The London Eye Mystery by Siobahn Dowd

Dowd, Siobahn.  The London Eye Mystery.

Random House; 2008,

ISBN: 0375949763.

Reader’s Annotation

When Ted and his sister get a visit from their Aunt Gloria and cousin Salim, they take Salim to ride the famous eye.  They watch as Salim gets on the sealed capsule, but when it comes back down, Salim has disappeared.

Plot Summary

Ted, who as Asperger’s syndrome, loves weather, and lives in London.  When his Aunt Gloria (aka “Hurricane Gloria”), comes to stay, she bring his cousin Salim.  Salim loves tall structures, and has never been to London, so of course he wants to ride the famous London Eye—a gigantic, ferris wheel-style ride.  Ted, his older sister Kat, and Salim head to the London Eye.  The last thing Ted and Kat want to do is wait in the hour-long line for tickets, so when a strangers approaches them, offering a ticket that he will not be using, they decide to let Salim go up right away.  Ted and Kat hold Salim’s camera, then watch he as boards the sealed capsule with a group of other people, and then they wait the half hour for the capsule to make the circuit.  When Salim’s capsule doors open, everyone gets off, but Salim has disappeared.  They check other capsules, but he is gone.  As police launch an investigation, Ted and Kat do investigating of their own.  They get his film developed in the hope that they might find clues.  They do find one—in one picture, the stranger is standing in the background.  On the stranger’s shirt is the name of a security company.  When Ted and Kat track down the stranger, they don’t find out much.  They eventually do find out what happened to Salim, but were they in time to save him?

Critical Evaluation

Told from the perspective of Ted, a boy with Asperger’s Syndrome, The London Eye Mystery presents a powerful impression of how someone with Asperger’s thinks.  Ted is very likeable, and has a solid relationship with his older sister Kat.  When Salim comes to visit them with Aunt Gloria (Hurricane Gloria), he seems to be happy and well adjusted, despite the fact that his parents are getting a divorce.  After Salim disappears, though, many details emerge that indicate more trouble than he revealed.  What makes The London Eye Mystery unique, is that the police have no luck in finding Salim.  Aunt Gloria and Ted’s and Kat’s parents are furious that they took the ticket from a stranger.  Aunt Gloria’s desperation and fear for Salim are palpable, and Ted decides that it is up to Kat and him to find Salim.  They don’t even know for sure that Salim is in danger, but Ted does have the feeling that time is running out.

Information about the Author

Born in London in 1960 to Irish parents, Siobahn Dowd earned her BA Hons degree in Classics from Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford University and an MA with distinction from Greenwich University in Gender and Ethnic Studies.  Throughout her career, Dowd worked tirelessly for various human-rights causes, and global anti-censorship.  Dowd died of breast cancer in 2007 at the age of 47.  All the proceeds from her literary work will be used to assist disadvantaged children with their reading skills through the Siobahn Dowd Trust.

Genre

Mystery, Suspense

Curriculum Tie-ins

Perhaps Geography (London)

Booktalk  Ideas

How do you think that Ted’s obsession with weather ties into the themes of the book?

Discuss Salim’s actions, especially in relation to Ted and Kat.

Reading level/Interest age

Ages 10+

Challenge Issues/Challenge Response Ideas

None

Why I included this work

The London Eye Mystery won several awards, including:

•  YALSA’s 2009 Best Books for Young Adults
•  Book Sense Children's Pick List Award 2008
•  School Library Journal Best Books of the Year Award 2008
•  Booklist Children's Editors' Choice Award 2008
•  Horn Book Fanfare Award 2008
•  Kirkus Reviews Best Children’s Books Award
•  Links Lasting Connection Award 2008

Great Quote from the Book

“Then the capsule landed. The doors opened and the passengers came out in twos and threes. They walked off in different directions. Their faces were smiling. Their paths probably never crossed again.

But Salim wasn’t among them.”