The Misfits Club

February 1, 2018

Gr 4-6-Sam, Chris, Brian, and Hannah have been solving mysteries together for years-or trying to. Their cases have always been a little bit lackluster, like the one with the cat burglar that turned out to be an actual cat, or the lost teapot that they never found. This time, though, they think they have discovered something big: while fulfilling a dare, newcomer Amelia stumbles onto what they first think is a ghost, but which turns out to be a smuggling operation. Together, the crew tracks down the bad guys using some questionable techniques, including hiding in the trunk of the villains' car and breaking into a house. With the help of a relative on the local police force, the bumbling criminals are brought to justice. The kids come from a diverse mix of backgrounds; Chris and Sam are of Nigerian heritage, Hannah is an adoptee born in Vietnam, and Brian and Amelia are White. This Irish import is a bit slow to start, but offers plenty of high jinks once it gets going, including a denouement featuring a honey badger. Some details require a hefty suspension of disbelief. VERDICT Hand this to readers with an uncritical love for kid sleuths. An additional purchase.-Misti Tidman, Mansfield/Richland County Public Library, OH

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from January 1, 2018
Grades 4-7 *Starred Review* Brian, Hannah, and twin brothers Chris and Sam have been part of the Misfits Club since they were eight years old. Together, they hang out in their headquarters, eat yummy snacks, and try to have adventures and solve mysteriessomething very hard to do in dull Newpark. With Chris and Sam moving in a few weeks, the Misfits Club will soon be disbanding, but when Amelia comes to the neighborhood to stay with her grandmother, the club leaps at the opportunity to bring in a new recruit. When the team plays Gravest Danger, a board game of their own invention, to see if Amelia has what it takes to be a Misfit, they finally stumble upon a real mysteryfilled with stolen jewelry and art and exotic animalsand they must work together to outsmart the criminals in what may be their greatest adventure. Entries from Amelia's journal, news clippings, and cases from the Misfits' casebook files are interspersed throughout the book, adding to the mystery, humor, and fun. Each of the kids has something to contribute to the group, and together they help one another deal with the changes they are each experiencing within their families. Filled with adventure until the very last page, and with incredible humor that will have readers laughing out loud, this action-packed, entertaining read is perfect for mystery fans.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)