Farley, Christina. Museum Mayhem. Kate Fallahee, Illus. Mystery Masters. Lerner, 1/2025. 64pp. Fiction. PLB $31.99. 979-8765648353. Paper $12.99. 979-8765649718. GRADES 4–6. ADDITIONAL.
SERIES REVIEW: This series of reluctant reader mystery stories features short chapters and a limited number of pages. Each title’s six chapters follow a similar pattern: introduction to the characters and setting, defining a problem, following clues, and ending on a happy note. Varied settings and situations change up the mystery enough to not be overly formulaic. This reviewer read four of the eight series titles featuring a missing museum jewel, a school theater production being disrupted, a robot vanishing before a competition, and an odd escape room. Based on cover art and names, each title includes characters or protagonists of various ethnicities, though the stories do not readily reflect aspects of identifiable cultures. The characters are likely upper-elementary age, between fourth and sixth grade, depending on the story. Providing a small glimpse into the storyline, a limited number of b&w illustrations are scattered throughout the title. Designed to help with reading skills, each chapter includes a reflective question about what is going on in the story, and each book ends with a page about phonic skills related to words in the story.
Joshua Rees—Daly City Public Library