Table of Contents
About The Book
So you’re only halfway through your homework and the Director of the FBI keeps texting you for help…What do you do? Save your grade? Or save the country?
If you’re Florian Bates, you figure out a way to do both.
Florian is twelve years old and has just moved to Washington. He’s learning his way around using TOAST, which stands for the Theory of All Small Things. It’s a technique he invented to solve life’s little mysteries such as: where to sit on the on the first day of school, or which Chinese restaurant has the best eggrolls.
But when he teaches it to his new friend Margaret, they uncover a mystery that isn’t little. In fact, it’s HUGE, and it involves the National Gallery, the FBI, and a notorious crime syndicate known as EEL.
Can Florian decipher the clues and finish his homework in time to help the FBI solve the case?
Kirkus Reviews praised the “solid, realistic friendship bolstered by snappy dialogue,” and School Library Journal said “mystery buffs and fans of Anthony Horowitz’s Alex Rider series are in for a treat.”
Product Details
- Publisher: Aladdin (August 23, 2016)
- Length: 304 pages
- ISBN13: 9781481436328
- Ages: 8 - 12
- Lexile ® 680L The Lexile reading levels have been certified by the Lexile developer, MetaMetrics®
Raves and Reviews
The real draws here are the two resourceful leads' solid, realistic friendship, bolstered by snappy dialogue, brisk pacing, and well-crafted ancillary characters—not to mention behind-the-scenes glimpses of the FBI. More escapades are promised in this improbable but satisfying series starter.
– Kirkus Reviews, Kirkus Reviews
Mystery buffs and fans of Anthony Horowitz’s “Alex Rider” series are in for a treat. . . . With elements of Alex Rider, James Bond, and Sherlock Holmes stories, this is likely to be popular with mystery and action/adventure fans.
– School Library Journal, School Library Journal
The implications Florian draws from focusing on minute details are lots of fun, and if upon reflec- tion readers realize that Ponti is in authorial control of Florian’s brilliance, well . . . it worked for Arthur Conan Doyle, too. EB
– BCCB, June 2016
What stands out is the portrayal of Florian’s and Margaret’s intelligence, their close friendship, and athlete Margaret’s sports prowess. Refreshingly, the adults aren’t portrayed as completely clueless; they are respectful of the kids’ crime-solving abilities, even though the preteen sleuths, as they realize themselves, are not infallible. Young readers will enjoy this first caper in a projected series.
– Booklist, 7/1/16
Florian resembles a young Sherlock Holmes, and together he and Margaret use the TOAST technique to prove that things are not always as they first appear. This book will grab readers from the first page with its witty characters and non-stop action. It would be a great read for fans of Chasing Vermeer (Scholastic, 2005).
– School Library Connection
Awards and Honors
- Indian Paintbrush Book Award Nominee (WY)
- Maine Student Book Award Reading List
- Nutmeg Book Award Nominee (CT)
- Volunteer State Book Award Nominee (TN)
- Massachusetts Children's Book Award Nominee
- Edgar Allan Poe Award (Finalist)
- Mark Twain Award Final Nominee (MO)
- Nevada Young Readers' Award
- Bluestem Book Award Master List (IL)
- Rhode Island Children's Book Award Nominee
- Louisiana Young Readers'Choice Award Nominee
- Sunshine State Young Readers Award, Grades 3-5 List (FL)
- Sunshine State Young Readers Award, Grades 6-8 List (FL)
- Maud Hart Lovelace Award Honor Title
Resources and Downloads
High Resolution Images
- Book Cover Image (jpg): Framed! eBook 9781481436328
- Author Photo (jpg): James Ponti Elena Seibert Photography(0.1 MB)
Any use of an author photo must include its respective photo credit