Tag Archives: Mystery

Elem. – Mr. S

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Arnaldo, Monica. Mr. S. Katherine Tegan Books, 2023. 978-0-063-00395-8. $19.99. 40 p. Grades K-3.

As the kids in Room 2B enter their classroom on the first day of school, they become aware that something is missing. There is no teacher present. The chalkboard has the words “Mr. S” written on it. There is a sandwich on the desk with a steaming cup of coffee, but no sign of a teacher anywhere. Half the class is excited, the other half is scared. The class is on the brink of chaos when a ruler falls to the ground startling everyone. Who could have dropped it? Amazingly that sandwich on the desk is somewhat life-like with its olive-eyes and tongue shaped lunch meat slipping out between the slices of bread. Could the sandwich possibly be the teacher? Half the class is convinced it is, half isn’t sure… but one student points to the clue on the board. The sandwich must be Mr. S. And so the students of Room 2B get to work. As they progress through their school day, a whole second story is happening on the other side of the classroom window. Though never mentioned in the text or noticed by the busy class, a car has been hit by a tree in a storm. A distressed man in a suit and tie attempts to rescue the car, but the car gets hit by lightning, and starts on fire. The oblivious students inside continue on with art class, music class, and story time all under the tutelage of their sandwich-teacher. The fire department arrives to put out the flames, but the students inside miss the entire event. When the door to Room 2B bursts open, the students are startled to see a smoky and soaking-wet man in a suit enter and announce that he is… Mr. Spencer… their principal. Mr. Spencer introduces the confused students to their teacher Mr. S. who is indeed a sandwich. The children are delighted to see that they were right all along.

THOUGHTS: This is a hysterical beginning of the school year read aloud and a great way to introduce early elementary students to mystery books. Full of clever visual clues and amusing classroom antics, the story happening outside the window is never mentioned in the text, but keen readers will believe they are seeing clues that will help to solve the mystery.  

Picture Book 

MG – Wrecker

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Hiaasen, Carl. Wrecker. Alfred A. Knopf, 2023. 978-0-593-37629-4. 323 p. $21.99. Grades 6-9.

Fifteen-year-old Valdez Jones VIII, who goes by the nickname Wrecker, takes pride in his family’s legacy as shipwreck salvagers. The salt water and sea air are in his blood, and he spends as much time as possible fishing on his skiff in the waters surrounding Key West. Luckily for him, online schooling due to the COVID-19 pandemic means he has much more free time on the boat. During one such fishing outing in his boat, Wrecker helps a speedboat stuck in the shoal. He does not think too much about it until he bumps into the silver-mustached boat owner at the cemetery where Wrecker works as a part-time headstone cleaner. Silver Mustache wants Wrecker to keep an eye on a newly built mausoleum but soon tasks Wrecker with other jobs that are sneaky and illegal. Unknowingly, Wrecker becomes involved in a dangerous smuggling ring, and he must outsmart the smugglers to protect himself and his family.

THOUGHTS: Hiaasen’s Wrecker is an action-packed novel that will delight middle grade students. Intertwined with Wrecker’s adventures are topical situations involving COVID-19 vaccinations, ocean life preservation, and the history of racism on Key West.

Adventure

YA – One of Us Is Back

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McManus, Karen. One of Us Is Back. Delacorte Press, 2023. 978-0-593-48501-9. 358 p. $19.99. Grades 9-12.

The final book in this ever popular series by McManus is here! In this book, the original Bayview Four has expanded to the Bayview Crew also known by others in the community as the Murder Squad. They are known to be better detectives than the local police department. Together they have been accused of crimes, have been the victims of crimes, and eventually they have been the ones to find the true culprit to the deadly games that have been played. A billboard lights up in town with the message “Time for a New Game” and immediately everyone is on high alert. In addition, one of the original characters from the first book is back and making everyone quite nervous. And then one of the four goes missing. It seems that someone is not quite done with the town of Bayview.

THOUGHTS: This is definitely geared for grades 9-12. The characters are getting older, and there seems to be more mature themes. The story line moves quickly and keeps the reader turning pages.

Mystery

MG – The Storyteller

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Hobson, Brandon. The Storyteller. Scholastic, 2023. 978-1-338-79726-8 224 p. $17.99. Grades 4-6. 

Sixth-grader Ziggy Echota is diagnosed with anxiety, likely stemming from his Cherokee mother’s disappearance ten years ago when Ziggy was just a baby. Despite efforts to locate his mother, his family has no leads, and Ziggy’s pretty sure his dad gave up hope when the police did. Ziggy’s grandmother and older sister Moon have shared with him stories of the Nunnehi, wise storytelling spirits who protect Cherokees. Ziggy asks an acquaintance Alice for help in searching the desert for Nunnehi caves, in hopes of finding answers to his mother’s disappearance. Soon Ziggy, Alice, and Moon have begun their nighttime journey, and their encounters range from a coyote and a buzzard to a Shakespearean actor and a fortune teller. In each chapter they meet a different spirit, with Ziggy learning something from each of their encounters, which he logs diligently in each chapter. By the end, he doesn’t have clear answers, but he has worked through some of his grief and finds he has community and strength to go on.

Realistic Fiction
Fantasy (Magical Realism)

THOUGHTS: This story is a helpful way to showcase realistic Cherokee beliefs–and realistic disappearances of Native American women.

MG – The International House of Dereliction

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Davies, Jacqueline. The International House of Dereliction. Clarion, 2023.  978-0-063-25807-5. 230 p. $16.99. Grades 3-6.

Alice and her parents, Professor Cannoli (her mother) and George Potchnik (her father) are facing their eleventh move in Alice’s ten years. Housing is part of Professor Cannoli’s compensation at the college she works for, but the problem is that George and Alice are quite good at fixing things. They fix each house the family moves into so well that the college sells the house for a big profit, then moves them into a new wreck. Professor Cannoli, arguing that Alice is of an age in which being rooted in one home is critical, devises a plan to get the college to let them stay in their new house forever. Rather than fix up their new home, the Cannoli-Potchnick family must accept their new home’s shortcomings without fixing a thing until the college grants it to them as permanent housing. Once moved in, Alice, who is unschooled, feels drawn to the condemned mansion next door, and quickly gets the “Potchnik itch” to begin repairs. As she secretly fixes the house, she discovers that it seems to be alive… and protective of the ghosts who occupy it. The ghosts on their end, believe that Alice has received the “blessing of the house” because SHE can actually see and hear them. As Alice works on her restoration, she gains the trust of The House and unravels clues about the ghosts’ past that will help them move on from the home to become “Settled.” All of this happens as demolition day approaches for the old mansion.

THOUGHTS: This is an absolute gem of a book, with many different layers for middle grade readers to enjoy. Jacqueline Davis successfully creates a unique world of ghosts in which they are classified as Past Dues, Settled Ones, Wanderers, or Captives, depending on their circumstances.  Each ghost appears to Alice in a variety of different forms and with different characteristics (twinkling shards of glass, raindrops, angry squiggles, etc.) that reflect their mood and past. Alice, her parents, and the professors at the college are quirky with unique personalities developed to the author’s descriptions, vocabulary, and writing style for each. This is not a ghost story to scare or thrill, but one to engross middle grade readers in a world of family, the passage of time, character, and storytelling. Highly recommended for all libraries looking for a great story or to expand their readers’ perception of “ghosts.” 

Mystery
Fantasy (Supernatural)

YA – The Night in Question

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Glasgow, Kathleen, & Liz Lawson. The Night in Question. Delacorte Press, 2023. 978-0-593-64583-3. 401 p. $19.99. Grades 8-12

Welcome to the sequel to The Agathas! Alice Ogilive and Iris Adams are back again and ready to solve another mystery in Castle Cove. In the first book, they were able to stop an innocent person from spending life in prison for the murder of another student. Alice’s obsession with Agatha Christie has put her on the path to investigating crimes, and she and her friends (The Zoners) have become quite adept at putting together clues to find the culprit. In the second book, Alice and Iris find themselves at the Sadie Hawkins dance in Levy Castle when a fellow student is brutally attacked. The Castle Cove police quickly arrest the first person they suspect; however, Alice and Iris believe the police got the wrong person (again). While chasing down clues to find the real attacker, they begin to uncover the truth of a century-old case that happened at Levy Castle. As they get closer to the truth, there is someone who wants the truth to stay buried. Can Alice and Iris solve the case before there are more victims?

THOUGHTS: The Agathas is a fun mystery to read. The characters are fabulous and the mystery unfolds quite nicely. A wonderful sequel in this mystery series. 

Mystery

Elem. – Starla Jean Cracks the Case

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Arnold, Elana K. Starla Jean Cracks the Case. Illustrated by A.N. Kang. Roaring Brook Press, 2023. 978-1-250-30580-0. 78 p. $15.99. Grades 1-3.

Meet Starla Jean. She has a baby sister Willa and a pet chicken Opal Egg.  Walking her chicken one day (can you really walk a chicken?), Starla and Opal Egg find a bead. They wonder who it belongs to and set off to ask her friends. The beads are not theirs, but they have all found a bead too! Now everyone is in on the task of finding the owner. They happen along their friend Dani who is looking forlorn sitting on a bench. Her necklace broke, and the kids have solved their mystery!

THOUGHTS: This Level 3 chapter book is a great addition to any beginning reader section. Helpfulness and being a good friend and sister are all themes throughout this adorable read.

Beginning Chapter Book

MG – Falling Out of Time

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Haddix, Margaret Peterson. Falling Out of Time. Katherine Tegen Books, 2023. 978-0-063-25161-8. 341 p. $19.99. Grades 3-7.

Zola wakes up to a different scene projected on her Picture Wall each morning: Tahiti one day, Bora Bora the next. Her school friends attend from all over the world through advanced virtual reality technology. One morning, Zola asks her AI assistant, Sirilexagoogle, to change the wall to “normal”…but, what does Zola know about normal? Zola lives in the year 2193, a time with wondrous technology and no more fear. Just like Haddix’s debut novel, Running Out of Time, not everything is as it seems in Zola’s world. Zola discovers the truth after finding a mysterious book, The Jessie Keiser Story, detailing Jessie’s daring escape during the 1990s from a fake frontier town. After she stumbles across a hidden staircase in her house, Zola realizes there is very real danger in her not-so-real world. Zola is really living in the year 2023, and she’s being unknowingly watched by hundreds of people each day. Like Haddix’s original novel, this is the story of a daring escape to the outside world.

THOUGHTS: Falling Out of Time is the long-awaited sequel to Haddix’s first novel, Running Out of Time. It certainly lives up to expectations and offers readers relevant 2023 social and environmental commentary while evoking 90s nostalgia for fans of the original story (that’s me!). Although the first few chapters start with detailed world-building and description, the rest of the novel’s plot builds with nonstop action. Some of the twists are quick and a little outlandish, but all elements in this story contribute to the adventurous tone. Readers who are unfamiliar with Running Out of Time (1995) will still be able to enjoy this fresh story on its own. Haddix builds necessary background and context directly into Falling Out of Time.

Science Fiction

YA – Missing Clarissa

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Jones, Ripley. Missing Clarissa. Wednesday Books, 2023. 978-1-250-80196-8. 256 p. $18.99. Grades 9-12.

Everyone in Oreville, Washington knows the name Clarissa Campbell. It isn’t because she was so memorable but instead because her story is so hard to forget. One night Clarissa was at a party in the woods, then she was never seen again. Despite a bunch of partygoers for witnesses, there was no body, evidence, and the police had little else to go on. More than twenty years later, the story has disappeared from the national spotlight. For local high school juniors Blair and Cameron, though, Clarissa is legendary. Figuring out what happened to Clarissa is the perfect project for these best friends to use in their journalism class. A true crime podcast with interviews and real journalism is sure to earn them an A. Cam is all in, determined to solve the unsolvable, and Blair is more than happy to go along with Cam’s plan. As Cam and Blair begin interviewing those who were closest to Clarissa, a different picture than what national media reported starts to unfold. Not everyone is happy with the duo digging up the past. Will Cam and Blair be able to honor Clarissa’s memory and bring peace to those who love her, or will they learn that Clarissa’s story isn’t much more than an urban legend?

THOUGHTS: Shorter in length, this mystery is sure to attract true crime and podcast fans as well as readers of books by April Henry or Natasha Preston. Recommended for YA collections.

Mystery

MG – The Lost Library

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Stead, Rebecca, and Wendy Mass. The Lost Library. Macmillan, 2023. 978-1-250-83881-0. 224 p. $18.99. Grades 4-7.

This well-narrated audiobook centers on Evan, an inquisitive boy who loves to read, as he approaches fifth-grade graduation. He lives in the sleepy town of Martinville, which lacks a library since the fire that burned down the old one twenty-five years ago. Two authors penned this delightful tale, ideal for any bibliophile to peruse. Multiple narrators flesh out the story: Mortimer the gold striped cat; AL, the assistant librarian who lives with the other library ghosts; and Evan. The town has just started a Little Library, and Evan nabbed some of the books from the box–all of them due the same day as the fire. As he gets deeper into one of his selections, How to Write a Mystery, checked out by M.C. Higgins, he tries to figure out who started the fire back in the 1980’s. He wonders if his father’s reticence and lack of communication has anything to do with the tragedy. With his best friend Rafe at his side, Evan follows the possible clues. In alternating chapters, AL reflects on her past, coming from the orphanage to serve as a fledgling librarian under the firm but kind head librarian, Ms. Skoggins, and conducting the book club for the local school children. The wise and attentive Mortimer, dear cat, provides the feline perspective on what it surveys: both the routine at History House where the ghosts reside and the movements of Evan as he puts together the puzzle pieces that point to his own dad. This book is a cozy homage to books, readers, libraries, and librarians.

THOUGHTS: A great read aloud. I hope this book can work its magic to entice listeners that libraries, books, and librarians are important. These two authors are some of the best, and this book will not disappoint. Pair it with the fine picture book about the beginnings of the Little Library or, if there are no Little Libraries in your neck of the woods, start a project to place them around town. If that isn’t possible, connect this book with a book drive for shelters. I just found out about a church food pantry that offers a book room for families. Or build a list of books where animals are key characters. At the very least, reading this book students will learn what a pseudonym is.

Fantasy (Magical Realism)