Different worlds. Unusual heroes. Countless adventures. One very peculiar imagination.
LOCATION: SCOTLAND
Mystery is in the air - and it smells like blueberries!
When the famous Royal Blueberry Jam Recipe is stolen from a Scottish Castle, the Palace Guard calls in the world's most curious detective: Gumshoe Sam.
Join Sam as he follows a trail of tiny clues through clanking armor halls, windy castle ramparts and even a secret library door! But solving this case will take more than a magnifying glass.
Reviewed by Marie-Hélène Fasquel for Readers’ Favorite
Gumshoe Sam and the Case of the Blueberry Jam by E.K. Mockingham is a lovely detective story for kids. I have to admit that a detective investigating a missing blueberry jam recipe in a Scottish castle is unusual! And that is precisely what makes Gumshoe Sam so much fun. Gumshoe Sam is a young detective in the best tradition of the genre: with a trench coat, detective hat, magnifying glass, and an irresistible urge to investigate. When the Royal Blueberry Jam Recipe disappears, he follows a succession of tiny clues through the castle until he discovers a secret room. Sam's solution is more constructive than simply sending the culprit to prison.
What I particularly enjoyed as I read Gumshoe Sam and the Case of the Blueberry Jam is the way E.K. Mockingham plays with familiar detective-story conventions. There are clues, suspicious details, a secret passage, and a final revelation, but everything is light, funny, and reassuring. Everything is perfect for young readers, including the use of language: sounds, short, peppy sentences, poetic quality of the text. As a teacher, I like the fact that children can really take part in the investigation. They can look at the pictures, search for clues, and try to work out what is happening before Sam does. It is a lovely way of making reading interactive. I found the ending especially appealing. The message about creating rather than stealing is simple without feeling too preachy. I loved the idea that a mystery can end with collaboration. This is a wonderful way of teaching kids values and empathy.
