice as much as they do following clues. (Mystery. 7-9)Pub Date: Oct. 11, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-77147-070-4
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Owlkids Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 1, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Nicely paced, with just the right number of red herrings to keep readers thinking; they will hope the number 1 on the spine...
Jerry and Maya, classmates and friends, spend their spare time solving mysteries in their hometown of Pleasant Valley in this Swedish import.
Things are not so pleasant for Mohammed Carat, the richest man in Pleasant Valley. His world-famous jewelry store is losing money; apparently, one of his employees is stealing valuable diamonds and gems. The police are no help, so Mr. Carat turns to the youngsters for help. Each employee is a suspect: Vivian is in money trouble, former owner Danny wants his store back, and Luke’s flashy spending is suspicious. Jerry and Maya are hired to help out around the shop—washing windows, taking out the trash and so forth—but really they are there to watch the employees, both from inside the shop and from the church tower next door. Young mystery aficionados will enjoy solving the puzzle along with Maya and Jerry and will admire their observational powers. Full-color cartoon illustrations add much to the story, helping readers to see what the young gumshoes do. A map of Pleasant Valley and an illustrated cast of characters are provided in the early pages, allowing new readers an excellent reference tool to keep the many characters straight.
Nicely paced, with just the right number of red herrings to keep readers thinking; they will hope the number 1 on the spine indicates that this is the first of many Maya and Jerry mysteries. (Mystery. 7-9)Pub Date: July 31, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-448-48067-1
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap
Review Posted Online: May 27, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Scrappy song lyrics, energetic illustrations and plenty of potty humor keep the hilarity high for reluctant readers.
A new chapter-book series about do-gooder thieves kicks off with a monkeynapping.
While most parents want their children to be law-abiding citizens, bacon-loving Billy Crook and his inventor twin sister, Jillian, are home-schooled by their professional thief parents to keep their covers safe and practice the skills of the “trade.” Billy’s easygoing, quick-paced narration describes the blunders he and Jillian face when they decide to secretly do good deeds. In their first “caper,” the twins go in disguise to a clean-up day at the zoo. When their parents follow them and steal a monkey in the process, Billy and Jillian attempt a series of unsuccessful yet humorous schemes to return the monkey without their parents’ knowledge. In the second, simultaneously publishing story, Dog Gone! (978-1-60684-397-0; 978-1-60684-510-3 paper), the pair faces a similar scenario when they decide to raise money for an animal shelter by earning the money through a bake sale. Once again, their parents steal an animal, this time Poochie Smoochie, the poodle star of a popular TV show. A concluding twist in the twins’ true identities saves the second volume from being just a rehash of the first and sets the scene for more titles.
Scrappy song lyrics, energetic illustrations and plenty of potty humor keep the hilarity high for reluctant readers. (Fiction. 7-9)Pub Date: Feb. 25, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-60684-396-3
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Egmont USA
Review Posted Online: Dec. 17, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2014
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