The Missing Baseball

March 15, 2018
Lupica kicks off a new series starring a pair of 8-year-old twins who solve sports-themed mysteries.Even the pleasures of competing in various events during his school's Spirit Week dim a smidge for Zach Walker when the prized autographed baseball he brings to his third-grade class for show and tell vanishes. Happily, his bookish but equally sports-loving sister, Zoe, is on the case, and by the time of the climactic baseball game at week's end, she has pieced together clues and deductions that lead to the lost treasure--which had not been stolen but batted through an open window by the teacher's cat and stashed in a storage shed by the custodian. In the co-published sequel, The Half-Court Hero, the equally innocuous conundrum hangs on the identity of the mysterious "guardian angel" who is fixing up a run-down playground basketball court. Along with plenty of suspenseful sports action, the author highlights in both tales the values of fair play, teamwork, and doing the "right thing." The Walker family presents white, but in both the narrative and Danger's appropriately bland (if inappropriately static) illustrations, the supporting cast shows some racial and ethnic diversity.Wholesome, uncomplicated fare for the younger Matt Christopher crowd. (Fiction. 7-9)

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April 1, 2018

Gr 1-4-Zach and Zoe are twins with a passion for sports of all kinds. In the first entry of this new series, The Missing Baseball, Zach brings his most special autographed baseball to school for sharing with his classmates. It goes missing, and Zoe is on the case. In between gathering clues, the twins play soccer, basketball, and baseball. The mystery comes to a gentle ending and a climatic baseball game is won by Zoe with good sportsmanship shown by her loyal brother. In the second title, The Half-Court Hero, the twins are in a weekend basketball tournament. The court where they are to play is in pretty rough shape: broken benches, no nets, and it's in need of repainting. A mysterious benefactor begins nightly repairs on the court, and Zoe and Zach gather clues to solve the mystery of the do-gooder. All is neatly wrapped up at the end of this short chapter book. Zach and Zoe are likable and kind to each other, and their parents are supportive. Lupica knows how to write sports action with a heart, but his skill as a mystery writer for the chapter book crowd is not as refined. The clues are a bit too obvious and the resolution to the puzzles is not terribly engaging. Kids will appreciate that the sports action doesn't focus on just one sport per title, but the mystery elements won't keep many readers puzzling-they will have figured it out long before the twins do. VERDICT Give these to young readers who are looking for easy sports fiction or who are new to the mystery genre. An additional selection.-John Scott, Friends School of Baltimore

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2018
Grades 2-4 Eight-year-old twins Zach and Zoe both love sports, so they're looking forward to Spirit Week, when third-graders compete in races, contests, and a baseball game. For a special show-and-tell session, the students present things that are important to them. Zach brings in the treasured baseball that he caught after his favorite player hit it over the Green Monster at Fenway Park. When the ball goes missing, Zoe turns detective, observing and investigating with Zach's help until the case is solved. This volume leads off the Zach & Zoe Mysteries series, aimed at readers who are moving up to chapter books. A New York Daily News columnist as well as the author of sports fiction for adults, young adults, and middle-grade kids, Lupica writes with clarity and keeps the story moving at a good pace. Occasional grayscale illustrations add visual appeal. While many of the characters and their relationships seem idealized, young readers who enjoy sports and mysteries may find this series a good choice. The second volume, The Half-Court Hero, will be published simultaneously.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)