Smashie McPerter and the Mystery of Room 11

December 8, 2014
Third-grader Smashie McPerter faces the wrath of her classmates when Patches, their beloved class hamster, goes missing, in this lively, funny mystery. Mr. Carper, the students’ ridiculous substitute teacher, who has a hilarious penchant for nicknames (Athletic-Looking Boy, Girl with the Socks, etc.), loathes thinking, and cares only about his aspiring modeling career. When Smashie—eccentric, spontaneous, and the only student who doesn’t like Patches—is blamed for the hamster’s disappearance, she knows she must solve the mystery, aided by Dontel, her best friend. Griffin (The Whole Stupid Way We Are) uses humor to tackle issues most children grapple with at some point, and Hindley’s (How to Wash a Woolly Mammoth) loose b&w sketches play up the madcap energy at Rebecca Lee Crumpler Elementary School. Smashie’s earnestness is sometimes absurd (“We have to question me closely”), but her positive energy and determination are impressive. Readers will be learning and laughing heartily as Smashie dons her “Investigator Suit” and uses “thinking power” to try to prove herself. Ages 7–10. Author’s agent: Linda Pratt, Wernick & Pratt. Illustrator’s agent: Jodie Hodges, United Agents.

January 1, 2015

Gr 3-6-Meet Smashie McPerter. She's not your average third grade student by any stretch of the imagination. Overly dramatic, extremely independent, and opinionated to a fault, Smashie will endear herself to many readers because she can make even the most outlandish people feel rather normal. Incredibly precocious, Smashie and her friend Dontel often use vocabulary far beyond their years. As a result, the characters do not come across as authentic nine-year-olds, and some readers may find the language challenging. Aside from this, the story is well written and evenly paced, with great supporting characters to root both for and against. The main story centers on trying to solve the mystery of the missing class pet; a plot line most elementary-aged students will find familiar. Readers learn about investigative principles and how to use organization and the process of elimination. A gentle and humorous mystery for younger middle grade readers.-Chad Lane, Easton Elementary, Wye Mills, MD

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2014
Smashie McPerter has made her distaste for Patches, Room 11's new class hamster, abundantly clear-so when he is stolen from his cage, she immediately becomes a prime suspect.It's been a particularly terrible day. Room 11 is suffering under the thoroughly incompetent attentions of sub Mr. Carper, a rank narcissist. One of their number has begun booby-trapping objects with glue so when they are picked up, hand and item are fused. Principal Anderson is positively "ILL" at the mayhem. So when Patches goes missing, Smashie and her best friend, Dontel, turn detective; it will take all of Smashie's wildly intuitive imagination and Dontel's contemplative smarts to restore peace and hamster to Room 11. Though Smashie's quirky ebullience can't be disputed, she is no Ramona/Junie B./Clementine clone. Deeply concerned with justice, she is also sweetly empathetic in the face of her classmates' distress. The levelheaded Dontel makes a splendid foil. Griffin writes a consistently smart book, layering subplots and red herrings on her central mystery and unapologetically using $20 vocabulary. She carefully provides context clues that will help her young middle-grade audience understand challenging words, introducing Smashie's discomfort at "the weight of [her classmates'] unjust censure" with the crystalline observation that they "were angrier at her than ever!" A singularly appealing group of kids populates this nifty mystery for readers ready for a challenge. (Mystery. 7-10)

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March 1, 2015
Griffin takes a breather from heavy drama (her debut was the YA novel The Whole Stupid Way We Are, rev. 7/13: "Hand it to those who like their tearjerkers realistic and unrelenting") with this light, entertaining middle-grade mystery. Protagonist Smashie (why is she named that? We don't know) and her best friend Dontel investigate the disappearance of class-pet hamster Patches. This is on top of a missing kangaroo-shaped brooch belonging to a teacher and the Mystery of the Mad Gluer -- someone in Room 11 is gluing people to various items, including a ruler, a balaclava helmet, and the floor. Some strong suspects emerge: a narcissistic substitute teacher, a classmate known for playing pranks, and even Smashie herself, whose feelings for Patches arecomplicated (for one thing, she's scared of his feet). Readers could maybe figure out the somewhat convoluted mysteries, but they'll more likely just have fun going with Smashie's flow -- her custom-made outfits ("Investigation Suit," "Distracting-Adults-from-Messes Suit"), shaky logic ("A little soft creature should have little soft feet!"), wrongheaded accusations, and triumphant redemption. Black-and-white illustrations throughout display Smashie's individuality and verve; the one with the pillow on her head, standing in for a barrister's wig, pretty much says it all. elissa gershowitz

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