Not only do the kids find the answers to their mysteries, but they learn other lessons on the way.
Plot
Note: Co-written with Chris Fabry.
Bryce Timberline is hot on the trail of the vandals who are going around playing "mailbox baseball": all the clues point to his stepsister's boyfriend. At the same time, twin sister Ashley is looking into the life, story, and sorrow of the school's "Lunch Lady", Mrs. Garcia.
Morality
Ashley is quick to help Mrs. Garcia in any way she is able. Her mother warns her about delving too deeply into others' lives and getting her hopes high before a possible crash. She also volunteers to tutor a young girl from another school.
At a softball game, a number of players are rather rude and babyish; one is redeemed, though, when he apologizes to the umpire.
Spiritual Content
Bryce, Ashley, and Mrs. Timberline are Christians. The twins go to a youth group. Ashley reads her Bible and prays for Leigh. She and her friend have a brief talk about God. A friend of Bryce’s gives Ashley some God-based encouragement.
Some of the softball players go to church merely to be on the team. The twins' stepsister, Leigh, declares that the players' behavior gives her more reason to stay away from God; her boyfriend apparently only goes to a Sunday school that gives out food. The man in charge of the team apologizes at the end of the season and reads from his Bible.
Violence
Ashley starts the book like this: "This is a story about a dead girl, a dead dog, a dead mom, and lots of dead mailboxes, so if you don't like dead things, stop reading now." Honestly, it's not as bad as all that. Ashley finds out about an apartment fire that was said to have killed a baby. Mailboxes are flattened by baseball bats. Bryce hears a yelp of pain when a bat hits a cement-filled mailbox. Sam, as a former military man, admits that he had been trained to kill. Mrs. Garcia’s husband was killed in a military bombing overseas.
Drug and Alcohol Content
The school bully and his buddies smoke. There's nothing else beyond Ashley's seizure pills.
Sexual Content
It is passively mentioned that a woman can’t have children of her own. A woman won't tell her child who her father is. A schoolmate has a crush on Ashley; Leigh has a boyfriend.
Crude or Profane Language or Content
Bryce hears someone swear when they get hurt, but the words are not given.
Conclusion
An interesting mystery in more ways than one. Bryce is quick to learn from his mistakes. Ashley is quicker to act on the behalf of others. They are good examples of some of what you should and shouldn't do, even in certain circumstances.
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