What are the odds of a life-or-death mystery in Elk Grove Park, Illinois?Sixth graders Oliver Beane, whose parents divorced last year, and Frankie Figge, whose working parents often leave him in charge of his twin toddler brothers, will never be popular. When a new, weird girl named Matilda Sandoval moves to town and sort of befriends them, it seems a good fit. But she is sure someone is surveilling Oliver. It can't have anything to do with the mysterious disappearance of Preston Oglethorpe, their middle school's eccentric-genius namesake, can it? The trio decides to find him themselves and sort things out. Oglethorpe's research into chaos theory had given him a mechanism to predict-even influence-events using mathematical equations. Some odd things are happening around town: There's a rock band forming in the old folks' home and a new man in Oliver's mother's life. Is there a pattern? Maybe the kids aren't the only ones on Oglethorpe's trail...and the competition may be deadly. Following A Drop of Hope (2019), Calabrese's smartly written sophomore effort is a Rube Goldberg–ian romp sure to please brainy kid readers with its trio of protagonists. All the kid characters have real-world problems on top of dealing with a possibly evil genius and wannabe supervillains, grounding the narrative nicely. Some Spanish surnames notwithstanding, the cast appears to be a mostly white one.There are plenty of surprises in this caper with heart. (Mystery. 8-12)

On the first day of middle school, Oliver and Frankie meet Matilda, a new kid whose hobbies include surveillance and computer hacking. The three gradually form a bond, and when Matilda tells Oliver that someone is spying on him, they go into action. Meanwhile, Preston Oglethorpe, a reclusive local genius, has disappeared after mastering the manipulation of seemingly random factors to bring about desired results within a complex behavior-predictive algorithm. When the three kids determine that they've been unwitting participants in one of his Rube Goldberg like schemes, they search out Oglethorpe to confront him, only to discover that they have a common enemy. From the whereabouts of Oglethorpe's boyhood friends to a lunchroom bully reformed by surprising means, the story extends outward in several directions, explored in the well-paced narrative and tied together in a satisfying ending. The varied but smooth-flowing narrative includes discussions of the "butterfly effect," fast-paced action scenes, and moments of wacky humor. From the author of A Drop of Hope (2019), an enjoyable novel of kinship, friendship, and their importance at any age.

What are the odds of a life-or-death mystery in Elk Grove Park, Illinois?Sixth graders Oliver Beane, whose parents divorced last year, and Frankie Figge, whose working parents often leave him in charge of his twin toddler brothers, will never be popular. When a new, weird girl named Matilda Sandoval moves to town and sort of befriends them, it seems a good fit. But she is sure someone is surveilling Oliver. It can't have anything to do with the mysterious disappearance of Preston Oglethorpe, their middle school's eccentric-genius namesake, can it? The trio decides to find him themselves and sort things out. Oglethorpe's research into chaos theory had given him a mechanism to predict-even influence-events using mathematical equations. Some odd things are happening around town: There's a rock band forming in the old folks' home and a new man in Oliver's mother's life. Is there a pattern? Maybe the kids aren't the only ones on Oglethorpe's trail...and the competition may be deadly. Following A Drop of Hope (2019), Calabrese's smartly written sophomore effort is a Rube Goldberg–ian romp sure to please brainy kid readers with its trio of protagonists. All the kid characters have real-world problems on top of dealing with a possibly evil genius and wannabe supervillains, grounding the narrative nicely. Some Spanish surnames notwithstanding, the cast appears to be a mostly white one.There are plenty of surprises in this caper with heart. (Mystery. 8-12)

Gr 3-7 When improbabilities abound, super smart sixth graders Oliver Beane and his best friend, math whiz Frankie Figge, decide to delve deeper. Their lives get more complicated when new girl Matilda Sandoval arrives, announcing that her passions are modern surveillance techniques and computer encryption. With an insightful eye, Matilda informs Oliver that he is being followed and that someone is spying on him and his mom. Soon Oliver realizes that everyone he cares about is in danger. Who can he turn to? Calabrese is a gifted storyteller, adept at character building and dialogue in this tech-centric mystery. VERDICT Readers will enjoy this tale of adventure and friendship. Lisa Gieskes, Richland County Public Library, Columbia, SC