Mystery in Mt. Mole
Grade 3-6-This meandering and disappointing mystery takes place in a town called Mt. Mole, which was built on a small volcano. When Mr. Farley, the despised assistant principal, disappears, no one cares except 12-year-old Andy, who sets out to find him. The plot is predictable, and it's difficult to care about the many characters and their plights. There is little depth or spark beyond their clever names-Dr. Blemish, Miss Fleece, and Mrs. Bagelbottom-and the nonstop, goofy monikers such as the Knott Hungry Cafe and the Butcher Beauty School are likely to bring groans rather than laughs. The ending is weak, with Andy discovering that this unlikable man is his father, a fact that his mother dismisses by saying, "That was a long time ago." A thin, uninvolving story that lacks resolution.JoAnn Jonas, Chula Vista Public Library, San Diego, CACopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.