The Mystery of the Missing Everything

Gr 4—7—Bethesda Fielding, previously featured in The Secret Life of Ms. Finkleman (Harper, 2010), is now an eighth grader at Mary Todd Lincoln Middle School. She relishes solving a good mystery and gets the chance to do so when the school's lone sports trophy is stolen from a glass case near the office. Principal Van Vreeland, portrayed in broad caricature, overreacts to the theft by canceling all school trips, even the popular week of outdoor education at Taproot Valley. In response, Bethesda determines to solve the crime, and the plot moves along in a humorous and engaging style while the mystery seems to expand in several unforeseen directions. For instance, someone tries to thwart her investigation by flattening her bike tires and filling her locker with silly string. And her friend Tenny Boyer, whom she recruits to interview suspects, won't divulge why he has returned to MTLMS after beginning the year at another school. Noises in the school's ductwork and the letters "IOM" inscribed on the wall of the smashed trophy case add further puzzling details. Ms. Finkleman gets involved by seeking funds for the eighth grade's "Save Taproot Valley" Web video. At an assembly, she fingers Tenny as the culprit in a dramatic effort to catch the real thief. Winters differentiates his large cast of characters by providing insights into a variety of adolescent vulnerabilities, making this a case that will interest both solid and reluctant mystery readers.—Susan W. Hunter, Riverside Middle School, Springfield, VT