Karen S.

5.0 out of 5 stars 

Worlds Best Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich Doesn't Disappoint Reviewed in the United States on July 16, 2014 Verified Purchase I bought this book for my 11 year old granddaughter. I haven't given it to her yet, but that's because I sat down to read it myself. I enjoyed the characters. Their personalities are very well drawn and entertaining, and the family is fun loving and loving toward each other in a real life way, which was refreshing to read. The book kept my interest, and although I thought I knew "whodunit" part way through, I really had to finish the story to know for sure, and more importantly, to find out why the perpetrator was stealing the sandwiches. This might be a little bit young for an 11 year old who reads Hunger Games and fantasy books all day long, but should keep age 8-10 interested to the ending. I find myself now craving the worlds best peanut butter and jelly sandwich, somewhat like having always wanted to taste Turkish Delight from the Chronicles of Narnia! Looking forward to gifting this to Roxy, and will watch for further adventures from Kia and Marcus to come.

Stewart Brian

5.0 out of 5 stars 

The Young Mystery Series: The Missing Lunch by B.K. Maxwell is a brilliantly well-written book that takes young readers on a mysterious adventure to discover the thief responsible for some missing PB&J sandwiches. Nine-year-old Kia and her twin brother Marcus are detectives, and they have a club called The Young Detective Agency, known for doing whatever it takes to solve any case. Dennis’s mom makes the best peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. However, in their first case, something unusual happened at Rydell Elementary School: Dennis's lunch went missing, and the detectives needed to help their friend discover who stole his lunch. While on the quest to resolve this case, a series of events unfold, including various meetings, twists and turns, moments of surprises and disappointments, and more. As an adult, I found the whole story fun to read. Maxwell blended mystery with humor very well. I had a good laugh reading some parts of the story. Maxwell’s writing is concise, straightforward, and easy for kids to comprehend. I loved that every character was welldeveloped and had just enough background so that kids didn't find them confusing. I loved the pace, font size, and style, and also the organization of the writing, as these made the story engaging and visually appealing to kids. The story features themes of friendship, teamwork, and more, which will positively impact kids. I recommend The Young Mystery Series: The Missing Lunch by B.K. Maxwell to all young readers and anyone who enjoys children's books.

Kiana

5.0 out of 5 stars 

Cute & Witty go hand in hand, along with some shenanigans! Reviewed in the United States on June 18, 2014 This new indie author has truly captured the spirit of childhood in his first installment of The Young Mystery Series: The Missing Lunch. I love that Kia and Marcus (the protagonists) are African American siblings helping their friend Dennis find his missing lunch. The book has some twists and turns but nothing too complicated for child readers. It was a fun story with cute and interesting characters, like the Dad who loves to cook and the principal of the school who loves to re-live the old high school football glory days. Kia and Marcus are smart, witty, and bring muscle to their cases when needed. If your kids love to read (as do mine) then this is a great book to read and get acquainted with the characters as there should be more volumes to come. Add it to your child's reading list today!

Green owl Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars 

Great New Detective Series Reviewed in the United States on August 8, 2014 The Young Mystery Series by B.K. Maxwell is a new detective series following a sibling duo, Kia-9 years old and Marcus 8 years old. In The Missing Lunch, the story starts in the children's elementary school in a small Michigan town. While having lunch, their friend Dennis asks for help. His mom's world famous pb&j sandwich has been stolen out of his lunch box for the past couple days, and he has been forced to eat the gross cafeteria school instead. He hopes they can find the culprit quick. Kia and Marcus agree to help their friend. But this is a difficult case for them to solve. Their culprit is super sneaky and has the duo on a wild goose chase. My daughter and I really enjoyed this story. It is a classic fun detective story similar to Sherlock Holmes and Nancy Drew. My daughter instantly connected with the main character, Kia. She loved how strong-willed and clever she is. The settings, dialogue, and characters are kid-friendly and relatable. My daughter chimed in several times about experiences the characters faced and how they reminded her of things in her own life. This page turner kept her interest from the second she opened it to the very unwanted end. B.K. Maxwell is a new force in the "kidlit" world, and there are plenty of reasons for him to go far: his dialogue is convincing, fun, and well-crafted; his plot development is exquisite; and his character development is awe-inspiring. Overall, we would highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a great new detective series for their children. It is a fantastic read.