Author: Raj Haldar
Genre: mystery
Similar books: Samantha Spinner and the Super Secret Plans by Russell Gins
The Eagle of Rome by Dan Metcalf
Rating:
Summary (provided by publisher): Eddie and Molly-Jean are next door neighbors and best friends. One Saturday, Eddie's mom sends him up to the attic to get his great-grandpa's most prized possession (a book, of course). Eddie and Molly-Jean are suddenly transported to India where they must use their word knowledge to solve a mystery and help a new friend save his school.
My opinion: A novel is a great way to teach something. By integrating vocabulary and word origins into the plot we not only teach something in a semi-subtle way, they also suggest that learning is fun and useful. The plot is a bit contrived and doesn't always make a lot of logical sense, but logic isn't really the point. Even knowledge of words isn't the focus. The characters are rewarded for intellectual curiosity. They check their book often, looking up things they don't know.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
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