The Best Mistake Mystery
The Great Mistake Mysteries
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5.0 • 1 Rating
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- $7.99
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
Some people count their blessings, but dogwalker Stephen Nobel counts mistakes.
Dogwalker extraordinaire Stephen Nobel can get a little anxious, but his habit of counting the mistakes he and everyone else makes calms him. His need to analyze gets kicked into hyperdrive after two crazy events happen in one day at school: the bomb squad blows up a backpack and someone smashes a car into the building.
To make things worse, that someone thinks Stephen can identify them. Stephen receives a threatening text. If he goes to the police, his favourite dogs, Ping and Pong, will get hurt. The pressure mounts when his new best friend, Renée, begs for Stephen’s help. Her brother has been charged with the crimes and she wants to clear his name.
Is it a mistake to give in to dognappers? How can he possibly save everybody? To find out, Stephen will have to count on all of his new friends.
CCBC’s Best Books for Kids & Teens (Fall 2017) Selection
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this lightly diverting kickoff to the Great Mistake Mysteries trilogy, seventh grader Stephen Noble documents the mistakes he believes he is prone to making. After school, Stephen works for his father's dog-walking company, which opens up a whole new world of potential gaffes. Though Stephen's mistakes are quite minor (they include jumping to conclusions at a fire drill and accidentally dropping a bag of dog doo in a recycling bin), he tends to worry and overanalyze each one. McNicoll (Best Friends Through Eternity) uses her character's nervousness to tell a broader story about threats, pitfalls, and human error. Danger hits close to home when a bomb squad is called to Stephen's school, and a car crashes into the gym; Stephen and his assertive friend Ren e investigate. As Stephen slowly gains perspective on threats both real and exaggerated and begins to see his attention to detail as an asset, he might persuade a few worrywarts to rethink their outlook. Though it's not the most suspenseful of mysteries, readers (especially those with a soft spot for dogs) should look forward to Stephen's future adventures. Ages 9 12.
