In a nutshell: a clever bit of detection in the classroom | This satisfying, entertaining classroom crime caper thoroughly respects its young readers’ intelligence. Smashie and Dontel are smart as they come and when the school hamster disappears from his cage they decide to unravel the mystery. Little do they know that in fact their classroom has been the scene of not one but three crimes; it will take all their ingenuity and teamwork to find the culprits. Their approach to crime solving is as rigorous as any grown up detective and during the course of the book readers will learn terms such as ‘exonerate’, ‘caveat’ and ‘circumstantial evidence’. With a cast of delightfully eccentric teachers and quirky students, there’s as much to make readers to laugh as there is to stimulate their grey matter and this is highly recommended.
If this whets readers’ appetites for idiosyncratic young detectives, Alexander McCall Smith’s Precious Ramotswe series will be right up their street. ~Andrea Reece
In the first book in this humorous mystery series, perfect for fans of David Baddiel, the school day begins like any other. But when the class realize their beloved pet hamster is missing, it's not long before Room 11 descends into paranoia-fueled chaos, natural suspects produce natural alibis, and motives remain unmotivated. Now it's up to Smashie and her best friend, Dontel to do some super-sleuthing and set things right again.
“Smashie will endear herself to many readers. . . A gentle and humorous mystery for younger middle grade readers.” School Library Journal
Author
About N. Griffin
N. Griffin is the author of Smashie McPerter and the Mystery of Room 11 as well as The Whole Stupid Way We Are, for which she was named a Publishers Weekly Flying Start. She lives outside Boston, USA.
