Publisher: Tundra Books
Publication Date: September 13, 2011
Format: Hardback, 200 pages
Genre: Middle Grades Mystery
How I Got It: From NetGalley for Review
Goodreads Summary:
Take a dash of colorful characters, a pinch of danger, and generous scoops of adventure and you have a terrific culinary mystery for young readers. Five cousins are looking forward to their annual vacation at their grandmother’s cottage. None of them knows that this may be their last such summer. A mining company has set its sights on the land and is determined to seize it. Grandma must produce the deed to prove that the property is really hers, but her memory is not what it used to be, and she can’t find it. The children suspect there may be clues to the deed’s whereabouts somewhere in the family’s cherished trove of recipes. But can they solve the mystery in time? Adult mystery buffs have had many culinary mysteries to choose from. Ellen Schwartz introduces her young readers to a delicious genre. She even provides easy-to-follow and yummy to eat recipes.
Some people might think it strange that their grandfather loved codes, created scavenger hunts for kids and adults, and hid important papers and items in the strangest of places. For the five Honeyman cousins it was just the way he was and they loved him. Unfortunately their grandfather has passed away and their grandmother is having a very difficult time dealing with the loss. To make matters even worse Tantalus Mining Company is trying to force her to sell her property. If she can't produce the deed for the house, the government will take back the land and give it to Tantalus. Unfortunately she can't remember where Grandpa hid the deed and she sinks into depression. Genevieve, Sebastian, Claire, Alex, and Olivia try to cheer up their grandmother when they stumble upon some of Grandpa's clues mixed in with recipes. While they don't always agree that these clues lead to the deed, they're all willing to play along with his last game.
Set in Canada, Schwartz includes some wonderful descriptions of life on Otter Island. The small population of close knit residents is torn by the prospects of economic prosperity and environmental catastrophe with the coming of Tantalus Mining Corporation. The story is told from the alternating perspectives of each cousin. The kids are distinct characters and their personal lives (from teenage crushes to dealing with divorce) do affect the way they deal with the situations around them. In fact, all of the different perspectives and small side plots come together quite nicely, adding more action to a small island mystery. Schwartz also mixes in codes and recipes quite nicely and I think this will appeal to readers. (I'm sure everyone is going to want to try making the Emergency Fudge recipe, I know I do and I don't even like fudge!) She also gets a bit hokey in places, certain aspects of the story were very predictable, and the bad guys get ridiculously bad towards the end - this will either be ignored by some readers or turn them off completely. While not the best children's mystery I've ever read I think it will appeal to certain audiences.
I read this book with my students in mind (all 1,300 of them) and I kept thinking that my Canadian kids would love a book set in Canada, and some of my kids who liked cooking or mysteries might enjoy it, but even then I wasn't sure they would like it. I'm sure this affected my option since the other reviews I've read loved it (see below) but I found it merely "ok".
Set in Canada, Schwartz includes some wonderful descriptions of life on Otter Island. The small population of close knit residents is torn by the prospects of economic prosperity and environmental catastrophe with the coming of Tantalus Mining Corporation. The story is told from the alternating perspectives of each cousin. The kids are distinct characters and their personal lives (from teenage crushes to dealing with divorce) do affect the way they deal with the situations around them. In fact, all of the different perspectives and small side plots come together quite nicely, adding more action to a small island mystery. Schwartz also mixes in codes and recipes quite nicely and I think this will appeal to readers. (I'm sure everyone is going to want to try making the Emergency Fudge recipe, I know I do and I don't even like fudge!) She also gets a bit hokey in places, certain aspects of the story were very predictable, and the bad guys get ridiculously bad towards the end - this will either be ignored by some readers or turn them off completely. While not the best children's mystery I've ever read I think it will appeal to certain audiences.
I read this book with my students in mind (all 1,300 of them) and I kept thinking that my Canadian kids would love a book set in Canada, and some of my kids who liked cooking or mysteries might enjoy it, but even then I wasn't sure they would like it. I'm sure this affected my option since the other reviews I've read loved it (see below) but I found it merely "ok".
Verdict:
The Case of the Missing Deed is a wholesome mystery with some nice characters, cool codes, and a few kid friendly recipes, but I've read better. A mix of sweet and hokey, The Case of the Missing Deed will attract a select audience. It's best to try this one out from the library if you're interested. I'm giving it three out of six stars as there are some redeeming qualities that save it from a two star rating.
It seems that everyone liked this book more than me. The few reviews I found were all on GoodReads.
Rhonda's GoodReads review
Rhonda's GoodReads review
Sara's GoodReads review
Elizabeth B's GoodRead's review
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2 comments:
Hm. Okay books are always difficult because I want to like them so much more than I did and for some reason I always have a little bit of guilt. Weird. I don't feel guilty when I really dislike a book, but when it's just okay I do which doesn't make any sense:) Too bad this one fell a little short!
December 13, 2011 11:20 AMSounds really cute. I'm going to take your advice and wait for this one to come to my library to read it. Wholesome mysteries with distinct characters are kinda find these days. Thanks Jennifer!
December 13, 2011 11:31 AMPost a Comment