Book Four: The London Eye Mystery

The London EYE Mystery by Siobhan Dowd
Publisher: Yearling; Reprint edition (May 26, 2009)
Genre: Mystery
Reading Level: Ages 9-12

The London Eye Mystery is an adventure seen through the eyes of an autistic 12 year old named Ted. Ted is one of two children (he also has an older sister Kat). The story starts when Ted's cousin comes to visit his family in London before his cousin (Salim) and his mother (Gloria) move to NYC. Ted's cousin Salim decides that he would like to see the London Eye before he left, so Ted's family along with Salim and Golria take a visit to the Eye. When their parents go to get coffee; Salim accepts a ticket from a suspicious man to ride the eye alone. When the eye comes back down Salim is no where to be found. This is the start to the adventurous mystery that Ted and Kat attempt to solve. Ted and Kat struggle to get their voices heard by the adults, and must go behind their parents backs to solve the mystery.

This was a very strong piece of writing. The story could really relate to a lot of different types of students and I think that is very important. There are so many possibilities on the different types of students you could reach with this book. The story presented through the eyes of an autistic boy really got me think about the amazing process of the brain, but also the struggles students have who have autistic siblings.  This story could reach students who are dealing with this, or students who are struggling to hear their voices heard by adults, coping with loss of a relative, and even students who struggle to get along with their families. The plot was very well developed, and the author does a great job of giving you periodic hints to help you form your own theory. This process makes the text very engaging, and really helps you interact with the text. When I was reading it I was trying as hard as I could before the end (which I did ). That was a sign of a great author, when she was leaving subtle hints that at the time seem insignificant but then stick with you throughout the story. These small but significant details together help you figure out what happened, and it gives you a sense of purpose while reading. The character development was exceptional, a lot like book three the author really did a fabulous job of putting me in the story. You really get to know Ted and his family throughout their various interactions with each other. I think an important part of the story is the idea that kids need their voices to be heard by adults, and often times what they have to say is very important. This is important to me because as a pre-service teacher it will be important for me to listen and learn from my students.

If I was using this book in my classroom I would definitely use this as an alley way to talk about writing a mystery story. I would also have the students start the writing process of their own mystery stories. I think it is important to read a type of genre before attempting to write a story within that type of style.

This book was fabulous I really enjoyed it. I would recommend this story to almost anyone, but I would for sure use this book if their were students dealing with issues that are addressed in this book The age level it is for is 9-12.

Thanks for reading y'all!

Gorms