Poison plate by M. Sobel Spirn

School Mysteries series. Raintree, 2010. ISBN 978 1406216066.
Recommended for Upper Primary and older students, who find reading a challenge. Quite topical with the Master Chef series just completed, this crime is set in a country kitchen. Mark has lost both his parents and has come to live with Red, Della and their son Tim who is Mark's age. Tim is determined not to like Mark until he helps Tim with his homework. A food critic has been poisoned with the bacteria E. coli and the restaurant has been closed down. Mark feels he's under suspicion for he observed a light on in the restaurant at three am when he was looking for a drink. Events follow quickly and Mark is determined to find out what happened. It's a fast paced story with a 'feel good' ending. Type face and spacing are very helpful. Again the Glossary, Discussion Questions, Writing Prompts and Author Information are interesting and catchy.
Sue Nosworthy