Kudo Kids: The Mystery of the Masked Medalist by Maia & Alex Shibutani is a juvenile fiction book for 4-6th graders.
Andy and Mika Kudo are going to Tokyo with their parents for the Summer Olympic Games. They can't wait to wonder the city, watch the games and eat all the food. They also can't wait to play the AR/VR game OlympiFan, a game created by the Masked Medalist, where players across the globe can search for clues to find three medals. The team with the most point will win an awesome prize and the Kudo kids are determined to be the winners!
Andy loves puzzles and wants to win more than anything. Mika wants to win but she also wants to prove to her parents that she has what it takes to be a real photographer. When the game takes a turn, the Kudo kids need to follow the clues to unmask the Masked Medalist before OlympiFan is ruined for everyone.
This was a really fun read and one I think both boys and early will really enjoy. There's some history, culture, even a little techno talk in there, but there are also real every day themes like the risks of social media, family dynamics and doing the right thing.
I think what will appeal to most is the race to the gold. The reader doesn't really have to solve the puzzles, in fact, I'd be shocked if anyone did--it's just not that kind of book-- but they follow along as Andy and Mika race around Tokyo looking for clues. Because of this the story is fast paced and will keep young readers interests.
This was a fun, easy book to read and one that might be perfect for my book club. This one gets 4 stars from me.
That's all for now!
-M-