*** WARNING: This review contains spoilers!!! ***
I really enjoyed this one! There was so much that I liked about this book.
I liked the introduction of Jeffrey and Sammy Beach, and I liked that they - like Mike - were different from the Alden children, yet they still all got along.
As a parent who likes to see positive role models in books, I liked how the Alden children kept reminding the Beach boys that they should ask for their parents' permission before doing new things. :P I also liked that they were sensitive to not wanting to intrude where they might not be wanted.
I even liked that Henry and Jessie sometimes had other plans, and weren't a part of all the activities. This book wasn't explicit about the children's ages, but Benny did say, at first, that he wished the Beach boys (aged 8 and 10) were older, which I think implied that Benny was older than they, so maybe he was 12? That would put Henry in his early 20's, and maybe he and Jessie were both in college, home for summer vacation!? I don't know, but it was kind of reassuring to see that they did sometimes have better things to do than play with little kids all the time.
I thought the mystery was just mysterious enough for a children's book - nothing criminal, and not too far-fetched.
And even though this book had an almost obligatory food business overnight success story a la Mike's Mother's Place and Benny's Buns, it was nice that someone besides Benny came up with the winning ideas.
Despite being such a pleasant read, I just couldn't bring myself to give this book 5 stars. I was really hoping that the book would tie up one sort of loose end and somehow reunite a grown-up Willy with his rocking horse.
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