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THE LOST ONES

Name: THE LOST ONES
Author: Johan Rundberg
ISBN: 9781662525940

From the Moonwind Mysteries series , Vol. 3

by Johan Rundberg ; translated by Eva Apelqvist ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 7, 2025

Exceptionally entertaining, always suspenseful, and eminently satisfying.

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A big case helps an orphan unravel the mysteries of her past.

Enough time has passed since The Queen of Thieves (2024) that the heat is finally off 12-year-old Mika after her explosive prison break. Her newly restored anonymity means she’s once again free to help Constable Valdemar Hoff solve crimes. Valdemar’s been assigned the case of a missing wealthy 14-year-old. But Mika’s friend Tekla leads her to an even bigger case—a new construction job has revealed a mass grave of suspiciously small skeletons. This Swedish import skillfully interweaves its mystery storylines with revelations about Valdemar’s past and Mika’s own family history. Mika’s keen eye for observation, her ability to make connections, her strong moral center, and her boldness keep things fast-paced and grounded, especially as the investigation turns into the most dangerous one she and Valdemar have faced. The story neither shies away from nor sensationalizes its violence and provides the same matter-of-fact treatment to other social ills Mika encounters in gritty 1880s Stockholm, including poverty, alcoholism, and teen pregnancies. Robust prose paints vivid pictures, enhancing characterization, plot twists, and an action-packed finale. The ending resolves mysteries seeded in the first book of the series, but a final image disrupts the happily-ever-after with a promise of more stories to come. Characters are cued white.

Exceptionally entertaining, always suspenseful, and eminently satisfying. (Historical thriller. 10-14)

Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2025

ISBN: 9781662525940

Page Count: 222

Publisher: Amazon Crossing Kids

Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2024

Categories:

CHILDREN'S MYSTERY & THRILLER | CHILDREN'S HISTORICAL FICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
BIGGEST FAKE IN THE UNIVERSE
by Johan Rundberg ; translated by Eva Apelqvist

- BOOK REVIEW
FIRE FROM THE SKY
by Moa Backe Åstot ; translated by Eva Apelqvist

- BOOK REVIEW
YOUR TURN, ADRIAN
by Helena Öberg ; illustrated by Kristin Lidström ; translated by Eva Apelqvist

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THE SEVENTH MOST IMPORTANT THING

by Shelley Pearsall ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 8, 2015

Luminescent, just like the artwork it celebrates. (Historical fiction. 10-14)

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Traumatized by his father’s recent death, a boy throws a brick at an old man who collects junk in his neighborhood and winds up on probation working for him.

Pearsall bases the book on a famed real work of folk art, the Throne of the Third Heaven, by James Hampton, a janitor who built his work in a garage in Washington, D.C., from bits of light bulbs, foil, mirrors, wood, bottles, coffee cans, and cardboard—the titular seven most important things. In late 1963, 13-year-old Arthur finds himself looking for junk for Mr. Hampton, who needs help with his artistic masterpiece, begun during World War II. The book focuses on redemption rather than art, as Hampton forgives the fictional Arthur for his crime, getting the boy to participate in his work at first reluctantly, later with love. Arthur struggles with his anger over his father’s death and his mother’s new boyfriend. Readers watch as Arthur transfers much of his love for his father to Mr. Hampton and accepts responsibility for saving the art when it becomes endangered. Written in a homespun style that reflects the simple components of the artwork, the story guides readers along with Arthur to an understanding of the most important things in life.

Luminescent, just like the artwork it celebrates. (Historical fiction. 10-14)