There was a pause, and then Olivia said, "Well, you are a quick one, Hannah. I do think you will indeed make a great detective. In fact, you may be one already. The truth is, Kim's grandpa and I had a silly argument a while ago, and it was over nothing, just foolishness. However, I was making pancakes at the time and Grandpa got so annoyed at me that he said, 'I'm never eating one of your pancakes again!' He wants me to think that he isn't eating the pancakes. But I know he can't resist them, and whenever he smells them, he sneaks in when I'm not here and grabs a few. He doesn't want me to know, so I just pretend that there really is a pancake thief." She smiled at me and said, "But don't tell Grandpa!"
I giggled with delight and relief, knowing that Olivia loved to play games and that there was not an actual thief. My work here was done, and although in the end there was no thief, I still solved a mystery.
Read the following excerpt from The Best of Both Worlds.
Hannah thought that she'd observed enough to make a sensible deduction from Kim's grandma's and grandpa's behavior. Hannah said to the old lady, "Do you mind if I ask you a question? Do you really think there is a thief in your house?" Olivia knew that she'd been found out and smiled at Hannah. "I do indeed think you will make a great detective," Olivia said. "There is method to my madness, though," she said with a smile. Then she explained that she and Kim's grandfather had had an argument a while ago about something silly and pointless while Olivia had been making pancakes. Kim's grandfather was so annoyed that he vowed that he'd never eat them again. They both knew it was ridiculous, but neither of them wanted to back down. Olivia explained that if she kept mentioning the idea of a pancake thief, then Grandpa would know that she knew he was taking the pancakes, but he wouldn't have to admit that he'd gone back on his word. "In a way, if things stay the way that they are, I get to keep my silly story, Grandpa still gets to eat pancakes, and there is no damage to anyone. It's the best of both worlds!"
How are the points of view in The Pancake Thief and The Best of Both Worlds different?
In The Pancake Thief, the reader learns about all of the characters' thoughts and feelings about the pancake thief, whereas in The Best of Both Worlds, the reader learns Grandpa's thoughts and feelings, rather than all of the characters'.
In The Pancake Thief, the reader learns Grandpa's thoughts and feelings about the pancake thief, whereas in The Best of Both Worlds, the reader learns more details about Hannah's thoughts and feelings, rather than just Grandpa's.
In The Pancake Thief, the reader learns Hannah's thoughts and feelings about the pancake thief, whereas in The Best of Both Worlds, the reader learns more details about Olivia's thoughts and feelings, rather than just Hannah's.
In The Pancake Thief, the reader learns the old lady's thoughts and feelings about the pancake thief, whereas in The Best of Both Worlds, the reader learns Grandpa's thoughts and feelings, rather than just old lady's.
