This book sounds like it was written by kids for kids, and I mean that in a great way! The author was able to capture the imagination of an average 9 year old and create a world where chocolate is currency and kids run the show. It has everything kids love or dream of, banks filled with chocolate, a town where parents live on the outskirts and just make sure you’re fed and have a place to sleep, where kids do all of the important jobs like detectives solving mysteries or being the mayor of the town. When some chocolate goes missing from the bank vault the kids work together to solve the mystery, and the potential punishment for the crime? 5 days of broccoli and brusselsprouts!
I think this would be a very entertaining book for children approx ages 5-10, whether it be shared reading at a younger age or independent reading for an older child. There are some pictures, approx 1 every 2-3 chapters, which are colourful and help you picture the characters and the unusual chocolate town. with short chapters of 3-4 pages, and the picture spread out, the 100+ page book would be comfortable for early readers. I could see students in my Grade 3 class enjoying this book. Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book ahead of publishing! I look forward to buying a copy for my classroom library soon!