We Are the Children

Gr 2—5—Sixth-grader Benjamin Pratt is about to embark on a mystery in the first book (Atheneum, 2010) in a new series by Andrew Clements. After receiving a peculiar gold coin from the school janitor, who unexpectedly dies, Ben finds himself on a quest to save his landmark elementary school from imminent destruction by developers who want to build an amusement park. When things don't feel quite right, and the new janitor appears to be a spy, Ben and his classmate Jill start digging for answers, hoping that secrets hidden in the building itself will help them to save the school. There are many questions left unanswered at the close of this first installment. Keith Nobbs does a skillful job of giving voice to each character. A great choice for young mystery fan who will eagerly await the next volume.—Amy Joslyn, Fairport Public Library, NY