Poison Plate

by Michele Sobel Spirn

When Mark first becomes the foster child of restaurant owners, he thinks they just want free help, but when he is wrongfully accused of trying to sabotage the business, he is determined to find the true culprit.

106 pages, Library Binding

First published August 1, 2006

About the author

Michele Sobel Spirn has written and published over 40 books for children. She began her writing career at age 16 when she won a state essay contest. Her prize included a trip to Washington, D.C. to meet the President. Throughout her career, she has had writing jobs in public relations as well as freelance work in educational publishing, mass market and trade publishing. She became interested in writing for children when she and her husband had a son. Influenced by the work of children’s book authors Arnold Lobel and James Marshall, among others, she wrote The Know-Nothings, an “I Can Read” book about four foolish friends. The Know-Nothings series now includes four books about the silly four--Morris, Boris, Doris and Norris--and their dog, Floris. Her love of mysteries has led her to create three middle-grade mysteries about the Bridges family, The Bridges in London, The Bridges in Paris, and The Bridges in Edinburgh. Michele also enjoys writing biographies (Against the Odds: Jackie Joyner-Kersee), young adult novels (Racing Against the Light, Wait Till The Midnight Hour) and nonfiction (Cold-Blooded Creatures, Birth Celebrations, New Year Celebrations). Her latest book is an “I Can Read” book, I Am The Turkey. Michele teaches creative writing at New York University and the New School University. She has a B.A. degree from Syracuse University and an MFA degree in creative writing from the New School University.

Reviews

[Gio · Rating 3 out of 5]

Do you know someone who lives with another family because something happend with his or her family.That is what hapened with Mark.I like this book because it's realistic fiction because this could hapen to anyone.This is a good book because it has lots of action.

This book takes plase in Mark's new house with his new family.When Mark's parents die he has to live with a man named Red his wife and son the day that Mark gets there he notice resturant.Red welcomes him to the house Mark meats Red's son Tim.Tim shows Mark to his bed room.the next day Red takes Tim and Mark to the resturant Red tells Mark that this is Red's resturant Mark meats the employies at the resturantHe will work there on weekends. After a week someone beaks in restaurant everyone thinks it’s mark I will tell you the rest later. The conflict is person vs. Person because Mark has to find out who broke into the restaurant. The details on Tim.Tim is tall he is nice except when you get on his bad side. Red is the owner of the restaurant and Mark’s new dad

This book is good because kids like me relate to Mark because this is what happened to my mom because her mom died so she only lived with her dad and brother. This book is good because kids like me relate to Mark because this is what happened to my mom because her mom died so she only lived with her dad and brother. This book reminds me of a book I read when I was in fourth grade. A boy’s parents died after he came home from school then he had to go live with a man out of the This book is good because it has lots of action, suspense, and mystery. Action is because someone broke in to the restaurant and make has to find out who broke in.Suspense because mark gets trapped in restaurant called the black cat and he can’t get out or someone might hear him.Myistery because Mark has to gather clues to find out who poisoned the food critic.

This book is overall the best mystery book I have ever read because it has three favorite things I like in books action, suspense, and mystery .I rate this book a 7 out of 10 because the book didn’t explain what happened to the other employs. Would recommend this book to kids in 5th to 7th grade.
state.

[Tony · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book I think its one of my favorite books because it shows how mark lost his family and had to live with another family because he had no choice and could live in an apartment alone so he went to go live with another family and the moms name was Della the dads name was red and their sons name was Tim and he had to show mark where he was going to sleep and mark felt a little uncomfortable because they showed mark their restaurant and then their was a break in the restaurant and mark ran to see what happened and they thought it was mark who broke in so he went to go investigate who broke in and accused a man that didn't do anything mark accused him because it looked like the man he saw and then he went to a shop that was called black cat and he said hey I know you and they are like get him and they put mark in a cell and then at night mark snuck out the cell and went to red and Della and told them everything and then they called the cops and the men were caught.

[Jazmin Reyes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I believe that this was a very good and interesting book because it was so mysterious and it would encourage me more to keep reading it. What I liked the most about it was that it was a little bit about suspense, it involved some one trying to kill someone by poisoning their food plate. The reason I say it was mysterious is because this little boy who was in foster care was trying to figure out who was the one who had poisoned the mans plate, their was, many people who he thought was suspicious but at the end it left me in shock because the person who had poisoned the plate was someone who they had least expected. So yeah I believe this was a very good book.

[Stefani · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a awesome book!!!! Mark got a new family that owns a restaurant called Red's. Mark's new Mom and Dad names are Red & Della. They have there own son named Tim. One morning someone breaks into there restaurant Red & Della have no idea who did it, at the end of the book you will find out who did this all. A week later a famous food critic comes to the restaurant and eats at Red's and he gets poisoned!!!! Nobody knows who poisoned the food critic!!

[Jada Golden-Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book very little. I didn't like it as much because for one I think I can read at a higher level. The story line was very good but other than that I had very little interest. I give it a 2/5. This book is Mystery.

[Teamjada · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jada Hastings

The book I’m going to tell you about is called Poison Plate, by M. Sobel Spim. The genre of this book is Drama/Action because windows are broken, people are getting pushed in the basement, plus someone is poisoned. The Setting of this book is in a restaurant and marks house, also outside. The main character in this book is a boy named Mark.

The problem in this book is that the restaurant has been poisoned. And Mark wants to know because, everybody think he did it. Conflict made the book exciting because they make it seem like he did it but you will find out if he did it in the book. I’m going to tell you one of the parts in the story. Mark said “ So you were the person who …… (Read the book to see)… In this book I dislike the cook because she seem like she didn’t want to be in the restaurant.

I like this book a little. Strengths in this book were finding who did it. The Weaknesses in this book were some of the big words. A person who would like this book is a person who like finding out things. (A Mystery). My favorite part of this book is when Mark ran outside and got the person who got busted.

[Eugene Ho · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about a boy called Mark who moved to a family that owned a restaurant because his parents died. Things were going badly for the family since Mark joined. Somebody broke into the restaurant and the family blamed Mark. Mark thought the family get him for a child because they want free help for their restaurant. One day a person went to the restaurant for dinner and he is poisoned after the dinner.
And the restaurant closed because of it. The family and the staff blamed Mark that everything is going weird since he came.

Mark wanted to find out who is the person that made the dinner poisoned. At last he found out the person that made all the stuff going weird was the person that he trusted, the only person that he trusted in the family. Then he called the police and the family accepted him and apologised for not trusting him.

I think this book is quite interesting. I suggest that children aged 10-13 should read it because it is quite short. I only needed two weeks to finish it. I also like it because it is mysterious.

[Allan Ollech]

This book is really good because it's a story about two people trying to poison the food.The main character is mark.Mark is a boy who lost his parent and he had to live with a family who own a restaurant.He didn't wanted to go to that family because he thought that they just wanted him for slave.To work in the restaurant.The family only had one son and the the family wanted to have another kid so their only son can have a brother.Then one day this guy came and eat in red's restaurant.When the guy was done one day later he was poison.The other people think that it was mark who poison the food.This book is not my kind of book, but it's kind of good.

[Bridget · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though the cover of this book portrays murder and a suspenseful story, it's geared toward 8-11 year olds. When a boy goes to live with a Foster family, strange things start happening at the restaurant they own. When the famous food critic is poisoned, the boy sets out to find the guilty party. I think it is suspenseful enough for that age group but there's no violence, death, etc. Also would make for a good read aloud.

[Justins · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book was about a boy name mark his mom and dad died so he moved in with another family who lived
in a house and own a restarount that was next door. Things was going okay with the family and all of a sudden somebody broke in the store now they blame mark.

I connect this to the world because people always life about things and in the book they lied about mark
stealing from the store.

I rated this book a 5 star because it was a mystery book and i like those kind of books.

[Megan Klammer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought that this was a very good and mysterious book. It kept it interesting throughout the whole thing, I really enjoy that in a book. I also liked how it was short and simple not something that took me a long time, I think it only took me a day, because it was so good that I couldn't stop reading it. You will always be wondering who did it until the end of the book! Overall this was a good book.

[Tyshawnsof2014 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about a orphan going into a new family and going into the family resturant. He found out that some body is trying to get the food place out of competion so the other resturant could get more money.
Can't connect to this book.
I gave this book a 5 because it had a lot of conflicts and alot of action.

[Dominique Sturkey]

This book was very interesting, i finished this book in at least 2 weeks or less. It was good book it kept me thinking about what was going to happen next. i suggest for others to read this book. it will only take about a week because its so interesting.

[Donnika Clayton · Rating 5 out of 5]

i think the book was felled with a lot of supsence. it was like no other book i read with a mystery so crazy like that one. i think that book was the best book i had ever read. iliked it because it was mixed with 2 to 3 different genres.

[Terri Chancellor · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The Poison Plate" by M. Sobel Spirn is a good book for struggling readers. There is an element of suspense as Mark tries to figure out who put poison in the food of the famous food critic at his foster dad's restaurant.

[Caleb · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book was a mysterous tale about an evil plan but a couraguos kid saves the day

[nataly · Rating 4 out of 5]

i think this book was kind of a good book because it's interesting how the author discribe the setting in the story. i also like it because its mysterias

[Jose Morealse]

I love the book. I will love to read another book of Michele Sobel Spirn. :)

[Zoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought it was very good.

[Felipe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay.

[Soraya Garcia · Rating 3 out of 5]

this is a really great book but watch out for the red herrings

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok, cause two kid try to poison
someone and at the end they went to
jail