Module 7--Mysteries and Series

The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd is set in London, England in the present day. Ted, who has a special kind of brain, and his sister Kat are expecting a visit from their cousin Salim. The three are waiting in line to board the London Eye, the large ferris wheel in the city. Salim is offered a free ticket and a jump to the front of the long line. He takes the ticket and boards which is an action Salim, Ted and Kat come to regret because Salim does not get off the Eye. Ted is left wondering what happened to Salim and eventually is able to solve the mystery, quicker than the police. But, is it too late for Salim?

The action in this story moved a little slow for my taste, but it was a good just the same. Ted and his literal translation of words made for quite humorous moments. I would like to read another book by this author to get a better idea of her style.

Review: This is a well-constructed puzzle, and mystery lovers will delight in connecting the clues, but what makes this a riveting read is Ted's voice. He is bright, honest, brave and very funny about his "syndrome" (his teacher has given him a cartoon code for recognizing the five basic emotions). The message, grippingly delivered, is that kids, even differently abled ones, are worth paying attention to. (Fiction. 9-14) (Kirkus Reviews, December 15, 2007)

The language in this story would be perfect to study. Ted’s character does not understand metaphors, colloquialisms and slang. What a perfect opportunity for all learners to explore these literary elements more.