Hide and Geek

Hide and Geek #1

by T.P. Jagger

A puzzlemaker's last clue. A friendship's last chance.

The GEEKs:
Gina, Edgar, Elena, and Kevin have been best friends for as long as they can remember. So when their arch-nemesis points out that their initials make them literally GEEKs, they decide to go with it.

The problem:
The GEEKs' hometown of Elmwood was once the headquarters of the famous toymaker Maxine Van Houten. Her popular puzzle sphere, the Bamboozler, put the town on the map. But Maxine passed away long ago. Now the toy factory is shutting down, and Elena's mom and Kevin's dad are losing their jobs. They might have to move--and that would mean splitting up the GEEKs!

The quest:
Maxine left one final puzzle, a treasure hunt that could save the town and keep the friends together. But only those who know and love Elmwood best will be able to solve it. GEEKs to the rescue!

Genres: Middle Grade, Mystery, Friendship, Audiobook, Adventure, Family, Contemporary

320 pages, Library Binding

First published January 4, 2022

About the author

T. P. Jagger is an elementary school teacher turned reading specialist turned college professor and writer. He is not a professional magician, although he can make pizza disappear. He and his family live in the Pacific Northwest with two dogs and an evil, ankle-biting cat.

To find out more about T. P. and about his free resources for teachers and writers, visit his website at www.tpjagger.com

Reviews

[Janssen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun - along the lines of Mr. Lemoncello

[Aly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun treasure hunt mystery. I loved the group of friends that embraced what would be a mean nickname and rolled with it. They're all smart and it was cute watching them work together to solve the clues so they could save their parent's jobs. I'll definitely be checking out the sequel to this.

[Casey Spark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to this audio book on a family road trip. The premise is four 6th graders on a treasure hunt to save their town…reminded me a little of Goonies❤️ Had us all engaged!

[Erin Cataldi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Debut children's novelist, T.P. Jagger, has written a witty and fast paced adventure story full of mystery and intrigue that will delight and engage young readers. Four best friends, Gina, Edgar, Elena, and Kevin have been not so affectionately dubbed the GEEKs, based on their initials. Rather then be offended, they have decided to embrace their new name and run with it. Their hometown of Elmwood used to be a famous little spot as the hometown and headquarters of the famous toymaker Maxine Van Houten. Her popular toy, the Bamboozler, kept more than half the town employed - with residents making the puzzle sphere in the local factory. However, the factory is going to be shut down and the GEEKs may be separated forever if their parents have to move away too find new employment. Luckily, the GEEKs discovered that Maxine left one final puzzle behind. A treasure hunt that will lead to a treasure that will save their struggling factory and town. Only those who truly love Elmwood and it's unique history will be able to solve and find the clues. Will the GEEKs live up to their name and solve the clues to save the town? Humorously narrated by the talented voice actress, Danice Cabanela, who does a great job portraying all four kids. A perfect listen for readers who love puzzles and adventure and the first in series!

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four kids try to follow clues to solve a treasure hunt left by the deceased owner of the toy company that this small town revolves around. The kids think they can solve the mystery and save the town. Moving looms in the near future for the kids. Gina is a reporter just like her mom. The failing newspaper is in her small apartment. Kevin is a math wiz running for class president and Elena is the police chief's daughter, a science nerd. Edgar is a theater major.
I liked the treasure hunt. I think it was a bit too long for most kids the age that would be most likely to read this. But the characters and plot were compelling.

[Bekki Fahrer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a fun mid-grade romp. I loved the characters. The mystery was also a great adventure. Highly recommended.

[Heaven Adore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating - 4.5 stars

Full RTC!

[Paige · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was great! I think it would make a great read-aloud for late elementary or early jr. high. It was a fast paced, small-town mystery story about a group of friends who all bring something to the table to solve a mystery.

[Grace Cullen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. Overall, the mystery and scavenger was great, although it was a little predictable. Like really predictable. The concept was the most original, but overall it wasn’t bad.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in return for an honest review.

3.5 stars. A mystery filled with clues and puzzles in a race against time to save a town. I really liked the premise of this book, and I appreciated the friendships of the GEEK friends. This probably won't be the first mystery I recommend to kids looking for a mystery to read, but it was an enjoyable read.

[Gretchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't remember many "puzzle" books when I was a kid except of course The Westing Game. Now there are a number of wonderful stand-alone and series puzzle books that I feel it is a sub-category within the mystery genre. This book is a wonderful entry into that category. Gina, Edgar, Elena, and Kevin are geeks - both in personality and acronym - and they lead happy lives in their city of Elmwood. But things have been slowly heading in a downward direction since the toy-maker and leading citizen Maxine passed away. Her children do not have the ability to think creatively or manage a factory, as she did. And things are suddenly getting worse. The last straw the GEEKs have to hold onto is a treasure hunt that no one has been able to solve yet and some think it never existed. But if they don't try they know everything will be a disaster. Fun reading!!

[CONSTANCE · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you loved “Candy Makers” or “Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library” or “The Mysterious Benedict Society”, this is your next book because there’s a treasure to whomever in the story can follow the clues.
Four friends live in a town that had once been very prosperous thanks to Maxine Van Houten and her toy factory. Many decades later the factory is closing and along with an already fading town, these friends find out about a puzzle Maxine left for her fortune. If they can solve the puzzle, maybe they can save their town.
And to make this story even better, it’s just #1 with book #2 coming next year.

[Andréa]

Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

[Becky B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gina wants to be a reporter like her mom someday, and maybe even contribute to the paper her mom runs now if she finds a story good enough. But the paper isn’t doing well, and her mom is threatening that they may have to move. Actually, with the news of the closing of the local toy factory, many families are considering leaving. Gina and her friends Edgar, Elena, and Kevin don’t want to break up their friend group or move away from their small New Hampshire town. If only old Mrs Maxine Van Houten had left her millions to the town like she had promised or if her family hadn’t sold her toy company. After the death of the last resident Van Houten, a family member shows up to close up the house and he lets slip to the kids that Maxine may have actually left a treasure behind. He’s found a clue in her papers. He doesn’t want the adults in town to know, because all sorts of craziness would break loose if everyone was following the clues, so he only has the kids helping him and makes them promise to tell no one, not even their parents. Is there really a treasure? Can they trust this relative of Maxine, Max Van Houten?

This was ok. It wasn’t my favorite because of how the kids were keeping secrets from their parents (they are convinced by Max it is for the good of the town). They also start keeping secrets from each other and not communicating well and it leads to unnecessary drama. I did like the variety of giftings and talents the kids have and how they complement each other. Elena is a science nerd, Kevin is running for 6th grade president (and has been class president many years), and Edgar is a drama guy who also loves his pet cow. Perhaps the next book will be better now that the kids have learned to trust their parents. This was a 2.5 for me.

Notes on content:
Language: None
Sexual content: None
Violence: Some people get hit by a shovel and threatened with more harm.
Ethnic diversity: Kevin is Black American, Elena is Indian American (Asian Indian), and Gina and Edgar are white American.
LGBTQ+ content: None specified
Other: Lying to parents and breaking into some derelict places for what they think is the town’s good.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

At first I was worried that this middle grade novel would be too much like Chris Grabenstein's Lemoncello books. But that turned out not to be the case. This story with several puzzles and clues stands just fine on its own. Eleven-year-old Gina Sparks loves her little town of Elmwood, New Hampshire, where her mother runs the newspaper and Gina nurtures dreams of a journalism future. But the town's fallen on hard times and facing an even more dismal future now that the toy factory started by the late Maxine Van Houten is closing. Gina and her three friends, Elena, Edgar, and Kevin [called the GEEKS by another classmate, decide to find the treasure supposedly left by Maxine. Combining all their skills, the youngsters move from one clue to the next while also avoiding a strange man who always seems lurking nearby when they move from one place to the next. Along the way, they meet a couple of interesting citizens with fascinating pasts, who would certainly make great human interest stories, and they face challenges and some treachery. Plus, the clock is ticking as some of their parents are already getting ready to move to another town in order to make a living. A bit of realism is injected into the plot by having the youngsters not always agree on their next steps or what the clues mean and by some of the choices they make, which means sometimes putting their solving of the mystery over the needs of a friend. The action is fast-paced and features characters who are unique and interesting on their own merit. Plus, who can resist a book with a dog named Sauce?

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mysteries are supposed to be something that you can solve, while you read the book, despite any red herrings that might be thrown in the way. You should be able to at least try to guess where each clue went.

However this book, each clue was like a foreign tongue which I had never heard before, and I had no idea where any of them lead.

And at a certain point I didn't really care.

I should have cared.

The story is about four friends whose initials spell out Geek. They live in a small town whose main industry was making toys, but the company has been sold, and there go all the jobs. However, the original owner left a series of clues for anyone who really knew the town, to solve, and amass a fortune.

I tried to care. I tried really hard, but despite the narrator going on and on about how she didn't want to move to Boston, I thought it might be actually more interesting than this one horse town.

The clues were not anything that the reader could have solved, so they are just along for the ride.

Not my idea of a good time.


Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

[BethFishReads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really 3.5.

First in a fun middle grade mystery-adventure series featuring four smart kids who are given a chance to solve a puzzle that will save their small New Hampshire town.

Things I liked: The children acted their age and had reasonable interactions with their parents and among themselves. They are offered a bit more independence and freedom than youngsters who live in more urban areas thanks to their small-town environment. Besides the fun of seeing them figure out the clues, we see the kids at home and involved with their school activities. Each child has a different home situation and each has their own personality.

The clues seemed to be just the right level of tricky for young readers (and even adults!), though some were easier to guess than others. The balance of the children's everyday life with the action of the mystery was well done.

The book includes some graphics to indicate newspaper articles, typewritten messages, and texts, which will help keep young readers engaged.

I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.

Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fun middle grade mystery.
Four 6th grader friends live in a small town that has seen better days. In fact, the economic situation is such that their parents are actually considering moving to find better jobs somewhere else, including Gina's Mom.
As a jounalist, she passed on her genes to Gina. When Gina finds out there might be a treasure hidden somewhere in town, that would save the whole town, she uses all her talented gifts as an aspiring journalist, and with her friends and their own talents she gets to work.
But, is there a treausre? Will they find it, in time? Before anyone else?

I really enjoyed the 4 friends, plus Gina's helpful dog. They are normal 6th graders, having to deal with normal 6th grader school lives. They are good at heart, they love their hometown, they are smart, geeky, and their friendship is a major srength.
There's a lot of humor, and it's a clean story for all to enjoy.
The clues were a lot of fun to help find a potential treasure.
Plus it was neat going through different important places in town (library, museum, theater, bank, etc), and also meeting some colorful older residents.
Looking forward to more books in the series!

[Matt Glaviano · Rating 4 out of 5]

Future Matt: dates of reading are off.

I thought this was a heck of an enjoyable treasure hunt book. I liked the setting, liked the characters enough, and thought the writing was above serviceable.

I liked it enough that I glanced at reviews to see why other didn't seem to like it as much as I did. Several people seemed disappointed that the clues were not things that you could decipher yourself. That's totally true and a valid complaint if that's what you're looking for in this book. It's a novel in which the characters are solving clues that they can only solve because they're from their small town; it's insular and that's part of the point but still a completely valid critique (if that's what you showed up for). I just liked it as a novel, and enjoyed following the GEEKs as they figured out the clues.

This one touches on amusement parks, so I'm adding that a shelf tag. But, dear non-existent reader, if you're looking for an amusement park book, it's not this one. This book only briefly resides there.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5. The key thing this book had going for it was the treasure hunt plot. It was wonderfully executed with a gripping pace. The clues were elaborate and clever, and the search involved meeting some great characters and revealing some cool history about the town. Because the book was very plot-focussed, and thus focussed on this element, I enjoyed my a lot of my reading experience.

Unfortunately, I didn’t really like the friendship between the four “geeks”, which was also at the heart of the book. I was unconvinced that the four of them actually liked each other because they fought constantly and found each other’s interests annoying. Their interactions were stressful!

I also wanted something more unique from the story, like leaning into the toy-making thing more (we never hear about the other toys that were made, and the geeks never even solve a Bamboozler!), or exploring a theme as a part of the story.

I am currently reading the second book in the series, so we will see how that goes!

Rep: Black SC, Latina SC

[Teri Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part of my duties as a librarian is to read children's books to see if the library wants to purchase the book for our collection. I chose to read this one for our middle grade collections. In a sea of book that are fantasy or books about animals, this onestood out because of the mystery aspect of it. I enjoyed it. It has several things going for it that I think children will enjoy. #1 There is a mystery to solve here. Kid still like to solve mysteries. If they didn't Harry Potter wouldn't still be as popular as it is. #2 It has a friendship aspect. The characters truly like each other for their similarities and their differences. lastly, there's cause. The kids are ultimately trying to save the town and their parents' jobs by solving the mystery. who doesn't like like to stand behind a good cause, right? All-in-all I believe kids will enjoy this first book in the duology and will be excited to get the second in the series.

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! It takes a lot for me to give 5 stars, but this was the perfect middle grade story. Four friends - with a love and appreciation for their small, struggling town - use their unique strengths and specialized interests (theater, politics, science, and journalism) to follow clues and find treasure that will save their town. Along the way they meet some longtime residents of the town who turn out to be treasures themselves! The GEEKs learn many lessons about loyalty, trust, being leery of strangers (!), and how you should really listen to your friends and not dismiss their concerns. I loved that their focus was finding treasure for the benefit of the town and community, rather than keeping it for themselves. Fantastic story!

[Emilee (emileereadsbooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Kids for the gifted book I read with the library audio!

I love a treasure hunt book, and this delightful book was a wonderful example of why. These middle school students are in a race against time, a mysterious enemy, and their not so watchful parents to solve clues to find a long lost treasure to save their town. I don't know if this book is set up to be a series, but with 4 wonderful central characters there certainly could be a book that each of them narrates. The kooky old broad who hid the first treasure surely left more puzzles to solve for them right?!

[Nessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Narrator: Danice Cabanela 5/5. I really enjoyed this narrator.

I'd say 3.5

It was a lot of fun and good mystery book! Gina, Edgar, Elena, and Kevin, or also known as GEEKs, are best friends who are in search of their towns hidden treasure! Elmwood was the headquarters of the famous toymaker Maxine Van Houten. But due to her untimely death, the town has found itself with a huge problem. The toy factory is shutting down which is causing many of the townsfolks to have to leave... The GEEKS have found themselves in with the great mystery and treasure hunt! Maxine left one clue for lucky townsfolks to find the treasure. It's up to the GEEKS to get there first!

[Wina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Contemporary treasure hunt story for ages 8-12, the reader, Danice Cabanela, does a fine job. The four friends are exceptionally smart, but more normal than the Mysterious Benedict Society. They are in a small town in New Hampshire, and following clues and solving the puzzles left by a very important figure of their town. I enjoyed the mystery, the comradery and occasional problems with the friends, and some excitement/suspense, too. Some diversity, even though it's a small town. Nice, interesting characters in the town play an important part in the story. Happy ending with epilogue to explain how everything turned out. First in a series.

[Yvonne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for the eArc in exchange for my fair and unbiased review.
On the road to becoming a young journalist, our friend is on the lookout for anything new or different in her small town. Suddenly a new person is in town and there are rumors of the toy factory shutting down.
Trying to figure out what is going on, our GEEKs get involved in solving a mystery and saving their town.
An enjoyable book with a fun mystery and some semi-believable adventures; it’s not going to set the world on fire, but it’s a win if you have fun reading it.

[Toni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a good read! Age appropriate with a wrap-all-the-loose-ends-in-a-joyful-bow ending.

Four friends embark upon a harrowing adventure to find the treasure that can save their dying New England town. Their first names, when combined, happen to spell the word GEEK, which they happily adopt.

Great read for middle schoolers, except there was the theme of "We can't tell our parents because they won't understand," that was a little frustrating, but not enough for me to be too upset with the book :)

[Jaymie · Rating 3 out of 5]

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

3.5 stars = Good+

A fun treasure-hunt mystery for kids. The clues are based on the story, so readers can't puzzle along with the characters, but I think fans of these sorts of stories will enjoy this one. The author does a great job of telling what happens in the end for all of the characters.

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book for the Charlie May Simon Award Committee. The first few chapters, I was convinced that this was going to be another middle-grade Lemoncello book. It had all the parts and pieces, just with a female as the main character. It was indeed similar to a Lemoncello, but it had a whole different mystery vs bad guys appeal. I enjoyed it overall (especially Sauce)! Is it award worthy...I guess I will just have to wait and see what the other committee members think.

[Elizabeth P · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was okay. It wasn't as fun as some of the Lemoncello books and of course nothing can compare to "The Westing Game". This book was more like "The Ambrose Deception", which I think I rated 2 stars as well.
I did like the characters, but I agree with others that I don't know if you could figure out the clues without knowing about the (fictional) town.
I'm not sure if I'll read the next one in this series or not.