Smashie McPerter and the Mystery of Room 11 (Smashie McPerter Investigates #1)

by N Griffin (Author) Kate Hindley (Illustrator)

Who stole the hamster from Room 11?

A once-happy class is set on edge in this humorous, highly relatable mystery perfect for middle-grade readers.

The day the hamster disappears from Smashie McPerter's class begins like any other. Well, except for the fact that the teacher is out sick and Smashie's class is stuck with Mr. Carper, the worst substitute in the world. And except for the mysterious business with the glue. And except for the fact that Smashie is wrestling with a terrible problem, which only partly stems from her extreme aversion to hamster feet. As the peaceable and productive days of Room 11 turn into paranoia-fueled chaos, as natural suspects produce natural alibis and motives remain unmotivated, Smashie and her best friend, Dontel, are forced to the limits of their parlor-room detecting to set things right.

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Kirkus

Griffin writes a consistently smart book, layering subplots and red herrings on her central mystery and unapologetically using $20 vocabulary. She carefully provides context clues that will help her young middle-grade audience understand challenging words, introducing Smashie's discomfort at "the weight of [her classmates'] unjust censure" with the crystalline observation that they "were angrier at her than ever!" A singularly appealing group of kids populates this nifty mystery for readers ready for a challenge.

None

Readers will have fun going with Smashie's flow--her custom-made outfits ("Investigation Suit," "Distracting-Adults-from-Messes Suit"), shaky logic ("A little soft creature should have little soft feet!"), wrongheaded accusations, and triumphant redemption. Black-and-white illustrations throughout display Smashie's individuality and verve.

Publishers Weekly

Third-grader Smashie McPerter faces the wrath of her classmates when Patches, their beloved class hamster, goes missing, in this lively, funny mystery. Mr. Carper, the students' ridiculous substitute teacher, who has a hilarious penchant for nicknames (Athletic-Looking Boy, Girl with the Socks, etc.), loathes thinking, and cares only about his aspiring modeling career. When Smashie--eccentric, spontaneous, and the only student who doesn't like Patches--is blamed for the hamster's disappearance, she knows she must solve the mystery, aided by Dontel, her best friend. Griffin (The Whole Stupid Way We Are) uses humor to tackle issues most children grapple with at some point, and Hindley's (How to Wash a Woolly Mammoth) loose b&w sketches play up the madcap energy at Rebecca Lee Crumpler Elementary School. Smashie's earnestness is sometimes absurd ("We have to question me closely"), but her positive energy and determination are impressive. Readers will be learning and laughing heartily as Smashie dons her "Investigator Suit" and uses "thinking power" to try to prove herself. Ages 7-10. Author's agent: Linda Pratt, Wernick & Pratt. Illustrator's agent: Jodie Hodges, United Agents. (Feb.)

Copyright 2014 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

School Library Journal

Gr 3-6—Meet Smashie McPerter. She's not your average third grade student by any stretch of the imagination. Overly dramatic, extremely independent, and opinionated to a fault, Smashie will endear herself to many readers because she can make even the most outlandish people feel rather normal. Incredibly precocious, Smashie and her friend Dontel often use vocabulary far beyond their years. As a result, the characters do not come across as authentic nine-year-olds, and some readers may find the language challenging. Aside from this, the story is well written and evenly paced, with great supporting characters to root both for and against. The main story centers on trying to solve the mystery of the missing class pet; a plot line most elementary-aged students will find familiar. Readers learn about investigative principles and how to use organization and the process of elimination. A gentle and humorous mystery for younger middle grade readers.—Chad Lane, Easton Elementary, Wye Mills, MD

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

N. Griffin's charming book, SMASHIE McPERTER AND THE MYSTERY OF ROOM 11, solidly combines a day in the life of a normal third grader with some kid-level, hard-boiled sleuthing. Accompanied by a collection of illustrations by Kate Hindley, this book balances itself as an adorable and wonderfully character-driven story.
—KidsReads.com

This fine story of investigation and discovery is perfect for advanced elementary to middle school leisure readers.
—Children's Bookwatch

Smashie is a unique and engaging heroine, and her relationship with the likable Dontel is credible and endearing. Plentiful humor in the colorful characterizations and amusing phraseology ("The children waved their outerwear like pitchforks") make this an excellent readaloud selection as well.... Kids moving up from Cam Jansen will find Smashie an entertaining next step.
—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
N Griffin
N. GRIFFIN is the author of the Smashie McPerter series, as well as The Whole Stupid Way We Are, for which she was named a Publishers Weekly Flying Start author. Her other books include Just Wreck It All and Trigger. She received her MFA from the Vermont College of Fine Arts.

Kate Hindley is a children's book illustrator living and working in the U.K. She worked as a print designer before illustrating her first book, Claire Freedman's The Great Snortle Hunt, which was nominated for the Kate Greenaway Medal. Since then, she has illustrated a number of books, including the Smashie McPerter chapter books, The Same But Different Too by Karl Newson, and Don't Call Me Choochie Pooh! by Sean Taylor.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780763661458
Lexile Measure
600
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Candlewick Press (MA)
Publication date
February 10, 2015
Series
Smashie McPerter Investigates
BISAC categories
JUV019000 - Juvenile Fiction | Humorous Stories
JUV002180 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | Mice, Hamsters, Guinea Pigs, etc.
JUV028000 - Juvenile Fiction | Mysteries, Espionage, & Detective Stories
Library of Congress categories
Theft
Mystery and detective stories
Detective and mystery stories
Secrecy
Elementary schools
Hamsters

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