The Misfits Club

Gr 4–6—Sam, Chris, Brian, and Hannah have been solving mysteries together for years—or trying to. Their cases have always been a little bit lackluster, like the one with the cat burglar that turned out to be an actual cat, or the lost teapot that they never found. This time, though, they think they have discovered something big: while fulfilling a dare, newcomer Amelia stumbles onto what they first think is a ghost, but which turns out to be a smuggling operation. Together, the crew tracks down the bad guys using some questionable techniques, including hiding in the trunk of the villains' car and breaking into a house. With the help of a relative on the local police force, the bumbling criminals are brought to justice. The kids come from a diverse mix of backgrounds; Chris and Sam are of Nigerian heritage, Hannah is an adoptee born in Vietnam, and Brian and Amelia are White. This Irish import is a bit slow to start, but offers plenty of high jinks once it gets going, including a denouement featuring a honey badger. Some details require a hefty suspension of disbelief.