Farewell, My Lunchbag: A Chet Gecko Mystery

Danger may be Chet Gecko’s business, but dessert is his delight in this third entry of Bruce Hale’s hilarious mystery series.

Children's Literature

A third entry in the "Chet Gecko Mystery" series has the intrepid fourth-grade gecko helping the lunchroom cook, an iguana, looking for the food thief that strikes after school. Chet and his sidekick, a mockingbird named Natalie Attired, look for clues, and discover a long snakeskin that appears in the bushes. Readers will figure out pretty quickly who the thief is, but not before Chet has been framed, unfairly accused, and sentenced to dishwashing duty in the lunchroom. The puns, hard-boiled detective conventions turned on their ears, funny similes, and snappy parley will entertain readers. And the things they might not know¾as when Chet tells Natalie that they will "case the joint"¾are explained in context. It's all good fun, although the animal teachers act and sound like they come from a bad movie, circa 1950. But the elementary school humor, the outrageous food like green sowbug jello, and details of school familiar to children, such as pecking order by grade level and lunchroom disasters, are all just right for middle elementary readers who enjoy a good laugh and a good story. 2001, Harcourt, $14.00. Ages 7 to 10. Reviewer:Susan Hepler