The Mystery of Locked Rooms is a cute middle grade (3rd-8th) novel with a fantastical 1950s fun house that is a giant escape room.
Sarah and her friends West and Hannah love escape rooms. They are just one of six groups that have completed the second-hardest escape room in their town. They call themselves the Deltas, because they all love math and puzzles, there are three of them, and there are three sides to a triangle, which is how you write delta in math (and in Greek). Hannah is a dancer and is a thrill-seeking gum chewer. West has a photographic memory, which makes him an excellent student (but also a target for bullies). Sarah is great at calculating the odds and being the planner and leader of the group.
Sarah’s life is pretty hard right now. Her dad has been diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and is bedridden. Her mom is working two jobs just to try to keep them in their house, and her older brother is reconsidering his college choices to save money. One day, there is a foreclosure notice on their home. Sarah should be focusing on seventh grade, but instead she’s worrying about her family having to move in with relatives in another state. When she tells her friends, they decide to pursue a secret treasure they have read about, The Triplets Treasure.
The triplets built a fun house in the 1950s that involved secret passages, cryptic puzzles, and far more fun (and danger) than a regular fun house. Unfortunately, one of the triplets died before they could open. The other brothers were too heartbroken to continue. They had advertised that there was a treasure to discover by the person or persons who completed their fun house first, and people have broken in before to try to find it. No one has succeeded. But Sarah, West, and Hannah are motivated. If they can find the treasure, it just might be enough so Sarah and her family can stay.
The dangers of a 1950s fun house are, well, terrifying! I know I wouldn’t be brave enough to swing through the air, or survive being trapped in a small space. But kids will love reading about their adventures and the puzzles they have to solve. Be prepared to take your kids to an escape room after reading this book, because they’re going to want to challenge themselves like Sarah, Hannah and West do! The Mystery of Locked Rooms has a (very) happy ending that might seem over-optimistic to adults, but is great for kids.
Mary Beth Adams is the Community Engagement Librarian for Alamance County Public Libraries. You can reach her at madams@alamancelibraries.org.