Lindy Blues: The Missing Silver Dollar (review)

Fourth-grader Lindy Blues markets herself as "Your Nose for News"; every day, she and her younger brother, Alex, go out in search of a story, film it, then broadcast it at 6:00 on an old TV in the garage for the "usual neighborhood audience." When Amy Becker discovers that a silver dollar is missing from her bank, she turns to Lindy Blues and her news team (that would be Alex) to help her solve the case. Part detective, part investigative reporter, Lindy is a likable new voice on the easy-reader mystery scene. Her humor is creatively executed in asides to the reader, adding a layer of depth to the development of Lindy's character. The journalism angle offers a nice addition to the usual kid-detective theme; Lindy is regularly jotting down ideas for later stories, and the way the case is presented on the camera is a constant consideration in her investigation ("I tell Alex to turn the camera away from [Amy's] face. My audience should not see that I have made a child cry"). While the focal mystery in this volume is somewhat slight (Amy didn't actually lose a silver dollar, she just got confused because she was counting backwards), the book is actually more lightheartedly focused on neighborhood doings (including a rocket-launching contest) than investigative journalism per se. The witty humor offers compensation for the slender plot, and the black-and-white illustrations, featuring round-faced, button-nosed, freckle-faced kids, offer visual interest. This is a natural step up for readers of Cam Jansen ready for a little more edge, and new fans can expect to hear from Lindy Blues again.