Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

I liked this book as it made it quite a simple read for children suffering with ADHD. It makes the topic more approachable and the understanding of how & why children have this condition. A gentle, thought-provoking and thoughtful book.

This book was fun at home with my 6 and 9 year old, as well as at school in reading groups. Kids ages 4-12 enjoyed this book. They loved pointing out details within the illustration, predicting what would happen next, and helping to read the story.

The Classroom Mystery: A Book about ADHD by Tracy Packiam Alloway is part of the SEN (Special Education Needs) Superpowers series for lower elementary age. The illustrations are wonderful in this book and great for this children’s story to help tell the story. This series of book approaches varies of topics in a positive and educational way through stories. The topic of this story is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). It shows a student working to focus while instead chewing on a pencil or sitting on her desk perhaps tapping her fingers while something else is on her agenda. The story shows what it is like to have ADHD and helps promote discussion as well as being positive and encouraging. Showing each person has strengths while celebrating who we are too. It is more of an enjoyable story than a lesson though. It is a story about the classroom’s pet bunny, Snowball. It is a mystery because their pet’s food has been stolen. They must figure out what is happening. I like the end of the book where they provide discussion points for teachers as well as families about ADHD. Some of these are to help with children that don’t know about ADHD and other information they will find helpful. I am recommending this book for elementary schools whether in classroom, libraries or for counselors it will be a nice book to have available or to teach. Another great item to this book is it has a dyslexic-friendly font helping it become easier to read.

I choose to review books like this as my grandson has ADHD. Whenever he stays I read to him at bedtime. He loved listening to The Classroom Mystery and could relate to the young girl and her perseverance. An excellent story with beautiful illustrations.

Children with ADHD have so many strengths, and this book is a great way to learn about and celebrate them. It introduces the concept of ADHD to all children, in a short, relatable story about a mystery in the classroom. Izzy, a child with ADHD, is more focused on the mystery than the math lesson, and her distractibility and fidgeting is representative of some behaviors I have seen in my own classroom! The teacher in the story is supportive and the book overall presents ADHD in a positive light.

In the past few years, I’ve noticed an uptick in families deliberately discussing the concept of ADHD with their children who have been diagnosed, and children being more self-reflective about their own thoughts and actions. At the end of the book are a few pages of resources for teachers and families to share with all children, not just those with ADHD. I this this book is a great addition to elementary classrooms, school counselors offices, and libraries.

In The Classroom Mystery, Izzy uses clues in the classroom to help the class pet. The illustrations were cute and diverse, There is solid information for parents and teachers included. I think the discussion points would be helpful in small group sessions. Teacher would be able to point out the connection between good listening and attending with positive results. Thanks Quarto Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC of this title.

Snowball’s food is missing from the classroom. Who could have taken it? Izzy decides to be a detective to find out who. She can’t concentrate on what the teacher is saying she is so distracted. All she can think about is the mystery. Izzy can’t sit still.

She rushes outside, discovering clues as the class follows. Izzy puts all the clues together and the culprit is found.

Cute illustrations with basic colors give a sense of all that is happening. There are plenty of things to discuss on each page.

This book is very enjoyable and encourages kids to use abstract thinking. Lower elementary ages will truly enjoy this book.


I received an ARC from Quarto Publishing Group through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affects my opinion or rating of this book.

Beautiful book describing what goes on in a child's mind when they have adhd. Very informative and helps other children understand the behavior of classmates with this condition. Loved everything about it. It is also a great story about how the one child solved the mystery.

After break, Izzy and her classmates return to their classroom to feed the pet rabbit, only to find the food bag empty. Suspecting a thief, Izzy struggles to concentrate on school work as her mind is caught up thinking about how the food could have gone missing. She taps her fingers, chews her pencil, and sits on top of her desk in an attempt to think. The teachers asks her to calm down. Then Izzy notices the open window and runs up to look out. The class are intrigued and the teacher allows them to go outside and investigate further. Izzy discovers a squirrel has taken the food and solves the mystery.

Izzy has ADHD which is highlighted with her energetic behaviour, concentration struggles, and visual memory. It is a good book for highlighting the condition and focusing on the positives as much as the tendencies. Izzy's energetic nature is infectious and she is a likable character from the start. Children will love her strong personality and eagerness to solve the mystery. The illustrations are a great accompaniment and really bring the story to life.

There are notes for parents and teachers at the back of the book, explaining ADHD in further detail and encouraging discussion with children so they can understand. There are also tips for boosting abilities which I think is great - we all learn and react differently to situations and it should be encouraged to treat people as individuals rather than taking a 'one size fits all' approach.

Super cute book for young children to show, that even though somebody is different because they have adhd, there could still be good to come out of it.

In what's looking like a series here, I got the welcome chance to review a second young children's book from the same writer (Alloway) and illustrator (Sanfelippo) team who brought us The Map Challenge which I positively reviewed yesterday. Who says Britain and Argentina can't get along? Okay, you got me. No one says that. I just made it up to get attention!

Seriously, this book explores ADHD in the same way the other book took a look at dyslexia. In this book, the main character is Izzy, who can't forget that someone stole the classroom rabbit's food. She has a form of ADHD and cannot focus on the math lesson. Eventually she gets everyone involved in the crucial effort to find that poor rabbit's crunchy snacks.

The nice thing about these books is that they don't pick on the one with the condition, nor do they put him or her in a negative light. Instead, they emphasize the positive, and it's because of her 'super powers' that come as part and parcel of ADHD that Izzy is able to recall things and make connections that others do not - so, yes, you got it - she solves the mystery!

As usual (so it seems!) in the back of these books are teacher and parent resource pages, advising on certain aspects of (in this case) ADHD, and discussing events in the story and ways to improve on some of the deficits of attention that may hamper an individual at times (and no, it doesn't involve medication!). I liked this book as much as I liked the first one. Izzy was actually rather endearing, and I commend this as a worthy read.

Part of Alloway's series on various educational concerns. In this book, Izzy has ADHD. The classroom setting can be a struggle and the text and illustrations demonstrate that clearly. However, both also show positive ways to reinforce and support students with ADHD.
Informative text and discussion questions at the end.
A brief read for younger students. Alloway offers a view into the positive ways children can cope and grow more confident.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley.

Fabulous book that addresses adhd in the classroom. My youngest has ADHD and SPD, and I love being able to read him books that showcase children like him.

I really enjoyed this book. I don’t think there is another book like this that I know of. It would also make a great addition to our mystery unit. I have been working to get more diverse books in this area and this book would fit in perfectly. I am going to watch for it to come out in print!

Wonderfully illustrated and fun story about a girl with a different way of seeing things. Great lesson learning for adhd.

I can easily recommend this author and her serious on issues and disorders that impact on education. In this episode she looks at ADHD.
The story is an example of positives within an otherwise typical disruptive day in class. The beauty of the structure is insight and qualities to focus on to improve learning potential.
It fosters a closer working relationship between parent and child and hopefully teachers as well. Through talking and exploring what goes wrong and what strengths to build upon little steps and achievements can be achieved.
Seems simplistic but the skill is putting it out there and having that conversation.