Eddie Red Undercover

May 5, 2014
A normal day turns into a life-changer for African-American New York City sixth-grader Eddie Red when he learns that his father's job loss means he can no longer attend private school. After Eddie witnesses a scuffle in an alley, the police, led by surly Detective Bovano, are impressed when Eddie uses his photographic memory to sketch the perpetrator perfectly. Promising wages and to fund Eddie's schooling, the police hires the 11-year-old to visit museums and identify disguised members of the Picasso Gang, art thieves wreaking havoc on Museum Mile. Since Detective Bovano won't release specific information on the long-open case or give him a weapon, Eddie taps the expertise of his highly intelligent, obsessive-compulsive best friend Jonah, who schemes alongside him. In Wells's lighthearted, voice-driven debut novel, first in a planned series, Eddie never truly seems in danger, but his audacity and persistence, a clever mystery that unfolds atmospherically, and Calo's sly pencil portraits result in a fun sleuthing story. Ages 9â12. Agent: Kristin Nelson, Nelson Literary.

April 1, 2014

Gr 4-6-Edmund Xavier Lonnrot has a photographic memory and amazing art abilities, but in lots of ways he is just an ordinary sixth grader-growing tongue-tied and sweaty-palmed around a crush, playing video games with his best friend, and trying to convince his parents to give him more independence. His remarkable skills come to the attention of the local police, after he witnesses a man fleeing an altercation. Eddie can draw the suspect from memory and he is hired to help with a complicated art-theft case. Now known as "Eddie Red"-the codename he is given-he is eager to help, hoping to earn money to keep attending the school he loves in the wake of his father's recent layoff. Although he assists the police, his realistic sixth-graderness leads to some problems: using an officer's taser just like in the movies, getting really bored during stakeouts, and getting tied up after underestimating the real dangers involved. The plot moves along at a good pace, and though at times it strains belief, most readers won't mind. Eddie's portraits are sprinkled throughout the book, giving it added visual appeal and filling in some of the gaps in character development. "Eddie Red" is bound to be a series that will appeal to fans of fast-paced mysteries who have outgrown David A. Adler's "Cam Jansen" (Viking) books, but are not quite ready for the nuance of Blue Balliett's Chasing Vermeer (Scholastic, 2004).-Gesse Stark-Smith, Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR

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