The Quick Fix

January 1, 2013

Gr 6-8-Seventh-grader Matt Stevens is in demand as a private eye. Melissa Scott, a respected cheerleader, hires him to find out why her basketball-star boyfriend is behaving strangely. It is up to Matt to follow the clues while avoiding the dangers that lurk at his middle school, including a team of bullies led by Vincent Biggio, aka Vinny Biggs, and Kevin, Matt's former friend. The bad guys wait in the corners with water guns to supply an embarrassing stream of water to unsuspecting students and thus putting them in "the Outs," the lowest group on the social ladder. With humor and wit, this intrepid, tough-talking, wise-cracking detective works toward unraveling two mysteries, one about a wooden ornament that everyone wants to get their hands on and the other about his dad, who disappeared more than six years ago. The quick-moving plot and interesting characters give this detective story plenty of reluctant-reader appeal. Although a sequel to The Big Splash (Abrams, 2008), there are enough clues from the previous book to allow for stand-alone reading.-Denise Moore, O'Gorman Junior High School, Sioux Falls, SD

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2013
Cunning detective Matt Stevens is hired by the head cheerleader and the school thug for two jobs that involve the same mysterious wooden trinket. Ferraiolo's crime-drama-homage sequel to The Big Splash presents another thrilling caper with enough plot twists, intrigue, and over-the-top similes ("She stood out...like a gazelle in a herd of cows") to keep reluctant readers interested and delighted.

(Copyright 2013 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)