✨Ms. Pennypickle's Puzzle Quest (2025)

By Chris Grabenstein

4Rbooks                                5/6                grades         4-8

Amazon                                 4.6/5             grade level   3-7

Goodreads                             4.20/5          

Common Sense Media            Not yet reviewed

263 pages

Synopsis

            Ethan and Benjamin (Benji) are brothers, but they are very different and not very close. Ethan is athletic and cool, Benji is into puzzles and games. Ethan is getting ready to graduate and head off to college.  Benji just seems to get in the way and embarrass him.

            At Ethan’s graduation party their family persuaded the two boys to go on a road trip together, just like their father and his brothers did.  Reluctantly they agree. They head off for the Grand Canyon but stop at a pancake restaurant first.  There they learn that Benji has won them the right to participate in a cross-country travel adventure with a million-dollar prize.

            Working together they must outsmart and outplay 6 other teams. The contest takes them down historic Route 66.  There are plenty of stops with puzzles to solve. Though it doesn’t come naturally at this point in their life, they start to trust each other and work together to solve the puzzles and move through the game, always keeping their eyes on the million dollars waiting for them.

Parental Guidelines:    low

A few body function jokes and words.

Recommendation

             Mr. Grabenstein has become one of my favorite authors for middle grade children and this is another example of why he is so good. The characters are relatable, the story is well paced and easy to follow, and the puzzles and games along the way are fun to solve with the characters. This book should appeal to all readers of all levels, but I can see boys finding it a great read.

            There is a lot of incidental information included that help the contestants along the way that would provide many extension activities, especially about Route 66 history and landmarks.

            This was very much a story similar to the Mr. Lemoncello series and there is even a shout out to those books in this one. I did think the ending was a little sappy, but the journey there was worth it.