You Vs. The Poison Plot by Josh Hicks

Since we started on the mystery path yesterday, I decided to continue on! Today's read is in 'Choose Your Own Adventure' style. So, I'm curious how it does because I was a huge fan of these as a kid.

Get ready to make some decision and collect those clues!

YOU VS THE POISON PLOT

A Choose Your Path Mystery

by Josh Hicks

Candlewick

Middle Grade Mystery

224 pages

ages 8 to 12

COMING OCTOBER 13th!!!

Can YOU solve the biggest crime of the century (or at least of the after-school talent show)? With multiple choose-your-own paths, suspects to investigate, and endings to uncover, this fresh and funny whodunit—the first in an interactive series—puts readers in control.

When Mr. Rosso, the drama teacher, is found unconscious before the big school talent show, the theories for what happened are plentiful—and it’s up to the reader to solve the mystery. Through an exciting, page-hopping format, readers themselves decide how the story progresses. Should they question Levi, the popular kid with the voice of an angel? Investigate the crime scene with Allie, the sharp-eyed school newspaper photographer? Dig up dirt on Ms. Lynch, the nervous teaching assistant? Following the clues however they choose, readers might get caught in a wild goose chase or sleuth their way to the clever solution—in any case, the witty storylines paired with lively cartoon art make this an unforgettable DIY romp.

GOODREADS     /      PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

Each turn of the page might disclose new information as the reader does their best to get to the bottom of this mystery.

Mr. Russo, the drama teacher, falls unconscious right before the annual talent contest, and that while several contests are with him. As the school's journalist, there's no way you can let this huge story slide...but to be a great article in the school's paper, first you need to figure out what happened. With the paper's photographer at your side, the two of you try your best to figure out what is going on, but the more clues you discover, the foggier this mystery grows.

The choose-your-own tale style adds a nice layer to the mystery fun, especially since this one takes place in a school setting...something readers can easily sink into. There are quite a few suspects, and the search for clues leads to surprising locations. The clues take some thought to thread together because the answer isn't obvious even as the reader (main character) takes notes. Some decisions lead to unhelpful moments, while others uncover something big, and it's not always clear which choice heads where. So, this book keeps the reader in the pages.

Instead of leading the reader through a direct line of pages (depending on choices), the author sometimes uses central points to branch off and return to. For example, when Mr. Russo is discovered with various suspects present, each suspect leads to a different page-chain before returning back so readers can choose someone else or carry on. So, the adventure is never overly short. Also, if a wrong choice is made that would, normally, mean the end of that chosen tale direction, a 're-do' possibility is usually offered to reverse that wrong decision and continue with the tale. This gives the entire thing a buffered feel. 

This mystery fits the mid and lower end of the age group nicely and works well for even sensitive readers, since there isn't a murder and nothing grows dark. The plot is rather straightforward without giving much on the deeper, side-plots end outside of some lighter, possible motives from the suspects. There is a bit more dialogue than I've often seen in this type of book, which gives the reader some personality traits. So, while the reader is addressed with 'you' and makes the decisions, there is a main character-ish vibe about it, too. 

It's an entertaining read, which doesn't deliver the clues in a way to make the solution obvious, and there's a lighter atmosphere to keep everything from even thinking about nodding toward a dark direction. It also practices those reading skills, since it's not overly quick or short. The illustrations add to the mystery and help with the delivery of the clues. Summed up, it's an entertaining read.

And here he is...

Josh Hicks is a writer and illustrator based in Cardiff, Wales. He is the creator of the graphic novels Glorious Wrestling Alliance: Ultimate Championship Edition; Hotelitor: Luxury-Class Defense and Hospitality Unit; and Minecraft: Out of Order. When he’s not making books, Josh Hicks writes and directs for animation.

Shaila Holmes Fairy Detective by Lori Keating

Happy Monday! I'm starting out the week with a mystery...fantasy...fantasy-mystery? I found the cover endearing with the mix of fairy gentleness and Sherlock Holmes readiness. I'd never even dreamed these two worlds would meet, but now, I'm sure that it will work out wonderfully. Fairies can be up to so many things, and a mystery always adds intriguing spice. 

This read is for those readers, who are sure of their words but need more practice before heading into full-fledged middle grade novels. I'm hoping that means entertaining illustrations, wide spacing, and imaginative characters and clues. So, let's put on our sleuth caps and see what this fairy is up to.

SHAILA HOLMES FAIRY DETECTIVE

by Lori Keating

Illustrated by Kyria McKie

Literary Leaf Press

Children's Mystery

122 pages

ages 6 to 10

Hi there, Junior Detective!

I'm Detective Shaila Holmes, and I need your help.

My hummingbird sidekick, Itsy, and I have five mysteries to solve, and we can't do it alone.

There's a black widow spider whose red hourglass marking has mysteriously vanished, a missing pie at the Redwood Harvest Festival, and a few more puzzling cases to tackle.

Each mystery comes with tricky clues, curious critters, and just the right sprinkle of fairy dust!

Grab your magnifying glass and your sharpest fairy senses! These mysteries may be small, but they're full of big surprises!

Together, we'll follow the clues, crack the cases, and keep Englewood Forest safe.

Solve the mystery, spread the fairy dust!

GOODREADS    /    AMAZON     /     PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

In a lively forest, mysteries pop up and keep this adorable detective extremely busy.

Detective Shaila Holmes is a fairy and has just opened her own detective office with her hummingbird assistant, Itsy. She's placed a vibrant sign outside and hopes that someone will stop by and give her a good mystery to solve. It doesn't take long before she gets her very first case, a black widow spider whose red hourglass has disappeared. But this is only the first of five cases, each one very different from the last.

Those readers, who are very sure of their words and about to head on into the lower side of middle grade novels, will slide right into this read. The vocabulary builds word skills while the descriptions and plots are a little more complex (just slightly) than chapter books for practicing readers. I'd even recommend this for the hesitant lower end of the middle grade age group. I especially appreciate that the tale never seems overly simplified, but rather, opens up to a vibrant, animal community packed with personality. The characters are fun to meet and each one is different than the last.

There are five mysteries, each one its own separate tale....although they do mention characters from the other tales, at times. These mysteries take Shaila Holmes on very different adventures, and each time, it involves a new group of animals. From spiders to wolves, Shaila never knows who's going to knock at her door. Each ending also is a surprise to make it hard for readers to guess what is really going on. Sometimes, there is a villian. Other times, something else is at play. The clues are well laid, and Shaila keeps a notebook to mark each important thing she notices. There's also some humor to keep things light, but then, these mysteries are wholesome and very age appropriate. 

Each mystery holds a few chapters. These are only a few pages, making sure that none of the mysteries grow overly long. The illustrations bring Shaila Holmes and the other characters to life and add to the atmosphere. The entire set-up keeps each tale from growing too long, making this a lovely collection for even slightly reluctant readers.

As extra goodness, the author has worked in some animal facts. The species of each client Shaila helps is highlighted at the end of each tale with a few facts about that animal. This is sure to delight animal fans. The author also directs readers at the very end of the read to other books, where they can learn more about each of the animals. 

And here she is...

Lori Keating is an award-winning author known for her ability to create captivating stories for children of all ages and genres. When she isn’t busy writing or illustrating, she enjoys spending quality time with her amazing husband and daughter at the beach, boating, or cruising in their car with the music blasting and the sunroof open. Often, you’ll find her cozied up on the couch with a great book, fully absorbed in a world of adventure. For updates on Lori’s upcoming books, you can visit her website at www.lorikeating.com.

Our Favorite Day of the Week by Ashley Franklin

With school well underway, this seemed like a great read to add to the mix. At first, I wondered which day of the week these children would mark as their favorite. When I showed the book cover to my husband, he laughed and meant it surely wasn't a Monday. After a slightly closer look, though, I noticed that each one has something different in their hands...which might point to show-and-tell day? Do they still do that in school? Honestly, that was also one of my favorite days, and one of the most stressful, too. While it was fun to have the change-up and see the various things the others brought, that also meant I had to wrack my brains to figure out what I wanted to present. And what to say about it. So hard!

Anyway, the only way to find out which day is truly the favorite in these pages is to read them and find out. So, let's do that!

(After reading note: I was very wrong about the show-and-tell guess. So, do you have any idea what this one will be about...and yes, I have a tendency to not always read the blurbs before I read these. I'm a title and cover girl, through and through.)

 

OUR FAVORITE DAY OF THE WEEK

by Ashley Franklin

Illustrated by Rahele Jomepour Bell

Salaam Reads

Picture Book

40 pages

ages 4 to 8

COMING SEPTEMBER 29th!!!

Musa and his friends return to share their favorite days of the week and why each one is special to them in this sweet and heartwarming picture book sequel to Our Favorite Day of the Year.

Musa is excited to see his classmates at the start of the week, but when he sees Zohra looking sad and asks her why, he discovers Zohra is missing her favorite day of the week! She loves Tuesday, when her neighborhood sanitation workers come around. Musa’s other classmates have favorite days

Zadie’s favorite day is Thursday, when her grandma picks her up from school.
Mo’s favorite day is Friday, when he and his family have Shabbat dinner.
Moíses’s favorite day is Sunday, when he gets to play fútbol with his cousins.

In this charming story of friendship and celebrating differences, young readers can discover how entering discussions with an open mind and sharing parts of yourself bring friends together. And a note about the origins of the days of the week at the end of the book will delight children as they identify their favorite day!

GOODREADS    /     PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

Every day can shine, and while everyone has a favorite day of the week, the reasons for it are often very different.

Musa is off to school in the morning and excited to meet Zora, who walks with him. Today, she isn't exactly happy, and he wonders what is wrong. She tells him about her favorite day of the week and how she'll miss her Tuesday-morning-wave to the garbage men because she and her parents are traveling for a few days. Musa tells her about his favorite day of the week, too. Then, they meet Zadie, and she continues the fun. As they meet more kids in their class on the way to school, they learn about everyone's favorite day and the reasons behind it.

These pages build in several layers of messaging, while taking a familiar scene of children on the way to school. First, is a fun way to walk through the days of the week. As Musa meets each classmate, they tell him about their favorite day, which happens to always be the next one in the row. Starting with Tuesday, each child names the next as their favorite. This is never overly obvious, but clever listeners will notice, and it offers adult readers a chance to emphasize it each time and build it into a little learning tool. Then, there's cultural goodness. There's a wide variety as each child has a chance to shine. Lastly, there's the entire theme surrounding the reason that each day is marked as the favorite and how meaningful moments with loved ones makes an impact on feelings and lives. Of course, all of these are woven in with fun and joy as each child is very excited to explain their favorite days. The positive vibes are inspiring.

The illustrations let each scene and event come across with energy and enjoyment. There are enough details to draw in and make every moment familiar, but even the full page illustrations never add so many so as to pull away from the main theme. The characters are presented with smiles to make it clear how much fun they are having. The text works as a read-aloud, and it is also great for those readers, who are sure of their words, to pick up on their own. It seems as if the author kept this second group in mind while writing it. 

There is some extra information at the end surrounding the days of the week, how other countries see them, and very brief information as to where each day's name originated. This last part is very brief and offers an opening to deepen the theme. I'd especially recommend this read for classrooms, groups, or homeschoolers. 

And here they are...

Ashley Franklin is the author of Not Quite Snow White; “Creative Fixes” from the anthology Once Upon an Eid; “Situationally Broke” from the anthology What We Didn’t Expect; Better Together, Cinderella; The Masjid Kamal Loves; and more. Ashley received her master’s degree in English literature from the University of Delaware. She is an adjunct college instructor and proud mom. Ashley currently resides in Arkansas with her family.

Rahele Jomepour Bell is an illustrator of several picture books, including Our Favorite Day of the Year by A. E. Ali on the Salaam Reads list. Rahele came to the United States from Iran in 2011 and pursued her dream of studying art at Iowa State University where she received her MFA in integrated visual arts. She believes all people share a common home in planet Earth, but may differ in their skin color, way of life, and their thinking. She loves these differences and believes this is what makes the world a beautiful place to live. Visit her at RaheleStudio.com.

Guapo and the Mystery of Goodness Grove by Janet Zappala

As the owner of a small farm, today's read instantly caught my attention. I believe it's the third in a row of books surrounding Guapo and friends, but it's the first one I'm picking up. I highly doubt that will be a problem, though, and I'm definitely looking forward to seeing what this crew is up to. And the mystery. I'm always a fan of mysteries...even little ones.

So, let's open this one up and see what is going on.

GUAPO AND THE MYSTERY OF GOODNESS GROVE

by Janet Zappala

Illustrated by Lara Calleja

Mascot Kids

Picture Book

38 pages

ages 5 to 10

COMING NOVEMBER 10th!!!

Look closely, young readers, the greatest clues are in the kindness we show.

In this heartwarming third adventure of Guapo, the gentle giant, a mystery unfolds.
Follow along with Guapo and his friends as every act of goodness brings them closer to discovering the heart of the mystery.

A portion of the proceeds from Guapo's Stories go to the Coachella Valley Horse Rescue in Indio, California, and Come Back Ranch Animal Sanctuary in Eagar, Arizona.

GOODREADS

MY TIDBITS

Friendship, working together, and surprises follow this group of animals to create a wholesome adventure.

Guapo feels so sorry for a sad-looking tree, who appeared to be dying. He wants to save it and with the help of his friends, gives it water every day, but it doesn't really seem to be helping. When he and his friends assist a baby bird to return to its nest, they notice that the tree suddenly has leaves. Guapo has no idea how this change occurred so quickly and wonders if the good deed of helping the little bird had something to do with the tree's improvement. Not that it would really make sense. Or would it? These friends are determined to find out.

These pages pack tons of wholesome goodness and weave the plot around helping others. So, the messaging is very clear, but it works nicely with the group of friends and creates a lovely tale as Guapo and each of his friends do their best to find ways to help those around them. This forms a fun adventure as they hop from one good deed to the next. There's a touch of magic at the end to dab into the realm of fantasy, and this opens up to dreams. 

The tale creates a lovely read-aloud for individual settings. I'm not sure it would work as well for groups, since there are several illustrative scenes on each page, at times, which would be more difficult to present. Plus, there is a larger amount of text, making this an ideal read for story times or bedtime reads. 

Fans of animal adventures, friendships, and very wholesome reads are sure to enjoy this one quite a bit.

And here she is...

Janet Zappala: Following a career as an award-winning broadcast journalist – garnering six Emmy awards and 14 Emmy nominations – Janet became a bestselling children’s author, writing stories to teach children love and kindness. As a child, Janet would take in baby birds that had fallen from a nest in her backyard, and would care for guinea pigs and parakeets―not to mention her beloved terrier mix, Pepe. As a writer, Janet crafts tales to teach children kindness, compassion, and inclusion, built around real-life animal rescue tales. Janet was awarded the Children’s Author of the Year by the International Association of Top Professionals in 2025. She is a proud mother who is passionate about caring for children and animals. Learn more about Janet and Guapo’s Tales at her website.

Follow Janet on Social Media:

Instagram: @Janet_Zap

Facebook: @JanetZappala.GuaposTales 

LinkedIn: @JanetZappala

The Tiny Thing by Ellen Tarlow

THE TINY THING

by Ellen Tarlow

Illustrated by Lauren Stringer

Beach Lane Books

Picture Book

40 pages

ages 4 to 8

COMING OCTOBER 6th!!!

A mole stumbles upon a tiny thing and finds his life forever changed by the power of imagination and finding self-confidence in this tender and enchanting picture book.

When shy Mole is out walking one day, he sees a tiny thing. He brings it to his burrow and immediately sets out to make it feel at home. Mole, who had never been noticed by the squirrels or included by the birds, finds an imaginary friend in the tiny thing. Soon, he feels brave enough to share songs, secrets, and stories—and even bring the tiny thing out into the world!

Sometimes, even the tiniest of encouragement is all that’s needed to branch out and make new friends.

GOODREADS     /     PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

It's not easy to step beyond self-made boundaries and discover the world outside, and these pages show the magic of doing just that.

Mole is shy and keeps to himself, careful with everything he does. When he happens to pass by something very small, he can't help but take it back with him to his burrow. He dresses it up and creates a tiny friend. Before he knows it, he talks to the friend more and more often, and even begins dancing. He would have never trusted himself to do anything like that before, but the little friend offers silent encouragement. Finally, Mole even takes the little thing outside with him and continues to talk to it, building things and more...and this might lead to something he never would have guessed possible.

Mole is easy to like from the very first page. Although shy, it's clear he has a very gentle demeanor and kind heart. It's hard not to smile as he gives the tiny thing a bit of personality...something I could see listeners wanting to imitate to make their own Tiny Thing. Mole's ability to express himself grows from page to page, adding fun and a touch of humor along the way. It's heartwarming to watch. The end carries a lovely message to round everything off.

The illustrations draw in and bring across the scenes with wholesome goodness. Listeners will have no problem picking this up on their own to follow Mole's little adventure...and that of Tiny Thing. The text flows smoothly and works great for a read-aloud. It holds a steady pace despite the gentle plot and is sure to keep readers engaged, especially since the Tiny Thing holds a bit of a secret as well. This aspect only pops up in the illustrations and invites listeners to carefully watch what happens to Tiny Thing over time. 

It's an adorable, calming read with tons of warmth.

And here they are...

Ellen Tarlow writes stories for children, including the picture books Looking for Smile, Becoming Blue, and The Tiny Thing. She has been a teacher and for many years worked as an editor of early childhood classroom materials. Ellen lives in the Hudson Valley with her husband, David, a painter. 

Lauren Stringer has illustrated many celebrated picture books, including The Tiny Thing by Ellen Tarlow; Deer Dancer by Mary Lyn Ray; The Princess and Her Panther by Wendy Orr; Scarecrow and Snow, both written by Cynthia Rylant; as well as her own Winter Is the Warmest Season, When Stravinsky Met Nijinsky, The Dark Was Done, and An Abundance of Light. She lives with her family in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Visit her at LaurenStringer.com.