Ted is on the autism spectrum, and his different way of thinking is portrayed as a plus when it comes to solving mysteries. He says, "Having a funny brain that runs on a different operating system from other people's helped me to figure out what happened." Ted and his sister are White. The missing 13-year -old London boy, Salim, is half-Asian.
Ted is clever and resourceful and diligently approaches solving the mystery of Salim's disappearance, even tipping police off as he finds clues. His sister Kat is a rebellious teen who occasionally skips school but works with Ted to get to the bottom of what happened.
Positive Messages
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People whose brains work differently can be an asset when problem -- or mystery -- solving. On the negative side, learning to lie to parents is seen as a sign of progress.
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Siobhan Dowd's The London Eye Mystery is about Ted, a 12-year old boy on the autism spectrum (though that's never named as such) who, with his older sister Katrina, tries to solve the mystery of 13-year-old cousin Salim's disappearance. The story is told by Ted. Adults smoke and drink, and there's a mention of kissing (with tongue).
When Salim disappears while riding in a sealed pod on the ride called the London Eye, his cousins Kat and Ted aim to solve THE LONDON EYE MYSTERY while their family falls apart and the police are baffled. Finding that the adults won't listen to them or take them seriously, they set off on their own to follow the clues and theories that Ted, whose brain works on "a different operating system," comes up with.
This gripping novel scores on two counts -- as a mystery, and as a story with a compelling main character and narrator. First, the mystery is tightly constructed and solid. Too often mysteries for kids feel bogus or trumped up, with logic holes a mile wide, but here both the event and its resolution make perfect sense. Second, Ted's quirks are mostly endearing, and his eventual success is very satisfying. The author, though, is careful not to overdo it: Ted's neurological state is real, not cute, and his own awareness of it is poignant. For kids who like their mysteries realistic, The London Eye Mystery is a welcome addition to the genre.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how The London Eye Mystery portrays being on the autism spectrum. What are the advantages the main character has? Challenges? How do they balance out? How does Ted see the world?
What's fun about mysteries? Why are they so popular?
Is it valuable to read stories about kids whose brains work in different ways? Why is reading about a wide range of heroes important?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
suggesting a diversity update.
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
