Matty and the Computer Crooks is a fun, exciting and original book for kids. The wonderful premise of the story is that regular kids can do great things, and in this story, the heroes are kids with other challenges as well. Matty has a bit of a hearing loss and another of his friends has leg braces, but Annabelle’s characters take their challenges in stride, never letting such things hold them back. In fact, as Matty shows, sometimes a perceived disability can actually work to your advantage, as he cleverly uses his ability to read lips to help spy on some bad guys.
The story is set in England and has a delightful British flavor that American kids will love. Annabelle has not forgotten what it is like to be a kid and she makes us remember as well: Secret meeting places, great plans, good friends, parents who sometimes don’t quite understand and grand adventures that are sometimes a bit more complicated than we thought they would be.
Her gentle, playful style has the perfect amount of humor and suspense for the young reader and this will be a series of books that will find a wide audience for kids and adults alike.
One of the best things about this book, is the promise at the very end of the story: “Annabelle Page’s next Exciting Matty book coming soon. And then we turn the page to see the title – Matty and the Stolen Puppies.”
I’m looking forward to reading it, under the covers with my flashlight!
Dark Age Fiction: Jeff Blackmer's Blog 