Book Review: MVP Series by David A. Kelly

I first discovered David A. Kelly's mystery series when my son was in second grade. He was a reluctant reader at the time but how could he resist a book with a ballpark on the cover? He found the series engaging because not only did he get to explore behind the scenes with a group of kids solving a mystery, he was also able to explore the area. My daughter was excited to read them too. When we'd go on vacation to places with ballparks both kids would recognize scenes in the book.

David A. Kelly's new series, Most Valuable Players or MVPs, is just as entertaining except instead of exploring ballparks, this time a group of kids solve mysteries the revolve around different sports.

In the first book, The Gold Medal Mess, Alice, Kat, Max, Nico, and Luke are getting ready for the school Olympics when they find a note for someone threatening to cancel the games. After showing the note to adults, the kids decide to investigate themselves, piecing together clues along the way. I won't tell you want happens, but by the end the kids have a chance to participate in sports and solve a mystery and the reader can follow them along for the ride.

While these series may not be specifically sporty GIRL books, the diverse cast of characters in both series includes sporty girls, sporty boys, and girls and boys who do not play sports. In other words, a group of kids that look just like any group of elementary kids. Which is awesome. I highly recommend both series for any young reader.