The London Eye Mystery
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Siobhan Dowd's The London Eye Mystery is about Ted, a 12-year old boy on the autism spectrum (though that's never named as such) who, with his older sister Katrina, tries to solve the mystery of 13-year-old cousin Salim's disappearance. The story is told by Ted. Adults smoke and drink, and there's a mention of kissing (with tongue).
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What's the Story?
When Salim disappears while riding in a sealed pod on the ride called the London Eye, his cousins Kat and Ted aim to solve THE LONDON EYE MYSTERY while their family falls apart and the police are baffled. Finding that the adults won't listen to them or take them seriously, they set off on their own to follow the clues and theories that Ted, whose brain works on "a different operating system," comes up with.
Is It Any Good?
This gripping novel scores on two counts -- as a mystery, and as a story with a compelling main character and narrator. First, the mystery is tightly constructed and solid. Too often mysteries for kids feel bogus or trumped up, with logic holes a mile wide, but here both the event and its resolution make perfect sense. Second, Ted's quirks are mostly endearing, and his eventual success is very satisfying. The author, though, is careful not to overdo it: Ted's neurological state is real, not cute, and his own awareness of it is poignant. For kids who like their mysteries realistic, The London Eye Mystery is a welcome addition to the genre.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how The London Eye Mystery portrays being on the autism spectrum. What are the advantages the main character has? Challenges? How do they balance out? How does Ted see the world?
What's fun about mysteries? Why are they so popular?
Is it valuable to read stories about kids whose brains work in different ways? Why is reading about a wide range of heroes important?
Book Details
- Author: Siobhan Dowd
- Genre: Mystery
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: David Fickling Books
- Publication date: February 1, 2008
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 8 - 12
- Number of pages: 322
- Last updated: July 12, 2017
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For kids who love mysteries and stories of neurodiverse kids
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