Kudo Kids

March 15, 2020
Siblings race to solve a series of puzzles only to get more than what they bargained for. Japanese American siblings Andy and Mika Kudo are ecstatic. Since their mother is the editor-in-chief of Compete, a popular sports website, the family will experience their first visit to Japan during the upcoming Summer Olympics. The siblings will also be able to play Olypifan, a popular augmented-reality game app, right there on the ground in Tokyo. The two already have plans to find more clues and virtual medals, all in hopes of correctly guessing the identity of the Masked Medalist. Their excitement soars when they learn that the creator of the game--an actual Olympic athlete--will have the winners be the beta testers for their upcoming game. Things get even more interesting when rumors begin to spread: of teams cheating, mysterious notes, and possible hacks. Mika has her own secret--breaking a family rule with an Instagram account to enter the Olympic photography contest. Chat transcripts, online postings, and lively illustrations are interspersed throughout the text, with most of the intrigue and puzzle-solving occurring toward the end. There is little reflection on Mika's unsanctioned social media account, even after she receives personal messages from a possible stalker. Disappointingly, there is no note or other reinforcement about online safety. An amusing international adventure with some dicey internet practices. (Mystery. 8-11)

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April 1, 2020

Gr 3-6-Siblings Andy and Mika Kudo are thrilled to travel to Tokyo for the Olympics with their journalist parents. Their excitement over sightseeing and watching Olympic events is heightened by OlympiFan, an augmented reality game that they will play during their visit. The game encourages teamwork and fair play, with clues hidden all around Tokyo that players can find either by physically visiting sites, or by using the virtual reality mode from home. But not all of the players are interested in playing fair. One player's account is hacked and clues are stolen, and Mika gets some strange and slightly creepy private messages. Who is trying to cheat at the game? Is the same person sending Mika messages? And who is the Masked Medalist who created the game in the first place? This topical mystery has a solid plot and good pacing, and will appeal to those fascinated by Tokyo and the Olympics. Young readers will wish that they could both play OlympiFan and taste the delicious foods that the Kudo kids sample in Tokyo. This book incorporates modern technology believably, and though the kids have some freedom to explore their surroundings, they also have a realistic degree of parental supervision. VERDICT As interest in the Tokyo Olympics runs high, this title will do well, especially with mystery lovers.-Misti Tidman, Mansfield/Richland County Public Library, OH

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 13, 2020
This swiftly paced caper by the Shibutanis, siblings who have won multiple Olympic and world medals for ice dancing, launches a mystery series starring Mika and Andy Kudo, Japanese American siblings from Los Angeles. Visiting Tokyo to attend the Summer Olympics with their travel-writer father and editor mother, who’s covering the event for a sports website, the kids delve into a hot new augmented reality game, OlympiFan. Their mission involves locating three virtual medals—bronze, silver, and gold—hidden throughout Tokyo, which contain hints to help them identity the former Olympic medalist who created the game and thus win the competition. Tangential plot threads augment the intrigue as the authors explore the possibility that someone may be sabotaging the game, and introduce competing young gamers and past medalists attending the Olympics. The siblings’ own moral conundrums add dimension: to enter a photography contest, Mika defies her parents’ dictate and surreptitiously opens an Instagram account, and she, Andy, and their game rivals deliberate what constitutes cheating. Final illustrations not seen by PW. Ages 8–12.

May 1, 2020
Grades 4-6 Andy and Mika are traveling, along with their sports editor mom and food reviewer dad, to Tokyo for the Summer Olympics. Their excitement ramps up when they realize they'll be able to play the Masked Medalist's new app, OlympiFan, which encourages players to scour Japan both in VR and AR for clues and virtual medals that will reveal the creator's true identity. Teams are vying for the chance to beta test the Medalist's next games, and the competition heats up as accounts are hacked and players are accused of cheating. The Olympic medalist Shib sibs' first book is a confused mash-up of genres?mystery, adventure, and sports?and readers expecting a solid mystery may be disappointed, as major clues presented to the characters are withheld from the readers, preventing kids from playing along to figure out who the Medalist is. Those more interested in the Olympic Games and apps like Pok�mon Go! will find more to enjoy here.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)