It's okay to make mistakes

To add a little variety, and because every book contains some truth, I'm reviewing fiction books this week. The theme is mystery.





The Best Mistake Mystery
by Sylvia McNicoll


Stephen Nobel gets a little anxious sometimes and can't help counting all his mistakes. His anxiety rackets up a notch when the bomb squad blows up a backpack at his school and a car smashes into the building. To send him into over-analytical hyperdrive, someone's started blackmailing him. If he doesn't do what the blackmailer says, he/she will hurt Ping or Pong, the two dogs he's caring for. What's an anxious dogwalker going to do?

In this fast-paced mystery, Stephen sets out to find the suspect, aided by a new best friend, smart, know-it-all Renée. Over three days, Stephen makes thirty mistakes (10 mistakes per day). Some of his mistakes lead to bad consequences, but other mistakes lead to surprising results. In the end, he realizes that making mistakes isn't all that bad.

With likeable characters, slightly clueless adults, and a couple of really personable dogs, this is a fun, enjoyable, non-violent mystery that any kid can readily get into. And for those who can't quite follow the clues, an aftermath wraps up everything nicely.