Hide and Geek

November 1, 2021
A group of bright friends tackles the puzzle of their lives. Elmwood, New Hampshire, 11-year-old Gina Sparks is small in stature but big on reporting ongoing dramas for the local newspaper with support from her journalist mom. When an unbelievable scoop comes her way, Gina must rely on her tightknit crew of sixth grade best friends whose initials happen to spell GEEK, a label they choose to proudly reclaim. She and science-minded prankster Elena Hern�ndez, theater kid Edgar Feingarten, and driven math genius Kevin Robinson decide to get to the bottom of things when they learn that the Van Houten Toy & Game Company heir made elaborate plans to leave everything to the town of Elmwood before her death--but only if a member of the community could solve an intricate multistep puzzle. Gina hopes that deciphering the clues and finding the missing fortune will be just the thing to revitalize the down-on-its-luck town and bring the Elmwood Tribune back into the black, saving her mom's job and Gina's passion project. The GEEKs work together, using their individual talents and deductive reasoning skills to unravel the mystery. Infused with media literacy pointers, such as the difference between fact and opinion and reminders to avoid bias when reporting, the story encourages readers to think critically. Gina and Edgar read as White; Elena is cued as Latinx, and Kevin is implied Black. A snappy mystery that's full of heart. (Mystery. 9-13)

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November 8, 2021
Known for bestselling 3-D puzzle the Bamboozler, the Van Houten Toy and Game Company—and Elmwood, N.H., where the company is based—has been in decline ever since the business’s founder died and her children took over. With the company on the verge of shutdown, the town’s only hope for continuation is for someone to solve the clues Maxine left behind and find her fabled fortune. Enter the GEEKs, a quartet of 11-year-old friends: white actor and musical theater lover Edgar Feingarten, Latinx scientist and prankster Elena Hernández, Black-cued math genius and three-time class president Kevin Robinson, and white aspiring journalist Gina Sparks. If the town continues to decline and their parents have to seek new jobs elsewhere, they’ll be split up, so they vow to locate the treasure and save the town—but they’re not the only ones on the hunt. In a brain-teasing race against time, the intrepid four delve into Elmwood, whose past and present is filled with colorful characters and intriguing locations, such as a long-abandoned amusement park, Bamboozleland, and a defunct theater. For fans of the Mr. Lemoncello’s Library series, Jagger’s quick-paced debut pays homage to small towns and big riddles. Ages 8–12.

January 1, 2022
Grades 4-6 Ever since a classmate dismissively called 11-year-old Gina (apprentice journalist) and her friends Edgar (aspiring actor), Elena (science-loving prankster), and Kevin (math genius) the GEEKs, they've proudly claimed the name as their own. When their dwindling community's main employer announces the only factory's shutdown, they're dismayed. Long ago, deceased local inventor-entrepreneur Maxine van Houten had promised that her fortune would go to the town, but instead, it disappeared. Now a letter from Van Houten has surfaced and challenges readers to follow cryptic clues to the treasure. Knowing that finding it will avert the end of both the town and the close-knit GEEKs, they focus their energy on solving the mystery, despite threats from an unknown adversary. Since Gina submits articles to the local newspaper for the editor (her mother) to critique, it's not surprising that she narrates the story in a clear, factual, and entertaining way. A couple of outsiders are introduced as possible suspects, but the whodunit question is less interesting than the interactions and shifting dynamics among the GEEKs. Appealing fare for mystery fans.

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