The Best Mistake Mystery

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 Renée 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. (Mar.)