West Meadows Detectives

July 27, 2015
“The school kitchen was a mess. It was also a crime scene.” Myron, a third grader with autism, narrates this series opener, which follows his efforts to identify a snack thief at his new school. Myron’s logic-driven outlook lends a hardboiled edge to the mystery; playing Watson to Myron’s Holmes is his hyperactive classmate Hajrah. With a cast that’s both ethnically and developmentally diverse, this school-day caper should entertain a broad range of readers, while also opening eyes to the perspectives of those not like themselves. “You think you have me all figured out?” growls a suspect at one point. “Not at all,” replies Myron. “You’re a very complex person.” Happily, the same is true of Myron and his classmates; while the conceit of a sleuth with autism has become borderline cliché, O’Donnell’s characters are more than their diagnoses. Ages 7–10.

September 1, 2015
His atypical brain helps an aspiring, autistic sleuth crack a case. Asked to write an acrostic of his name, Myron can't think of anything beyond the first word, "Mysteries." Myron is autistic, he tells a girl in his new class for kids with special needs; it means his brain works differently. It makes his head buzz when he's upset; it makes perfume and new situations overwhelming. It also makes him a persistent detective. Luckily, he encounters a mystery on his first day: someone has stolen the snacks from the school kitchen. With his reasoning skills and the help of his energetic new friend, Hajrah, Myron is determined to catch the snack snatchers. The simple mystery introduces deductive reasoning, and Myron's voice clues readers in to both his autism and sympathetic, occasionally humorous, earnestness. ("I don't see the point in kicking a ball across a field. It would be much easier to pick it up and carry it.") Like his acrostic, Myron's logical, literal narration reveals more plot than personality yet promises further development. He genuinely enjoys sleuthing (his affectionate dog is even named Columbo), deals with bullies, and makes friends; through Grand's animated illustrations, his facial expressions range from scowls and knitted brows to a wide grin. Autistic detective characters may have become slightly stereotypical, but O'Donnell gives Myron something they rarely get: opportunities to smile. An optimistic series beginning for young mystery fans. (Mystery. 7-9)

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September 1, 2015

Gr 2-4-Myron is starting third grade at a new school, West Meadows Elementary. He doesn't care much for new things, which make his brain itch, especially a bunch of new kids. But at this school, Myron has a special classroom, Room 15, where he has one helpful teacher and just a handful of classmates. Myron has autism, and the special classroom will help him stay calm and focused on learning. He has a small desk with shelves for books. These are mostly mysteries, because solving mysteries is something Myron loves to do. On the first day of school, there is a scream in the kitchen. Myron and his teacher discover the school cook surrounded by a mess-someone has stolen the morning snacks! Joined by his excitable classmate Hajrah, Myron searches for clues and discovers an unlikely thief. Written in first person from Myron's point of view, this is reminiscent of Marjorie Weinman Sharmat's "Nate the Great," books but is longer and more complex-perfect for a burgeoning reader. O'Donnell has created a series that young readers will be eager to return to as more titles are added. VERDICT A solid purchase that will diversify chapter book shelves.-Kathy Kirchoefer, Henderson County Public Library, NC

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