The Mystery of the Masked Medalist

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.