Grooves: A Kind of Mystery

Brockmeier's (City of Names) lighthearted novel is sure to please middle-graders who like their fiction over the top. Dwayne Ruggles, fascinated by a presentation on sound given by his seventh-grade science teacher, starts to experiment with a Victrola record player he finds in his grandfather's antique shop. He discovers a message encoded in the grooved denim of his Thigpen Brand blue jeans, ""Please. You must help us. He's stealing the light from our eyes."" Dwayne and his friends Kevin and Emily set off to find out who sent the message and what it might mean. The search takes them to a factory complex where the employees are like automatons/zombies, and where they find another message. Filled with off-beat humor, this enjoyable adventure will keep readers turning the pages as the trio breaks into the complex and discovers just who sent the message, and what they can do to rescue the workers from their maniacal employer. Ages 8-12.