Missing!

May 1, 2005
Gr. 3-5. The fourth installment in the historical Cascade Mountain Railroad Mysteries series is a typical mystery-adventure in which foolhardy but likable "gosh and golly" children do the sleuthing without benefit of adults. The story is slight: things are going missing from the railroad workers camp where Billy's father is foreman, and Billy, Dannie, Finn, and Billy's visiting younger cousin Mim think they can find the thief. Then suddenly Mim becomes secretive, leaving the others to wonder if she knows more than she's telling. Readers who have paid attention won't be surprised by the identity of the culprit. What's distinctive about the story is the relationship between the cousins. Billy's jealousy upon realizing that Mim can best him at some of his favorite things will strike a familiar chord among a lot of young readers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2005, American Library Association.)