Vraiment, another standout.
A 10-year-old who’s “mainly interested in murders. Solving murders, that is” finally gets a crack at a mystery that unfolds in a classic country house setting.
In this third series entry, Bonnie Montgomery arrives at Adderstone Manor disguised as pint-size detective Montgomery Bonbon, complete with a “wobbly” foreign accent. She’s accompanied by Grampa Banks and her friend Dana Hornville. Infamous criminal Fergus Croke, who owns the manor, invited Monsieur Bonbon to referee a game—the prize is a diamond and the chance to be named Fergus’ heir. His apprentices, notable for their dubious talents, will participate in the scavenger hunt: pickpocket Daniel Devant, picklock Frankie Novak, and bank robber Naomi Igarashi. When Fergus is found murdered in the monkey house, the housekeeper calls the police, but Bonnie is sure they’ll botch the investigation. There’s monkey business afoot, but the exotic pets loved Fergus and shouldn’t take the fall for the murder, no matter what Bonnie’s rival, Inspector Prashanti Sands, believes. Meanwhile, the apprentices want that diamond! Powell’s lively illustrations capture key moments in the story, and humor, misdirection, and explosions add color. The girls’ friendship endures a blowup, too, when Bonnie feels threatened by Dana’s intellect. The answer? Working together. Between Grampa’s crime-scene photos, Dana’s undercover work, and Bonnie’s deductions, the murderer—and the diamond—are soon in hand. Bonnie and Grampa present white, and the supporting cast contains racial diversity.
Vraiment, another standout. (map, cast of characters, author’s note) (Mystery. 8-12)Pub Date: tomorrow
ISBN: 9781536241686
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: March 8, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A candid and powerful reckoning of history.
Summer is off to a terrible start for 12-year old African-American Candice Miller.
Six months after her parents’ divorce, Candice and her mother leave Atlanta to spend the summer in Lambert, South Carolina, at her grandmother’s old house. When her grandmother Abigail passed two years ago, in 2015, Candice and her mother struggled to move on. Now, without any friends, a computer, cellphone, or her grandmother, Candice suffers immense loneliness and boredom. When she starts rummaging through the attic and stumbles upon a box of her grandmother’s belongings, she discovers an old letter that details a mysterious fortune buried in Lambert and that asks Abigail to find the treasure. After Candice befriends the shy, bookish African-American kid next door, 11-year-old Brandon Jones, the pair set off investigating the clues. Each new revelation uncovers a long history of racism and tension in the small town and how one family threatened the black/white status quo. Johnson’s latest novel holds racism firmly in the light. Candice and Brandon discover the joys and terrors of the reality of being African-American in the 1950s. Without sugarcoating facts or dousing it in post-racial varnish, the narrative lets the children absorb and reflect on their shared history. The town of Lambert brims with intrigue, keeping readers entranced until the very last page.
A candid and powerful reckoning of history. (Historical mystery. 8-12)Pub Date: March 27, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-545-94617-9
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Levine/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Dec. 2, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2018
PROFILES
A page-turner with striking characters and a satisfying puzzle at its heart.
A boy who visits a little free library gets more than he bargained for when he becomes a sleuth caught up in the middle of his town’s most enduring mystery.
Ever since a tragic fire destroyed the Martinville Library, the town has been left without a place to borrow books. That is, until a little free library suddenly pops up, guarded by a fluffy orange cat named Mortimer. Fifth grader Evan McClelland selects two books from its shelves. Inside them he finds puzzling clues that lead him to chase down the real story behind the library fire. The book is told from multiple perspectives, including those of Evan, Mortimer, and ghost librarian Al, who perished in the blaze and is responsible for the upkeep of the little free library. Evan’s tenacious and curious character is relatable. His relationship with likable best friend Rafe, a brave, kind boy with overprotective parents, is easily one of the most endearing parts of the story. The puzzle over the library fire, a secret involving Evan’s family, a popular writer’s connection to Martinville, and the supernatural elements are presented in ways that are just right for middle-grade readers. The pacing is strong, and the twists and turns are satisfying even if perceptive readers may catch hints of the ultimate truth along the way. Physical descriptions of the human characters are largely absent.
A page-turner with striking characters and a satisfying puzzle at its heart. (Mystery. 8-12)Pub Date: Aug. 29, 2023
ISBN: 9781250838810
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: June 8, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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