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Benny on the Case
CCBC Review:
A guide to Newfoundland sayings prefaces this middle grade mystery set in a small coastal town in the Canadian province. Benny is an eleven-year-old b’y (that’s Newfoundland slang for “buddy,” among other things) who has mosaic Down syndrome and is transitioning to a mainstream classroom after spending his entire school career in special education. Benny lives with his widowed mother (both are white) in a large old house that doubles as a retirement home that she runs called Starflower by the Sea. Benny’s best friend is an 86-year-old man named Mr. Tom, whom Benny assists in fixing up old machines and vehicles. Mr. Tom is hopeful that Benny will make friends his own age, but Benny is doubtful based on the teasing and prejudice he experiences. Benny finds that he is not the lone new kid—an American transfer student from Seattle has moved to town. Salma is a city girl who is quickly treated like an outsider in the small island community, especially because she is Tunisian American and speaks some Arabic. Benny and Salma become friends with mutual bullies and team up to solve a mystery of stolen jewelry at the Starflower—Benny with his ability to piece things together and Salma with her tech skills. While not all aspects of the plot are believable, the budding friendship between Benny and Salma and the kindred connection between Benny and Mr. Tom buoy this bucolic whodunnit. ©2026 Cooperative Children’s Book Center
CCBC Age Recommendation: 8-12
Age Range:
Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Grades 6-8 (Ages 11-13)
Format:
Novel
Subjects:
Bullying and Teasing
Canadians and Canadian Americans
Developmental Disability
Discrimination and Prejudice
Friendship
Mysteries
Small Town Life
Diversity subject:
Black/African
Cognitive/Neurological Disability/Condition
On CCBC Booklist:
Lived Disability Experiences: Books for Children and Teens
Publishers:
Paula Wiseman Books, Simon & Schuster
Publish Year: 2025
Pages: 273
ISBN: 9781665937696
CCBC Location: Fiction, King