ROOM ONE: A MYSTERY OR TWO by Andrew Clements
Ted Hammond loves mysteries. He loves reading them, but most of all he loves solving them. Unfortunately, in a tiny town with only one sixth-grader (Ted), there aren’t too many new or mysterious things going on. Until Ted sees a face in the window of the abandoned Anderson farm, that is. Ted’s investigation leads him to April and her family who are hiding out in the old farm and trying to avoid a man who is bothering April’s mom. This mystery is not as simple as the ones in the story books, and Ted finds that he must make a lot of difficult decisions in order to balance his friendship with April, his responsibility to be honest with the adults in his life, and his desire to make sure that April and her family are well taken care of.
Room One is more about friendship and responsibility than it is a mystery. Although there are certainly clues to unravel throughout the story, it will appeal most to readers who enjoy realistic fiction, stories about families, or stories about friendships. I would recommend this book to readers in grades 3-5.
Susan the Librarian 