Friday, February 19, 2016

Book review - The Sandwich Thief

Title: The Sandwich Thief
Author: Andre Marios
Genre: early chapter book/mystery
Similar books: The Magic Box by L. M. Falcone
                     The Case of the Stolen Sixpence by Holly Webb Rating:
kinda fun

Summary (provided by publisher): Marin loves the sandwiches his parents make for him—every day they're different and more delicious than the last. One morning, someone dares to steal his favorite sandwich: ham-cheddar-kale. Furious, Marin begins a fevered and famished investigation to unmask the thief. The days go by, the suspects multiply, and Marin's sandwiches continue to disappear. This droll, graphic caper is a funny school mystery exploring the high stakes of low blood sugar. The first in a series, the book's witty text and graphic illustrations make this funny school mystery perfect for early and advanced readers alike—and for anyone who's been the victim of lunchtime crime. 

My opinion: Positives for this one: It's a mystery for young kids that involves an actual crime, a genuine theft. Sure the stolen objects are sandwiches but its theft nonetheless. Little kid mysteries tend to fall into the missing object-misunderstanding vein. This is a nice change of pace. Marin makes a list of suspects and motivations, follows clues, and draws conclusions. Solid mystery elements. As a side benefit, it advocates the consumption of diverse "real" foods instead of the same-old-same-old processed fare. Negatives: the conclusion is odd. While having his mother create mysterious flavor balls to put in the trap sandwich makes it a non-imitatable stunt I can't help but wonder if there might have been a more believable solutions. Plenty of illustrations, though, supporting the text with a great range of facial expressions.

More information: The Sandwich Thief releases March 1.
Advance Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.

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