Mysteries!

Carey, Benedict. Poison Most Vial.
1 April 2012 by Harry N. Abrams
When Ruby's dad, a custodian at an urban university, is accused of murder when Professor Ramachandran's tea is poisoned... and he made it! Ruby feels that the only way to get her father off is to investigate herself, with her friend Max and the retired toxicologist Clara Whitmore. Mrs. Whitmore has ties to the police still, and is able to get the professor's autopsy report, and a variety of people help along the way, but it's up to the children to save the day. They interview people who were in the area, look into the professor's past, and find clues all over the lab area. There is some computer hacking, a few unpleasant characters at school to be dealt with, and a lot of information about poison. Can Ruby manage to get her father off so he doesn't go to jail and so he can get his job back?

Strengths: This was a rather clue oriented mystery, and the characters are all very well developed.

Weaknesses: I found this one slow going. Too many older adults, a lot of anxiety, and not very much adventure. I'm still debating buying it-- the cover and title are great, and students always ask for murder mysteries.

Shoemaker, Tim. Code of Silence: Living a Lie Comes with a Price.
12 March 2012, Zonderkidz

From the Publisher: "When Cooper, Hiro, and Gordy witness a robbery that leaves a man in a coma, they find themselves tangled in a web of mystery and deceit that threatens their lives. After being seen by the criminals---who may also be cops---Cooper makes everyone promise never to reveal what they have seen. Telling the truth could kill them. But remaining silent means an innocent man takes the fall and a friend never receives justice. Is there ever a time to lie? And what happens when the truth is dangerous? The three friends, trapped in a code of silence, must face the consequences of choosing right or wrong when both options have their price."

I couldn't get into this book. I had the digital ARC, so maybe I need to try to find a paper version. Again, I need lots of mysteries, and while this one has a bit of action and suspense, but somehow not enough to draw me in.

Library Update:

Hate to say that I'm about caught up, but really, if you work ten hour days for 183 days, shouldn't you be about caught up? Have four inexplicably missing books and six overdues. Today is the last day of school.

Equipment will be coming in-- overheads, televisions, carts, Mimeos, LCD remotes. Also, really need to work on book orders. They are a mess, and I will need to come in 19 July in order to have new books for the first day of school. Eep! So much for being caught up!