The Candy Caper (Trouble at Table 5, #1) by Marta Kissi, Tom Watson
Published by HarperCollins on March 3, 2020
ISBN: 0062953419
Pages: 96
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads

Molly and her friends Simon and Rosie share Table 5 in their classroom, and they’re also best friends. Molly spots a jar of Skittles in the office one morning, and she needs to know how many Skittles are in the jar. Other kids may feel like they want to know, but for Molly, numbers and other things stick with her. It isn’t a want to know situation, she needs to know. Molly, Simon, and Rosie hatch a plan to count the Skittles in the office without getting caught, but will they do it?

The story of this book is good, but the best part of it is the neurodiverse representation of the characters in the book. Molly is the real focus of the book, and she has clear obsessive compulsive tendencies. Her friends and family understand her and support her. The vocabulary is age-appropriate with a few more difficult words. The black, white, and red illustrations are appropriate for the age of the readers and help to break up the text. Recommended for 2nd-4th grade readers.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME