7 Ate 9: The Untold Story by Tara Lazar
My rating: 5 of 5 starsPublished: 2017 by Scholastic Inc.
Ages: 4- 8
Pages: 28
Synopsis:
6 has a problem
Everyone knows that Seven is always after him. Word on the street is that 7 ate 9. If that’s true, 6’s days are numbered. Lucky for him Private I is on the case. But the facts just don’t add up.
It’s odd.
Will Private I put two and two together and solve the problem . . . . Or is 6 next in line to be subtracted?
Review
What I Loved:
As a writing studing how to write a good mystery and how to write picture books at the same time I love that this book does both brilliantly. The mystery actually follows the standard mystery story beats. First by introducing the the detective. Since the story is in first-person the writing style show's Private I's personality, ergo his dry whit and humor. Private I even has a cozy detective styale super power - that is he knows a lot about potential suspects before the case even starts - because there are only so many people in this town.
ACT I ends with detective stating clearly that he will take the case. And in ACT II he finds all the clues he needs. By ACT III he knows who's done it, and runs to reveal the twist ending.
Author Tara Lazar
Even the motive, jealousy, is a classic. And the problem is real, easy to follow and solved in a completely non-violent, and not very serious way.
What I Like:
This story has something for everyone. For my four year old this book offers a fun way to meet and remember the letters and numbers she's learning about in pre-school. It's really fun story so she wants to read it over and over. She asks questions such as "Why is 5 driving a bus?" and "Where is 6 going?" Which tells us that she is recognizing those symbols and their names.
For us parents we don't mind reading it over and over because there is something new to see every time. We love the puns, and this is a pun heavy writing. It's really clever, and as our daughter grows old and more familiar with more terms and concepts in school, she'll be able to look back at this book and get jokes that she doesn't understand now - which is really fun for us.
MY TAKE
I was surprised that such a silly story still fit the Mystery Writer's of America formula for a good mystery plot very well. The detective and the case were introduced, there were up to three clues, a misdirect, and finally a surprise ending! All the steps, and with a number related puns every few sentences that never veered from the mathematic theme. Pretty awesome. The puns are keep it amusing for the parents, and kids love seeing the silly story unfold.
BEDTIME BREAKDOWN
I assumed this story would go over my daughter's head. She's only four and just beginning to recognize numbers and letters. Once again I was surprised by how invested she was in the story. Once she understood that the imposter 6 was afraid of 7 she was really interested in what was coming next.
She gasped when eight became the number 0, ( she thought it was the letter O). She shouted out "Five." when the number appeared driving a bus. She shouted out and "Six" when she saw them walking across the street, and gasped at the big reveal. I realized that even though she's under the recommended age for the book, she still benefits from the number recognition. Reading this and "The Deductive Detective" will give her some mathematic vocabulary years before she starts formal math training, not to mention an interest in mysteries.
7 Ate 9 is a fun whacky book for young or preschool aged kiddos who just beginning to enjoy looking for numbers. Please check it out at your local library or use my Amazon Affiliates Link to support the writer ,Tara Lazar, with a purchase.
Other Books you may enjoy:
The Upper Case: Big Trouble in the Capital City
Time Flies: Down to the Last Minute
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