Mock Newbery 2026 discussion

Our final book for the year is The Bletchley Riddle by Ruta Sepetys.

Is it "distinguished?"

The kindle version is on sale at this moment for $4.99, probably part of their Black Friday sale.

Kathleen wrote: "The kindle version is on sale at this moment for $4.99, probably part of their Black Friday sale."

Thank you for letting us know!

I mostly enjoyed this story, though i feel as if it could have been stronger. And the juxtaposition of the very serious situation at Bletchley Park and the more quirky, less believable, aspects of their lives didn't sit well with me.

Having read books by both terrific authors, my expectations were very high. I felt disappointed by the book, as I felt there were many unanswered thematic questions/ unaddressed issues, and quite a few distractions from the book’s plot.

Three and a half stars.

I liked the book by the time I finished it; I thought it ended pretty strong. It was, however, VERY hard for me to get into at first. Is it distinguished? Eh...

An absolutely fascinating subject in a story told by two amazing authors (including Ruta, one of my all-time favorites)? Sign me up! Prior to this book I had zero knowledge of code breaking during WWII and I'd never heard of Bletchley Park. Not only did I learn a ton, I also enjoyed the growth of the sibling relationship between Lizzie and Jakob. I didn't connect as emotionally with the characters as I usually do in a Ruta book, but I was still cheering for them as the story picked up speed towards the end.

This was a disappointment as I love books by both these authors. The first half has such a slow pace it will take young readers with stamina to trudge through. I had to force myself to finish- never an issue with their independent books. The last half of the book is much better. I also did not connect to the characters like I usually do. The character development was really lacking for such a long book. I also felt there was not enough serious scenes- especially the bombing in London. The light-hearted tone was off putting. Overall- disappointed with this highly anticipated collaboration. However, glad to see a different topic of WWII highlighted in a middle-grade book.

I found this World War II mystery fascinating, as it covered new code breaking techniques for encripting messages, particularly as the war intensifies. The main characters are siblings, who constantly bicker making their lives uncomfortable, yet exciting at Bletchley Park. This is a compelling mystery that's hard to put down. Full of secrecy, types of code breaking, and decisions about whom they can trust, keep the pages flying. Middle School students will find The Bletchley Riddle full of intrigue.

http://richiespicks.pbworks.com/THE-B...