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Kudo Kids #1
The Mystery of the Masked Medalist
From two-time Olympic bronze medalists Maia and Alex Shibutani comes a middle-grade mystery set at the Tokyo Olympics.
Andy and Mika are going to Tokyo!
The Kudo Kids have never been to Japan before, so they can't believe they get to attend the Summer Olympics there. The siblings plan to eat tons of delicious Japanese food, watch every event they can, and win a super-popular new game called OlympiFan.
Developed by a mysterious former medalist, OlympiFan brings players together from all over the world to search Tokyo for virtual medals and clues to the secretive creator's identity. Andy loves puzzles, and he's determined to crack this one, especially since the winning team will get to be beta testers for the Masked Medalist's future games!
Mika wants to find as many clues as she can, but she also has a secret goal of her own--one that could get her into big trouble. But when someone sabotages the game, the Kudo Kids have an even bigger mystery to solve than the Masked Medalist's identity. If they want to capture the gold, Mika and Andy have to figure out who's trying to stop their team before someone beats them to the grand prize!
Andy and Mika are going to Tokyo!
The Kudo Kids have never been to Japan before, so they can't believe they get to attend the Summer Olympics there. The siblings plan to eat tons of delicious Japanese food, watch every event they can, and win a super-popular new game called OlympiFan.
Developed by a mysterious former medalist, OlympiFan brings players together from all over the world to search Tokyo for virtual medals and clues to the secretive creator's identity. Andy loves puzzles, and he's determined to crack this one, especially since the winning team will get to be beta testers for the Masked Medalist's future games!
Mika wants to find as many clues as she can, but she also has a secret goal of her own--one that could get her into big trouble. But when someone sabotages the game, the Kudo Kids have an even bigger mystery to solve than the Masked Medalist's identity. If they want to capture the gold, Mika and Andy have to figure out who's trying to stop their team before someone beats them to the grand prize!
263 pages, Hardcover
First published September 8, 2020
6 people are currently reading
185 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
February 10, 2022
Watching the Olympics got me thinking about the “Shibsibs” (olympic medalists, Maia and Alex Shibutani) and wondering what they were doing these days. It turns out, they’re writing middle grade children’s books known as the “Kudo Kids”. (They have a collaborator, Michelle Schusterman, who has written several books on her own.) The first 2 books in the series are currently in print. I read book one, The Mystery of the Masked Medalist.
Mika is just about to enter middle school, brother Andy is in 7th grade. Together, with their parents, they're on their first trip to Japan in order to attend the Summer Olympics. Their mother is an editor of an on-line sports magazine, the father is a free lance writer. As exciting as this trip is, Mika and Andy may be more excited about a virtual game that has been released, OlympiFan. Players collect virtual clues to win medals and extra clues in order to guess who the Masked Medalist really is. The grand prize - becoming a beta tester for future games.
In Tokyo they visit famous sites, collect clues, see olympic events and even meet a few olympians.as well as meeting several other teams of kids playing the game. Someone begins hacking into player’s cell phones and OlympiFan accounts, altering their team data, and sabotaging the game. Desperate as Andy is to win the game, they must first determine who the hacker is. Mika is distracted, she has her mind on something else, and she's hoping to continue with her own project without being caught.
This well-written book is perfect for middle schoolers. There’s plenty to peak their interest including video gaming, Olympic sports, social media, team work, family rules and more than than one mystery to solve. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ *Unfortunately, I couldn’t find this book at either of my libraries, at least not on ebook, or audio, so I had to buy a copy.
#EmptyNestReader #instagram #facebook #Goodreads #TheMysteryoftheMaskedMedalist #KidoKidsSeries #ShibSibs #MaiaShibutani #AlexShibutani #middleschool #mysteryadventure #FebruaryReads #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagramalabama #bookstagrammichigan #bookreviews #bookreviewer #bookrecommendations #readalittlelearnalittlelivealittle #ebooks
Mika is just about to enter middle school, brother Andy is in 7th grade. Together, with their parents, they're on their first trip to Japan in order to attend the Summer Olympics. Their mother is an editor of an on-line sports magazine, the father is a free lance writer. As exciting as this trip is, Mika and Andy may be more excited about a virtual game that has been released, OlympiFan. Players collect virtual clues to win medals and extra clues in order to guess who the Masked Medalist really is. The grand prize - becoming a beta tester for future games.
In Tokyo they visit famous sites, collect clues, see olympic events and even meet a few olympians.as well as meeting several other teams of kids playing the game. Someone begins hacking into player’s cell phones and OlympiFan accounts, altering their team data, and sabotaging the game. Desperate as Andy is to win the game, they must first determine who the hacker is. Mika is distracted, she has her mind on something else, and she's hoping to continue with her own project without being caught.
This well-written book is perfect for middle schoolers. There’s plenty to peak their interest including video gaming, Olympic sports, social media, team work, family rules and more than than one mystery to solve. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ *Unfortunately, I couldn’t find this book at either of my libraries, at least not on ebook, or audio, so I had to buy a copy.
#EmptyNestReader #instagram #facebook #Goodreads #TheMysteryoftheMaskedMedalist #KidoKidsSeries #ShibSibs #MaiaShibutani #AlexShibutani #middleschool #mysteryadventure #FebruaryReads #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagramalabama #bookstagrammichigan #bookreviews #bookreviewer #bookrecommendations #readalittlelearnalittlelivealittle #ebooks
April 20, 2022
This book features the siblings, Andy and Mika, as the text rotates between their points of view. The siblings are going to the Tokyo Olympics and while they’re there they’ve decided to play Olympifan, a VA and VR game for players around the world to solve the mystery of “Who is the masked medalist?” and designer of the game. While exploring Tokyo and the olympics, the siblings will need to see if they can solve the mystery and face any challenges that come up along the way, including missed alarms, sabotage, and deciding to keep the game fair.
This mystery text is recommended for grades 4-8 and is appropriate as a recommendation for independent reading or group reading. There are parts of the book set up to look like text messages using acronyms and usernames, which would be difficult to read in a read-aloud. Andy and Mika got to meet other diverse characters from around the world, which was also really unique to the text since they’re at an olympic event and it encouraged unity. This text also addresses the dangers of using social media in a way that highlights the concerns of some parents, while also including it as part of the mini-mysteries. Overall, this text was exciting, diverse, and fun to read, giving the reader mini-mysteries in addition to the overarching mystery of “Who is the masked medalist?”
This mystery text is recommended for grades 4-8 and is appropriate as a recommendation for independent reading or group reading. There are parts of the book set up to look like text messages using acronyms and usernames, which would be difficult to read in a read-aloud. Andy and Mika got to meet other diverse characters from around the world, which was also really unique to the text since they’re at an olympic event and it encouraged unity. This text also addresses the dangers of using social media in a way that highlights the concerns of some parents, while also including it as part of the mini-mysteries. Overall, this text was exciting, diverse, and fun to read, giving the reader mini-mysteries in addition to the overarching mystery of “Who is the masked medalist?”
September 9, 2020
I was pleasantly surprised at how fantastic this book was! I am often worried about celebrity authors. The Shibutanis, who are olympic medalists, exceeded my expectations! This was a fun romp around Tokyo, with an online contest, a real life mystery, and plenty of fun Olympic facts and trivia. And since the Tokyo Olympics were postponed, there is plenty of time to read this and get excited. I'm glad this is the first in a series. I look forward to reading about more of the Kudo Kids adventures. Highly recommended for grades 4 & up.
March 19, 2021
Andy and Mika are super excited to be traveling to the summer olympics in Tokyo with their parents. Their mom is covering events for a sports website, and their dad is a food writer who will be doing a little work too while they are there. Andy and Mika have plans to play an online game that introduces players to various parts of Tokyo while they try to figure out who the former Olympian designer of the game is to win the chance to be beta testers for the Olympian's future video games. Andy and Mika are playing in a team with two friends in California. Andy and Mika will play live, while their friends play in VR. All of them are very motivated to win, but someone is sabotaging the game and stealing clues. Can Andy and Mika figure out who it is and unmask the Masked Medalist? And what is going on with Mika when she isn't playing Masked Medalist?
This is a good mix of tour of Tokyo, description of being at live Olympic events, and a competition mystery. Mika is wrestling with her parents boundaries on social media for their kids and her desire to enter a photography contest on Instagram. The potential dangers of social media are touched on in a very age-appropriate way. The parents' response when she is caught is very balanced and wise. My middle grade students love mysteries, and Japan is one of the most popular vacation destinations among our students (when they can travel) so I see this being extremely popular with the kids at my school. I'm always wary of books written by famous people, but this was well done and the teen authors definitely listened a lot to the writer who worked with them. The only thing I thought was odd were inaccurate descriptions of the flight from California to Tokyo. I'll put them in a spoiler you can read if interested. Still a really great mystery read overall, and should be quite popular.
Notes on content: No language issues. No sexual content. No violence. There is some theft and hacking and mean messaging. As mentioned, one character breaks parents' rules about social media but I think she learns her lesson.
This is a good mix of tour of Tokyo, description of being at live Olympic events, and a competition mystery. Mika is wrestling with her parents boundaries on social media for their kids and her desire to enter a photography contest on Instagram. The potential dangers of social media are touched on in a very age-appropriate way. The parents' response when she is caught is very balanced and wise. My middle grade students love mysteries, and Japan is one of the most popular vacation destinations among our students (when they can travel) so I see this being extremely popular with the kids at my school. I'm always wary of books written by famous people, but this was well done and the teen authors definitely listened a lot to the writer who worked with them. The only thing I thought was odd were inaccurate descriptions of the flight from California to Tokyo. I'll put them in a spoiler you can read if interested. Still a really great mystery read overall, and should be quite popular.
Notes on content: No language issues. No sexual content. No violence. There is some theft and hacking and mean messaging. As mentioned, one character breaks parents' rules about social media but I think she learns her lesson.
September 9, 2021
Mika and Andy are Japanese-American students (soon to be 6th and 7th graders) who get to travel to Japan for the 2020 Summer Olympics. Excited to actually witness the Olympics and travel to their country of heritage, they also get to play an AR (augmented reality) and VR (virtual reality) game set in Japan. The game itself is one big puzzle to solve that involves collecting clues along the way. However, as their trip unfolds, more baffling mysteries present themselves, one within the game itself and another having to do with Mika. Unbeknownst to her parents and even her brother (who knows her really well), Mika is hiding a secret. She's gotten onto social media for a pretty good reason, but she's breaking her parents' rule of no social media until she's 13. All seems well, until her she realizes some of the dangers that can come with IG.
I really enjoyed this book and think that many middle schoolers would be able to identify with it. Key highlights of interest would be the AR/VR game (it's like Pokemon Go on super steroids), the dynamics of working as a team, group chats, social media, parenting rules regarding social media, potential dangers of social media, and of course the Olympics, and Japan. There was so much to enjoy in this book, especially for the international school community that I serve at. The parents also handle the social media tension very well with Mika which is an added plus.
I really enjoyed this book and think that many middle schoolers would be able to identify with it. Key highlights of interest would be the AR/VR game (it's like Pokemon Go on super steroids), the dynamics of working as a team, group chats, social media, parenting rules regarding social media, potential dangers of social media, and of course the Olympics, and Japan. There was so much to enjoy in this book, especially for the international school community that I serve at. The parents also handle the social media tension very well with Mika which is an added plus.
May 25, 2020
There are so many things to like about this book. It has a compelling story: a brother and a sister (Andy, age 12; Mika, age 11) travel to Japan for the Olympics and solve a mystery while they are there. They get to go because their mom edits a sports website and their dad is food travel writers. How cool are those professions?
The siblings are heavily involved in playing a VR/AR game called OlympiFan (it’s a little like Pokemon Go) to find virtual medals and discover the identity of the game’s host who goes by the name of The Masked Medalist. Along the way, we find out Mika has a secret she’s keeping from her parents and her brother, and the stakes are raised when it looks like someone is stalking her and sending unsettling messages.
Along the way, we readers learn quite a few interesting things about Japanese culture and get to share in the fun of solving the puzzles imbedded in the OlympiFan game.
It would have been a great tie-in with the 2020 Olympics. Unfortunately, it looks like we will have to wait until 2021, but this book would be a great intro to the culture of Japan and to some of the events of the Olympics.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley
The siblings are heavily involved in playing a VR/AR game called OlympiFan (it’s a little like Pokemon Go) to find virtual medals and discover the identity of the game’s host who goes by the name of The Masked Medalist. Along the way, we find out Mika has a secret she’s keeping from her parents and her brother, and the stakes are raised when it looks like someone is stalking her and sending unsettling messages.
Along the way, we readers learn quite a few interesting things about Japanese culture and get to share in the fun of solving the puzzles imbedded in the OlympiFan game.
It would have been a great tie-in with the 2020 Olympics. Unfortunately, it looks like we will have to wait until 2021, but this book would be a great intro to the culture of Japan and to some of the events of the Olympics.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley
November 6, 2021
Maia and Alex Shibutani have written a mystery perfect for kids and young adults. The thing I loved the most about this book was that it is a mystery that keeps you entertained and gives you a puzzle to solve along with Mika and Andi until the very end; however it was especially perfect for my preference because I love mysteries but oftentimes, I find myself losing interest since most mysteries are also thriller/horror books. I personally do not like horror and would much rather read an entertaining and heartfelt piece. Kudo Kids is definitely not a horror/thriller and it was entertaining. Along with the mystery, there are other lessons that make it something more than just a mystery. I throughly enjoyed going through Tokyo with the Kudo Kids and I hope you will too!
July 30, 2021
* I got this book for review from the publisher*
I thought this was adorable read. I loved that it was tied to the tokyo olympics. I also really enjoyed the game element that was featured. I also thought this book would be prefect for younger readers. I also really enjoyed how the book focused on friendship, brother and sisters realtionships and also loved how it explored the city of toyko. I loved how the mystery was connected to the games and found it super cute. I would def read more of this series in the future. Def a fun read and if you have kids that love games or the games in general, def a solid read.
I thought this was adorable read. I loved that it was tied to the tokyo olympics. I also really enjoyed the game element that was featured. I also thought this book would be prefect for younger readers. I also really enjoyed how the book focused on friendship, brother and sisters realtionships and also loved how it explored the city of toyko. I loved how the mystery was connected to the games and found it super cute. I would def read more of this series in the future. Def a fun read and if you have kids that love games or the games in general, def a solid read.
November 3, 2020
The "Shibsibs" have created a winning new mystery/adventure book. Readers travel to Japan and visit sights in Tokyo and read about traditional Japanese foods while Andy and Mika (the Kudo Kids) attend the Tokyo Olympics. While the Olympics are exciting enough, the Kudo Kids are a part of a team playing the OlympiFan game, a game that can be played virtually or in person. This game is where the mystery begins! Kids will love the technology aspect of the game, Mika's interest and talent in photography, and the Olympic events.
September 4, 2020
I received an eARC from NetGalley and Razorbill in exchange for my honest review.
What a fun adventure for kids. While the story focuses on middle school kids, it is definitely appropriate for elementary age readers. The backdrop of the Olympics and Tokyo combined with a fun, puzzle-solving game is quite reminiscent of The Book Scavenger & I've no doubt that this series is going to find some fans.
What a fun adventure for kids. While the story focuses on middle school kids, it is definitely appropriate for elementary age readers. The backdrop of the Olympics and Tokyo combined with a fun, puzzle-solving game is quite reminiscent of The Book Scavenger & I've no doubt that this series is going to find some fans.
October 8, 2020
A very engaging, fun story that is total "tween". The kids (brother and sister) explore Tokyo while also participating in an online gaming contest. They manage to solve a lot of the puzzles but some of the competitors are not playing fair. Some ethics discussion (how do they respond?) is incorporated. Also some of the issues around the online activity of children are presented in a very real way.
March 17, 2022
It was very strange to be watching a Watcher Grocery Run video of the Shibutani siblings on YouTube when they started talking about their book, that I happen to be reading. Small world.
This was a fun book to read, I loved the concept of AR/VR game, though I don't know if I would be comfortable letting two middle school kids running around Tokyo by themselves without speaking the language, but I will suspend disbelief. This is just wholesome, and just a joy to read.
This was a fun book to read, I loved the concept of AR/VR game, though I don't know if I would be comfortable letting two middle school kids running around Tokyo by themselves without speaking the language, but I will suspend disbelief. This is just wholesome, and just a joy to read.
May 2, 2021
This book was wonderful! I have been to Tokyo so that really helped connect me to the story. I love finding middle school books where: 1) parents are engaged in the child’s life, 2) no one dies and 3) the siblings get along with each other. It is very rare to find a juvenile fiction book with all 3 criteria met. Just wonderful!
February 9, 2024
11 is my favorite age. Okay, to start at the beginning, ............................ I JUST LOVE THIS BOOK,AND I LOVE I LOVE IT. I liked the idea of Instagram and the Phones 📱 it was awesome 😎I just loved the idea of OlympiFan I JJJJJ UUUU SSSSS TTTTTT. LLLL OOOOOO VVVVV EEEE THIS BOOK!!!
June 2, 2021
The apida rep I never knew I needed :’) a complicated plot to follow re: the cheater but SO WHOLESOME and very smart. I love u shibsibs u have never ever led me wrong
Also I am fully aware this is meant for middle schoolers. I don’t care
Also I am fully aware this is meant for middle schoolers. I don’t care
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 4, 2025
Loved this middle grade read. It was written so well that I would recommend it to any adult as well! A little mystery. Very imaginative. My kids and I enjoyed learning about Japan and getting a real life taste of the Summer Olympics.
September 24, 2020
4.5 Very fun and entertaining
January 6, 2021
This was such a fun read! I liked the mystery aspect, combined with exploring Japan.
January 29, 2021
What a fun middle-grade read!! I thought it packaged the lessons in the dangers of social media and general sportsmanship/fairness really well for a book targeted to young children.
July 7, 2021
This book is awesome. I want to travel to Japan and eat Japanese food because of this book.
July 20, 2021
THIS WAS AWESOME!!!
July 20, 2021
3.5 this was a fun adventure with a brother/sister duo to Tokyo. Fun and even informative. great for 4-6.
September 16, 2021
If you know middle grade kids who are reluctant to read, but love sports, the Olympics, AR games, and mystery, give them this book. They will love it! Lots of fun travel around Tokyo too.
October 11, 2021
3.5
Cute. Believable. Interesting unveil. Good messages about cheating.
Cute. Believable. Interesting unveil. Good messages about cheating.
August 4, 2022
My kids and I really enjoyed listening to this book in the car. They are begging for the next one
August 6, 2022
Kudo Kids is an exciting book that you will LOVE if you like food, contests, puzzles, and fast-paced adventure. Also, this book is a cool read because it is written by three-time Olympic medalists!
January 16, 2023
Fantastic book! I couldn’t put it down! The game concept was cool and it was well written. Look forward to the next one!
March 3, 2023
3.75/5 rounded up to 4 for Goodreads
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June 29, 2024
My mom bought this for me when I was young. I remember being really encapsulated by the story and adventure that takes place in Tokyo. Really fun story and I recommend for everyone
April 12, 2022
C. fiction, children's fiction, upper elementary, intrigue, electronics, Tokyo Olympic games
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews