THE CASE OF THE ABSENT ANSWERS

McKinney—Mickie McKinney, to be exact—takes his gig as a gumshoe very seriously. Wearing his signature hat and blowing bubbles from his pipe, he’s highly in demand at Maple Ridge Middle School, decoding mystery meatloaf ingredients and locating lost felines for his classmates in exchange for candy bars and other treats. He even has a staff member: child genius Jamie “Burners” Burns, who can always be found in the science lab. One morning, it’s business as usual for Mickie until a tall blond girl stomps into his classroom wearing fatigues and heavy boots. New to the small town of Maple Ridge, Vermont, by way of Fort Carson, Colorado, the girl doesn’t talk much, but Mickie is intrigued, especially after she rescues him from the clutches of school bully (and Cheese Nubs lover) Tommy Tubbins. The next day, the kids’ teacher Miss Caverly finds missing test answers in the new girl’s backpack—and immediately sends her to the principal’s office. Mickie knows something’s up: Why would a brand-new student, especially one with zero tolerance for bullies, immediately make major trouble for herself? Can the brainy Burns help? Or will this mystery be too much for the wily young Mickie? This is the first of Fink’s Mickie McKinney series, with a second due out this summer, and its mystery is simple and on target for its audience without talking down to them. Mickie, the first-person narrator, has a funny, distinctive voice (though the author repeats his signature catchphrase a bit too often) as well as secrets of his own that may be revealed in later volumes. Discussion topics and comprehension questions at the end—and illustrations throughout—make this an excellent choice for school libraries and reading programs.

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