Lark’s sparkly presence on the chapter-book shelves will be welcomed by many.
When a pair of diamond earrings disappears from Lee’s General Store, the Ba twins mine for clues in this second title in the Lark Ba Detective series.
Lark, 10 minutes older than her twin brother, Connor, loves to read books and solve mysteries. Her mixed-race identity (Korean and Kenyan) has no effect on her sleuthing skills, nor does her dyslexia. Deen’s heroine reflects an underrepresented reader group and is as successful as any other lead character in early chapter books. While the action starts out slowly in first person, the tension rises in Chapter 4 with the actual disappearance of the diamond earrings. Diamond theft is a serious crime, but Lark and Connor are organized, perceptive, and thorough, undeterred by adults who dismiss them. Lark solves the mystery in Chapter 9, which is followed by three additional chapters providing entertaining yet innocuous details. Endnotes explore some of the word and jargon challenges Lark encounters. As in the first book of the series (Lark Holds the Key, 2016), Lark’s nemesis, Sophie, calls her “baa, baa Lark Sheep.” Lark optimistically reflects, “I knew Sophie was joking. She and I are best friends—she just doesn’t know it yet.” While it’s important to acknowledge the slights that many minorities face, Lark’s wish that Sophie be her friend realistically remains without resolution.
Lark’s sparkly presence on the chapter-book shelves will be welcomed by many. (Mystery. 6-9)Pub Date: Sept. 19, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4598-1400-4
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Orca
Review Posted Online: July 16, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Nicely paced, with just the right number of red herrings to keep readers thinking; they will hope the number 1 on the spine...
Jerry and Maya, classmates and friends, spend their spare time solving mysteries in their hometown of Pleasant Valley in this Swedish import.
Things are not so pleasant for Mohammed Carat, the richest man in Pleasant Valley. His world-famous jewelry store is losing money; apparently, one of his employees is stealing valuable diamonds and gems. The police are no help, so Mr. Carat turns to the youngsters for help. Each employee is a suspect: Vivian is in money trouble, former owner Danny wants his store back, and Luke’s flashy spending is suspicious. Jerry and Maya are hired to help out around the shop—washing windows, taking out the trash and so forth—but really they are there to watch the employees, both from inside the shop and from the church tower next door. Young mystery aficionados will enjoy solving the puzzle along with Maya and Jerry and will admire their observational powers. Full-color cartoon illustrations add much to the story, helping readers to see what the young gumshoes do. A map of Pleasant Valley and an illustrated cast of characters are provided in the early pages, allowing new readers an excellent reference tool to keep the many characters straight.
Nicely paced, with just the right number of red herrings to keep readers thinking; they will hope the number 1 on the spine indicates that this is the first of many Maya and Jerry mysteries. (Mystery. 7-9)Pub Date: July 31, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-448-48067-1
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap
Review Posted Online: May 27, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A fun series opener with a feisty protagonist who’ll keep readers on their toes.
Bowling introduces the outspoken, armless narrator of her Life as a Cactus series to younger readers.
Eight-year-old Aven Green doesn’t need arms to be a good private investigator; her feet work just fine. In fact, all those extra arm cells went to her brain instead—at least, that’s her hypothesis. So when somebody starts stealing food at school, she’s on the case. But then her great-grandma’s dog, Smitty, goes missing, and then new student Sujata arrives—looking mysteriously sad. Can Aven’s “super-powered brain” solve three cases at the same time? The simple plot, peppered with humorous malapropisms and leaps of kid logic, is primarily a showcase for Aven’s precocious personality. Witty, stubborn, and self-confident (“I was shy once. It was on a Wednesday afternoon in kindergarten”), Aven takes her disability in stride; her classmates are also accepting. She and her friends share rowdy and gleefully gross activities, complete with “ninja” chops, flatulence, and “rainbow barf.” Her (adoptive) parents are warmly supportive, but her long-suffering teacher is perhaps too much so; her remarkable tolerance for Aven’s occasionally disruptive antics may raise some eyebrows. Perry’s black-and-white cartoon illustrations energetically depict Aven’s agile feet and mischievous grin. The tidy ending sets up another adventure; a list of Aven’s “sleuthing words” is appended. Most characters, including Aven, appear to be White; Sujata is Indian American.
A fun series opener with a feisty protagonist who’ll keep readers on their toes. (Mystery. 6-9)Pub Date: April 6, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-4549-4221-4
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Sterling Children's Books
Review Posted Online: March 1, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
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