When sixth grader Edmund Xavier Lonnrot sees his father fend off a thief, he becomes a witness. Down at the police station he talks to the sketch artist who isn’t quite getting it right, so Edmund draws one quickly. He’s good at remembering details; after all he has a photographic memory and awesome art skills. The police take notice and are impressed. They are working on a series of art thefts, but haven’t been able to figure out where and when they will happen. They decide to try an unorthodox approach to solving the case- they ask Ed to help them. All he has to do is visit different museums looking for people who may be suspicious and the police will be watching him observe the museum patrons. His code name is Eddie Red, and he will get paid if he helps find the art thieves. This sounds like a good plan, but is it really safe? Will Eddie’s skills help the police? You'll have to find out for yourself!

Eddie Red Undercover: Mystery on Museum Mile was an interesting mystery. I can't imagine having a photographic memory, it would definitely be cool. Taking tests would be a breeze! It was fascinating to see the details Eddie could remember and how he used them in his sketches. Kids will also learn about the museums that are part of the Museum Mile in New York City. I’ve been to a lot of them, but now I'd like to to visit a few more. I'd recommend this book to kids in fourth grade and up who like mysteries and action. This is the first book in the series, so I'm guessing Eddie helps solve other cases, or maybe he starts working on his own! ( )

Recommended Ages: Gr. 4-7

Plot Summary: Edmund and his dad are eating ice cream on a warm January day when a scuffle happens in the alley near them. Herb tries to handle it on his own and instructs Edmund to run and call 911. Instead, Edmund hides under the bench. However, Edmund saw the suspect run. When the cops ask him for a description of the suspect, he decides to just draw the picture himself. The cops are impressed with his talent and photographic memory. They call him back a few days later to offer him an unusual job: they want him to scope out the museums for suspects. After convincing his protective mom that they need the cops to "anonymously" donate to his private school to pay for his tuition since his dad lost his job, he starts the job. At first, his dad goes with to protect but he ruins their cover. His mom goes for a bit, but when she realizes they do nothing but sit there, she gives up. Detective Bovano gives Eddie Red his code name, an iPod that helps them communicate with each other when Bovano is sitting outside the museum in a truck, and an assignment to sit and look like a tourist who is drawing the items in the museum but actually looking out for suspects walking through the museum. They need Eddie Red because his photographic memory can see through intense disguises and even plastic surgery, but will Eddie Red get it right? Will he find the suspects? What will happen if he spots them?

Setting: New York City, starts in January

Characters:
Edmund Lonnrot - 11 y/o, AKA Eddie Red
Detective Frank Bovano - Italian, grumpy and doesn't want a kid doing his job but also protective in a gruff manner
Jonah - Edmund's best friend, obsessed with a different historical time period each time they study a new language in school, medicated for ADD
Robin Christopher - bully who picks on Jonah
Jenny Miller - "almost perfect but there's one big problem: she has Happy Kat Cat everything"
Joyce Lonnrot - Edmund's mom, very protective and really tries to keep Edmund from doing the job, ends up going to supervise until she realizes he is safe
Herb Lonnrot - Edmund's dad, lost in job in a library, a hug nerd and loves to research, gets involved in his research

Recurring Themes: trust, art, drawing, photographic memory, mystery, art, Picasso, museums, work, unemployment, private school, first job

Controversial Issues:
pg 27 - "They don't wear anything under their kilts, you know."
pg 73 - "Only recently did I figure out how a bookworm like my dad landed a babe like Mom: girls dig muscles. If you're an uber-nerd but you're big, somehow it cancels out. I don't care what my pediatrician says. Size matters."

Personal Thoughts: I was dreading reading this one because it just isn't my favorite genre and it looks so dark, however once I got into it a little bit I read the whole thing straight through. I liked that the main character happened to be African-American although it wasn't part of the plot. The mystery involved Jonah and Eddie figuring out the bad guy's plan on their own. I didn't like that Jonah stopped taking his medicine just to figure out the mystery because it could encourage others to do the same, even though Jonah was very self-aware of what he was doing.

Genre: mystery

Pacing: medium until about halfway through, then faster with more suspense
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