From Charlie's Point of View

Several of the characters contribute to this mystery. After Charlie's dad is accused of being the stocking bandit, Charlie and his friends are on the case to prove his innocence. They follow the clues of mysteriously appearing twenty dollar bills. Charlie is blind and relies heavily on his other senses to get information about the world. Gideon appears mysteriously and seems to be a guardian angel of sorts. Throw in some family problems, a bully, starting a new school, and you have the ingredients for an enjoyable mystery.

My son recommended this book to me, and I had high hopes, but I just was not impressed. I found the plot interesting enough that I read to the end, but about half way through, I started skimming. The constant use of present tense was annoying, and the perspective kept bouncing around from character to character. The author seemed to be squeezing in as many facts as he could about the skills and adaptive equipment used by blind people. Hardly a page goes by without the reader being reminded that CHARLIE IS BLIND. Instead of being a mystery with a character who is blind, it is a book about a blind boy. Oh, and he and his friends happen to solve a mystery.

An odd, yet interesting story, for an an older young adult reader about a boy who his blind, his best friend, and the class misfit who take the initiative to try and solve a crime that the boy' father has been accused of.

In this funny, sad, scary,unconventional and baffling mystery, best friends Bernadette and Charlie begin seventh grade and help unravel the case of the Stocking Bandit.

i think it's just amazing when someones tring towrite a stroy about a blind boy tring to solve a mystery. for that, congrats Richard Scrimger.

Mystery