Secret of the School Suitor (5 page)

How to Solve a Mystery

To solve a mystery, you have to pay attention to the details. When Bus Driver McCool was acting strangely, I tried to find some clues as to why. Well, the f lower receipt clue actually found me.

The black suit was another clue. At first it seemed like Bus Driver McCool might be wearing it to his mom's funeral. That was a really sad thought.

There were lots of rumors about the bus driver, but a good detective has to sort fact from fiction. To figure out what is really going on, you have to do some investigating. I snooped around and listened to Bus Driver McCool talk to Mr. Sleuth and then to Coach Shorts. When the bus driver got upset and asked to speak with the principal, Mrs. Holmes, it seemed like Bus Driver McCool was going to quit his job.

I couldn't let that happen! When I tried to save his job, I realized I'd
misread some of the clues. Bus Driver McCool wasn't quitting his job at Watson Elementary School. He had taken on a second job to buy something special for Coach Shorts. Then the f lowers and the suit made sense!

A Different Point of View Q & A with Javier

What did you think was going on with Bus Driver McCool?

I knew something was up but at first I didn't have a clue. I thought maybe it was because he was worried about his mom. When my mom got sick, I worried about her a lot and had a hard time focusing at school. I also thought he'd been a race car driver before he became a bus driver. That's still a mystery I want to figure out!

How did you help Divya get to the bottom of the mystery?

I didn't do all the snooping that Divya did,
but I covered for her a couple of times. Mr. Smartline asked me where Divya was at morning assembly.

“She's helping someone,” I said. What else was I supposed to say? Mr. Smartline didn't ask me any other questions and I was really happy about that. Then Divya asked me to cover for her again when she missed class.

“Where is Divya now?” Mr. Smartline asked me.

“She's uh, helping, uh…”

“Orphans,” Klaude whispered. He's always joking.

For some reason, I repeated him. “She's helping orphans.”

Mr. Smartline laughed. My answer didn't really solve the mystery but it helped buy Divya some time.

What would you have done differently?

I think I would've joined Divya on her search for answers instead of waiting
around for her. That made me too nervous! Spying on people would've been more fun but we probably would've gotten caught much easier.

What was your favorite part about the case?

I had a lot of fun making the signs for the students to hold up to get Coach Shorts' attention. I even used pink paint to make it look extra nice. That's my least favorite color.

How do you plan on asking someone to marry you someday?

Ick! I don't think I want to get married. But if I have to, I'll think holding up signs is a good idea. I might do that, only at a football game.

Discussion Questions

1.
What did you suspect Bus Driver McCool was up to?

2.
Which character did you identify most with, and why?

3.
Why do you think Klaude played the musical instrument the night of the basketball game?

4.
If you had to rewrite the book from a different character's point of view, who would you pick, and why?

5.
List two red-herrings (false clues) that could be added to throw Divya off.

6.
How else could Bus Driver McCool have asked Coach Shorts to marry him?

Writing Prompt

1.
Using one of the characters from the story as your main character, write a mystery about a bus driver who goes missing. What happened to the bus driver? Who finds the bus driver and how?

2.
Write a mystery about a stolen ring. How does your main character find the ring, discover who took it, and get the ring back to the right owner?

3.
Describe a crime that uses these vocabulary words: confession, evidence, backtracked, and revved. How does the crime get solved?

Vocabulary

Here is a list of some important words in the story. Try to use the words in a sentence. You can play a game of memory with the vocabulary words. Write each word on a separate card. Then write the definition on a different set of cards. Mix up the cards and place them face down on a flat surface. With a partner, take turns flipping over two cards each. If the cards make a pair, you get another turn. The person with the most sets of cards at the end of the game wins.

 

backtrack:
trace your steps again

confession:
admit the truth

evidence:
proof

flashers:
lights that flash on a vehicle

hypothesis:
theory, educated guess

lectured:
taught, scolded

mishap:
an accident or mistake

receipt:
a proof of payment

revved:
increased power

suspected:
believed

suspicion:
a feeling or thought

three-dimensional:
solid, has length, width, and depth

Websites to Visit

Divya's weak ankles are caused by cerebral palsy. Here is a link you can visit to learn more:
http://kidshealth.org/kid/health_problems/brain/cerebral_palsy.html

Here is a link to learn more about bus safety:
http://www.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/buses/kidsschoolbus_en.html

Klaude's musical instrument is from Germany. You can make your own musical instruments:
http://www.dsokids.com/activities-at-home/make-instrument/.aspx

About the Author

J. L. Anderson solves a mystery of her own almost every day like figuring out why her daughter is suddenly so quiet (what did she get into this time?), which of her two dogs stole the bag of treats, where her husband is taking her for a surprise dinner, or what happened to her keys this time. You can learn more about J.L. Anderson at
www.jessicaleeanderson.com
.

About the Illustrator

I have always loved drawing from a very young age. While I was at school, most of my time was spent drawing comics and copying my favorite characters. With a portfolio under my arm, I started drawing comics for newspapers and fanzines. After I finished my studies I decided to try to make a living as a freelance illustrator… and here I am!