 Rico is “a child proddity,” not prodigy, because his brain works like a “drum full of bingo balls.” He is also directionally challenged. His wondering about a single strand of spaghetti on the sidewalk outside his Berlin apartment leads him to Oscar, who is a true child prodigy. Oscar has a high IQ, a lot of anxieties, and he always wears a blue motorcycle helmet to protect his brain. When Oscar is kidnapped, Rico sets out to find his friend and catch the serial kidnapper know as Mr. 2000. This short novel with compelling characters is thoughtful and fun. mjw |
| Title: The Spaghetti Detectives Author: Andreas Steinhofel Publisher: Chicken House, an imprint of Scholastic Inc. Copyright: 2011 Original language: German Translator: Chantal Wright Original title: Rico, Oskar und die Tieferschatten Original publisher: Carlsen Verlag Gmb H, Hamburg Original copyright: 2008 ISBN: 978-0-545-28975-7 Hardcover pages: 176 Age range: 8-14 Genre: Fiction Book setting: Berlin, Germany Author’s residence: Germany Awards: 2009 German Youth Literature Prize, 2011 Marsh Award for Translation shortlist Subjects: Apartment houses, Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, Berlin, Europe, Germany, Mystery and detective stories, Single parent families, Western Europe |
The Spaghetti Detectives
Leave a reply
Teenage Veda, who studies classical Indian dance Bharatanatyam, is injured in a car accident and her leg has to be amputated below the knee. She is devastated, but an American doctor understands her love of dance and designs a special prosthetic limb for her. Veda starts dancing all over again. She meets Govinda, a student teacher, who shows her a new way to bring joy to her dancing and who becomes her love interest. This enthralling story of Veda’s journey and of familial relationships in modern India is told in verse that captures the fascination of India. mjw
Malik, a boy in a wheelchair, does batter with other kites in the Basant festival from his rooftop in Lahore, Pakistan. With Falcon, his specially built-for-speed kite, he captures many kites including two flown by the bully next door. His good natured spirit shines through when the bully takes a young girl’s kite and Malik, as king for the day, helps the girl. Cut paper, yarn, Pakistani fabric, ribbon and pencil sketch collage illustrations from varying perspectives provide a kite’s eye view of the festival. A pronunciation guide and an afterword about the celebration of Basant are included in the book, and a teacher’s guide is available on the 
Young Pedru, who lives in the village of Madune in Mozambique, loses his arm when a lion attacks him. As he recovers, he strengthens his drawing talent and his desire for revenge. He accompanies his father on a lion hunt and mistakenly kills a lion wearing a tracking collar. This leads him to a conservation research center where he learns to look at the relationship between lions and farmers in a different way. Black and white illustrations and simple language convey Pedru’s story. Helpful footnotes explain African flora and fauna. An afterward, “Living with Lions,” contains factual notes and information about the Niassa Carnivore Project of Mozambique. This book is the first in a series of books which combine real animals and conservation in fictional stories. mjw
OmniLibros 