The Best Mistake Mystery

Gr 4–7—A heartwarming mystery that illustrates that mistakes are not always a bad thing. A small Canadian town experiences upheaval when the local school seems to be terrorized by a mysterious person. New dog walker extraordinaire Stephen has been anxious about surviving middle school since his best friend moved away. After he finds out why his school was closed for the day, his dog-walking misadventures lead him to Renée, the class know-it-all, who soon enlists Stephen's help in solving the mystery before her brother, a notorious teen prankster, gets blamed for the latest troubling series of events. The pair set out on a quest to clear Renée's brother's name. While readers may find the story line interesting, the tone and characters are bland and the ending is less than thrilling. However, some readers may appreciate that everything works out in the end.