My boys were back from the library and urging me to call the police.
“Someone broke into the library,” my older son informed me with a grave expression.
“Yeah,” his younger brother nodded vigorously. “The doors were locked and the lights were off but we looked inside and everything was upside down in there. Toys and books on the floor that are never there. Tables and chairs turned upside down. It was very suspicious.”
“Hmmn,” I murmured, buying time. “Maybe they’re just closed? Or maybe they had some big event and it made a mess? The library is in the community center and lots of people go in and out of there all the time. I really think if anyone tried to break in, they would be caught right away. Besides, what is there to steal in the library? Old books and the little bit of money the librarian collects (primarily from our family (!)) for late fees?”
The boys looked at me with furrowed brows and wrinkled noses. But seeing that I wasn’t running to call in the cops, they eventually dropped the topic and went to play. The next day I brought the as-of-yet unreturned books to the library. As I approached I saw that the door was slightly ajar and most of the lights were off. Hmmn. Maybe the boys were right? I slowly stepped close, peeked inside and found two librarians, hard at work, reinforcing the binding of stacks of worn books. It wasn’t an open-to-the-public day, but thankfully they took back my overdue books anyway. And thankfully (or was I actually disappointed?) everything in the room was right side up and as normal as could be. My would-be detective sons would have to find a different mystery to solve…
Yehoshua, like most boys his age, also wants to solve mysteries. In his case, however, he actually has a real one to tackle! With his devoted friend Yonason at his side, Yehoshua manages to unravel a complicated web of deception that threatens to hurt a sweet elderly widowed carpenter and possibly cost him his life and his home! Along the way, we get to know Yehoshua well and feel for his own challenges, as he struggles to lose weight and to cope with a ringleader bully who tries to make his life unbearable. Yehoshua learns a lot about the power of self-restraint and the power of true friendship. Yehoshua Undercover by Yehudit Golan has all the action and adventure that tweens and teens love, and important yet subtle messages that parents will appreciate. Now, if only we lived near a carpenter like that…
– Guest Blogger
Sara Miriam Gross
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