The Case of the Mystery Meat Loaf

Gr 4–7—Ben, Corey, and Hannah are surprised to find a new teacher in their Earth Science class at Woodlands Junior High. She introduces herself as Miss Hodges and explains that instead of Earth Science, they will spend the semester studying Forensic Science. The three friends are intrigued and quickly come to enjoy her class. The trouble begins when Miss Hodges discovers that the lunches served in the school cafeteria are unhealthy. The manager, Mrs. Collins, has a son, Ricky, who is not well liked by the other kids, and she has a reputation for high-fat meals. Miss Hodges convinces the principal to try out one day of a vegetarian entrée at the school. Mrs. Collins grudgingly prepares it, and everyone is pleasantly surprised at how tasty it is. But then several kids and the principal all come down with food poisoning, and Ben, Corey, and Hannah step in and try to find answers using some of the forensic techniques they have learned in class. This is a quick, light read, but it's not very exciting. It might appeal to fans of Donald Sobol's "Encyclopedia Brown" series, but for books with more action and suspense, suggest "The 39 Clues series" (Scholastic) or stand-alone titles such as Siobhan Dowd's The London Eye Mystery (Random, 2008) or Michelle Harrison's 13 Treasures (Little Brown, 2010).—Julie Shatterly, W.A. Bess Elementary School, Gastonia, NC