Room One: A Mystery or Two

Room One: A Mystery or Two

By Andrew Clements

Scholastic Inc

New York

2006

Living in a small farm town, Ted Hammond, is the only 6th grade student in "Room One" of his one room school. He loves to read mysteries. As he rides his bike past an abandoned house, he sees a young girl's face in the window, thus beginning his own real life mystery to solve. Acting as a detective, Ted decides to make a stop on his newspaper route to investigate the house. He meets the girl and discovers she needs help but he must promise to keep her secret. He promises and provides food and supplies -- but he eventually must tell his teacher, Mrs. Mitchell. With the help of his teacher, Ted learns that the girls needs more help then he can give her alone. He learns that sometimes you need help from other people. The mystery continues and Ted does his best to find a solution.

Noteworthy Features: 

• Sketches: This book contains small and infrequent sketches. There are sketches of locations and people that important to the story. These pictures are small and just give a small glimpse to help the reader imagine what the author is depicting.
• Epilogue: The epilogue of this book is the "Anchor Desk Notes" for the newscaster telling the story of Ted Hammond and his "happy ending" solution to the mystery.
• Lessons Learned: This book teaches students about pride. Ted Hammond learns that it is okay to ask for help. He learns that sometimes you need help from others. Another lesson this book discusses is the importance of helping others. Not only does Ted help the family, but the entire community. He discovers the importance of his family, school, and town

"Room One: A Mystery or Two" is a great book for students who enjoy a mystery story. It is a story that will engage students as they follow Ted's journey to help the young girl. Both boys and girls would would enjoy reading this book. However, it does touch on some difficult topics including: death of a father in the Iraq War and a women hiding out from fear of a man harming her. It does not go into great depth on these topics, but teachers should be aware of how their students may respond. Although these two topics are difficult, they can also lead to a good discussion with students.

Links for Classroom Activities:

• https://multcolib.org/room-one-mystery-or-two
  This website gives some ideas of discussion questions to ask the students. It also offers suggestions of other books to read if you liked this one.
• http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CB4QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.state.lib.la.us%2Fempowerlibrary%2FRoom%2520One.doc&ei=4ErMVI7AHYWryQS5kIDADQ&usg=AFQjCNHNKVliZC-31G1tVYEBc3mHQFeENg
  This page lists websites that offer discussion questions, worksheets, and classroom activities. It also provides information on homelessness, helping soldiers, work ethic, etc. It also has links to activities such as virtual 4-H farm, information on one room school buildings, and mystery games.