West Meadows Detectives: The Case of the Snack Snatcher: Liam O'Donnell

Book: West Meadows Detectives: The Case of the Snack Snatcher
Author: Liam O'Donnell
Illustrator: Aurelie Grand
Pages: 128
Age Range: 7-10 (illustrated early chapter book)

The Case of the Snack Snatcher is the first book in the new West Meadows Detectives early chapter book series from Owl Kids. The Case of the Snack Snatcher is told from the perspective of Myron, who is starting as a new third grade student at West Meadows Elementary. Myron, who is autistic, spends his mornings in a special class, Room 15, though he is in a regular class in the afternoons.

On his very first day, Myron, who fancies himself a detective, sets out to solve a mystery involving the theft of the morning's snacks. He is soon joined in mystery-solving by fellow Room 15 denizen Hajrah (there because she "bounce(s) around too much"). Myron and Hajrah look for clues and experience intimidation by a couple of school bullies. They are supported and encouraged by the school's staff, particularly their teacher, Mr. Harpel.

Myron's voice works well. He clearly thinks in a different way than other kids do, but not in such a different way that young readers will find him hard to connect with. Some of his particular autistic traits serve him well as a detective (such as keen senses of smell and hearing). I was reminded of The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd, but The Case of the Snack Snatcher is more accessible for young readers. Like this:

 ""Stop digging your heels into the sidewalk," Mom said. "Let's go!"

I wasn't really digging my heels into the sidewalk. That would be impossible. The sidewalk is made of concrete. My heels are made of skin, bone, muscles, and blood. And I only had running shoes on. It was an expression. I don't like expressions, either." (Page 8)

And:

"I was also too busy thinking about the Meadows Fireballs.

Apparently, they are a big soccer team in town. I didn't know anything about them. I'm not a big soccer fan. I'm not a big any-sports fan. I don't see the point in kicking a ball across a field. It would be much easier to pick it up and carry it." (Page 94)

Hajrah is simply delightful, buoyant and impervious to rejection, she is the perfect foil for Myron. Like this: 

"Hajrah didn't walk down the corridor--she zipped. She had one speed: fast. She did not zip in a straight line. She carved high-speed curves down the hallway, like a downhill skier. And she talked the whole way." (Page 35)

I did think that the adults in The Case of the Snack Snatcher were implausibly slow on the uptake at times, but I don't think that will be a negative with the book's target audience. The mystery itself, while not complex, was not obvious, either. The Case of the Snack Snatcher has a nice mix of action and character development for the target age range. Aurelie Grand's occasional black and white illustrations help by highlighting Myron's somewhat fussy personality, as well as the diversity of the other characters. 

So we have a literal-minded kid who sets himself up as a detective. We have another kid who can't sit still (and, bonus, comes from an ethnically diverse background). These characters are set against a cozy elementary school setting. And there's a mystery involving the theft of snacks. Who doesn't love snacks? The Case of the Snack Snatcher is total kid-friendly fare. I look forward to seeing future books in the West Meadows Detectives series. This title is well worth a look for library purchase, or for home use by mystery-loving newer readers.  

Publisher: Owl Kids (@OwldKids) 
Publication Date: October 13, 2015
Source of Book: Review copy from the publisher

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