SNOOP

A laid-up and bored seventh grader discovers that his seemingly ordinary North Carolina town is a hotbed of puzzling mysteries.

Taking his classes remotely while confined to his home with two broken legs in the wake of a skiing accident, Carter quickly discovers that it’s easy to hack local security cameras—but somewhat less easy to believe what he sees. Is his longtime crush Lacey really going out with sneering A-lister Maddox? Why is a stranger in a red Maserati parking in different spots all over town, day after day? Most startling of all, why are a red panda and other endangered creatures roaming the streets at night? Getting answers looks to be impossible, considering Carter’s lack of mobility, particularly after an urgent call to the police about a supposed crime in progress only gets a bunch of classmates in trouble, which sends his reputation so far down the toilet that even his best friend ghosts him. Korman dishes up an expert mix of entertaining foolery, peer and family dynamics, and cautionary messages about both the ethical nuances of online snooping and the hazards of jumping to conclusions. Names cue some diversity in the cast.

Funny and thought-provoking, no bones about it.