Gordon Korman’s many middle grade novels are like juvenile addictions — kids can’t get enough of them. In fact, of all the book reviews I’ve written over the past decades, it’s Korman’s reviews that get the most views. They are beloved and popular for good reason. “Snoop,” his latest novel for middle grade readers, is no exception. Korman’s ability to combine a “normal” kid with circumstances that make him (or her) do the right thing, overcome obstacles, and help others, is brilliant.
In this clever story, think Hitchock’s “Rear Window” in a modern setting. Instead of Jimmy Stewart and his camera, we have Carter and modern technology and his mother’s drone. While skiing with his younger brother, whom he was supposed to watch, Carter was busy watching videos on his phone instead of keeping an eye on his brother. When his brother veered out of control, Carter was felled when his brother’s skis mets Carter’s lower appendages, and now he’s laid up with two broken legs. Both legs are in huge casts, and he’s in a wheelchair, so he’s stuck at home. Attending school virtually is awful, and the girl he has a crush on is interested in another guy, and Carter is dying to find out a way to keep tabs on her.
When he finds out that the city’s cameras are on a live feed that is available to the public, he starts spying on his classmates, and in particular, on the girl he’s interested in. What starts out as a simple pastime soon becomes an obsession. Not that he’s just interested in watching his friends and the girl he has a crush on, but all his fellow townspeople. And, in fact, Carter starts seeing suspicious things happening everywhere.
He sees a guy in a red Maserati parked in front of the art store, just sitting in his car, day after day. He sees the airport van all over town, sometimes just going around and around. He sees a very pregnant woman at the park with her misbehaving toddler. He sees his classmates going around town together causing mischief.
But what he sees that is really out of the ordinary are endangered species roaming the town at night. When he calls the police about a red panda, they don’t believe him. They hang up on him. But he calls back when he sees another endangered animal. Then, worse, the police come to his house and his mother finds out about his spying. She takes away his phone and computer (except during school hours), so he starts using her drone to fly over the town at night so he can spy on people and try to find the animals.
Carter is a good kid, but he’s not exactly hero material. At least, not at first. But as he finds out, when you are spying on people, sometimes you start to care about them. He saves the very pregnant woman when he calls an ambulance for her after she collapses. But what can a kid do when the police won’t believe him, his best friend has abandoned him, and he can’t tell his mother because he’ll get in trouble?
Read this clever, touching, and humorous novel about trying to do the right thing, wanting to fit in, feeling helpless because you are a kid, wanting to save others, and definitely, wanting to help endangered animals. Kids new to Gordan Korman novels will surely become fans, and those who are already fans will not be disappointed.
Please note: This review is based on the advance reader’s copy provided by Scholastic, the publisher, for review purposes.