Sandwich Shenanigans

A great middle school read that takes kids through a mystery involving STEM and their local science fair project. While it is a good book for a 5 -6 grade level reader., the science fair project tie in is a little weak. I would have liked to see the projec have been a little higher level to engage the readers.

Solving mysteries takes on an entirely new angle—a bit chaotic, tons of humor, and lessons about life along the way.

Everyone is supposed to bring in their chosen project, and Sam Witt's just happens to be a gigantic sandwich. But while everyone is out of the room, the sandwich disappears. Four kids recount their mornings in hopes of figuring out who took the sandwich. Maybe it was a tiger or aliens or a very hungry creature or something else? It's not an easy case to solve.

This is a fast and furious mystery, packed with fun, imagination and excitement. The initial crime, the disappearing sandwich, is presented in the first chapter. After that, four different characters give their recounts of their mornings...each one very different and each one at certain times. In some ways, it reads like four interviews of suspects, but without the serious atmosphere and a ton more adventure. Each character has a wild imagination and shoots off in completely new directions. The reader is encouraged to figure out what they think happened, and then the true culprit is revealed in the last chapter.

This is a very quick, easy, energetic read. Each of the characters bounces off the page and draws the reader in, so boredom doesn't even get a chance to grow. While it's funny to accompany each character as they recount their take on the situation, there's also some important messages woven in about caring for others and being mindful of those around you. But these aren't preachy and stay below the main plot fun.

There are illustrations sprinkled in, and each chapter not only starts with the time and name of the character, whose story is being told, but also with a quick illustration of them. This keeps confusion at bay and offers a nice change-up from the text. But then the writing is never boring, anyway. The thoughts of the character spill forth without pardon and add tons of humor. There are quite a few sounds (crack, boom, etc) which almost give it a comic feel. It's a mystery which even reluctant readers will enjoy. And it definitely keep the reader guessing until the very end.

Sandwich Shenanigans was a fun, quick middle grade read. It was an age appropriate mystery read for the younger set. The book is set at an elementary school where a class of 5th graders have brought in their STEAM projects. Sam made a spectacular sandwich for his project and during a school wide treasure hunt, the sandwich goes missing. The various kids in the class each have a different idea about what happened to it. The book tells the story from the perspective of 4 different students.

It was a cool concept to show the events from the perspective of different kids in the class. This book is good for upper elementary students and is a quick (illustrated) read for them.

My review is based on an unedited advanced copy, so keep in mind when reading my review. The cover is beautify eye-catching for kids. The pics inside are just as cute but maybe should have been in color bc I fear the story isn’t captivating enough on its own to grab or keep many kids attention on its own. It’s a good story, just from a kid’s viewpoint based on my own observations.

I loved this fun, fast-paced mystery. Each of the characters has their own personality that shines through as they try to uncover who stole the sandwich. This will entertain many younger readers.

This was a fun, quick read. I could see using it to teach perspective or a lesson on assumptions. It would also make a great read for individual students. Fun and funny!

This book is great for elementary and middle school students. I think they will enjoy this book because it is funny and it is very short. They should be able to read this book in a day. I remember when I was in school we use to have 45 minutes to read a book. I think this book would be a great choice for that. However, older readers like myself would not be interested in reading this.