The London Eye Mystery

The London Eye Mystery
Siobhan Dowd
David Fickling/Random House, 2007
323 pages
Grades 4-7
Mystery

Ted is a boy with Asperger's Syndrome who resides in the center of London. He is brilliant at the weather and critical thinking, but is rubbish at emotions and body language. Life is turned upside down when Mum's estranged sister "Hurricane Gloria" comes to visit reroute to a new job in New York City, bringing along her teenage son Salim. Salim is not happy about the move, but is kind to Ted and his teenage sister, Kat, and the three form a friendship. Interested in the London Eye, the family plans a trip and a free ticket finds Salim boarding the famous landmark alone. As Ted and Kat watch in horrid fascination, Salim never exits the carriage. Aunt Gloria is frantic and the police and Salim's father eventually get involved in the disappearance. Ted and Kat, feeling responsible, develop different theories about what could have happened to their cousin and track down clues. Ted's brain certainly works differently than most folks, but it helps him to work out various conclusions before the police and he must exit his comfort zone to prove that he is right when no one will listen.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time lite, this title offers a first-person peek into of the workings of a brain with Asperger's. We see the disadvantages as Ted struggles with decoding emotions and speaking with strangers, particularly over the phone, and the advantages, as he pieces through the cues to solve the puzzle logically. Readers will enjoy solving the mystery right along with Ted and testing out their favorite theories, as they learn a bit about London and British culture along the way. Kat proves a perfect foil to Ted and the two form an unlikely partnership, yet one that works and brings them closer together as siblings. Aunt Gloria is, perhaps, the most interesting character in the book and steals the show with her dramatics, especially as seen through the eyes of Ted. By book's end Salim is found and the mystery is solved satisfactorily. When this British book first came to the states I read it, enjoyed it, recommended it to kids, and patiently waited for a sequel, yet none was forthcoming. It turns out that Dowd died with only a title for the next installation. British author, Robin Stevens, has picked up the title The Guggenheim Mystery and penned a new novel, following Ted and Kat as they visit Aunt Glo and Salim in New York. It was released last week and will hopefully be just as successful as its predecessor.