Mystery Club

January 15, 2019
In this next installment in the graphic-novel series, fourth-graders become schoolyard sleuths.Even though it is populated with a menagerie of animal characters, Mr. Wolf's fourth-grade class's routine is easily recognizable: There are myriad classroom interruptions, spills, hallway lines, and recess shenanigans. Three classmates--Randy, a pastel pink cat; Margot, a chocolate-brown bunny; and hijabi Aziza, a lavender duck--decide to form a mystery club and vow to find missing playground balls, learn what happened to a beloved teacher, and ascertain whether a bathroom is haunted. As the girls work through solving their cases, the final conundrum culminates at Randy's birthday pizza party, which her entire class attends. Written and illustrated by Steinke, this authentic and charming comic offering is both eye-catching and accessible with its cheery plotlines and emphasis on friendship. The art is clean and bright, with simply rendered panels and clear speech bubbles. Since each volume shifts its lens to different students, this series works equally well as a stand-alone or as read sequentially; for those looking for more capers, a third volume is promised. Young readers should easily self-identify among the variety of animal characters, who encompass a broad spectrum of diversity, including having same-sex parents, dealing with anxiety, and ethnic differences. The last is cued with attire and naming convention, with no discernible attempt to correlate particular animals with particular cultural groups.Familiar, fun, and all-around delightful. (Graphic fantasy. 6-10)

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February 15, 2019
Grades 2-4 Things continue apace in Mr. Wolf's class, where the anthropomorphized animal students have clicked together like a well-oiled learning machine since readers' first visit to Hazelwood Elementary in Mr. Wolf's Class (2018). A mystery club has formed, and it pursues the secrets behind Mr. Green's disappearance (abducted by aliens? eaten by rats?) and the case of the missing Frisbee, even as the students gear up for an intergalactic birthday pizza party. A warm sense of community pervades the individual and group relationships here, though Mr. Wolf's equanimity is occasionally tested by Abdi, who in turn is frustrated by his teacher's rules. But this is just part of familiar school life, which young readers will easily recognize and invest themselves in. Even the rats turn out to have a good, community-based motive for being such pizza-snatching pests. Steinke's soft, friendly cartooning matches the welcoming tone and makes for good flow through the story, leaving room here and there for nifty visual invention?a thought balloon filled with its own panels and story is particularly striking.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)

March 1, 2019
In seven chapters, the anthropomorphized animal characters from Mr. Wolf's Class (rev. 7/18) go about their school day. Kids lobby for lockers, conduct a survey to see if classmates prefer baths or showers, and form a club to solve mysteries. ( What happened to Aziza's Frisbee? Is the girls' bathroom really haunted? Does Randy have a crush on Abdi? ) Through swift shifts in perspective, each character is shown with personality and depth. Readers meet Mr. Wolf's child; witness the anxiety of a student who doesn't have the money to purchase a birthday party gift; glimpse the life of a retired teacher; etc. The panel illustrations are straightforward and functional, and the subdued color palette spotlights the rainy Pacific Northwest-looking setting. Double-page spreads are used sparingly and to great effect, such as when a cup of coffee is spilled on the teacher and when the birthday celebration is in full swing. Smart foreshadowing, true-to-life dialogue ( the internet told me that ), and thoughtful, comedic asides make this an engaging and entertaining page-turner. elisa gall

(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 1, 2019
In seven chapters, the anthropomorphized animal characters from Mr. Wolf's Class go about their school day, including forming a club to solve mysteries. Through swift shifts in perspective, each character is shown with personality and depth. The panel illustrations are straightforward and functional, and the subdued color palette spotlights the rainy Pacific Northwestlooking setting. Smart foreshadowing, true-to-life dialogue, and comedic asides make this an entertaining page-turner.

(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)