WHERE ELLA WENT

Presented in the form of a dossier, this mystery about a popular eighth grader who goes missing centers around friendship, family, and soccer.

When Ella Hart, captain of the soccer team and Birchfield Middle School’s student council president, goes missing before an important game, her teammates and classmates are mystified—and the note she leaves behind doesn’t help clarify things. The Ella everyone knew would never have missed the “game she’d literally spent eleven months preparing for.” As the evidence unfurls, the question arises: Did anyone really know Ella at all? Sadie Wheeler (a new arrival from Philadelphia whom Ella quickly befriended) and Alice “Pug” Fitzpatrick (Ella’s co-captain) work together to investigate what happened. While Pug doesn’t necessarily like Sadie, considering her a “(sort-of) nemesis,” she understands that they need to team up to solve the mystery of where Ella went and more importantly, why she’s gone. This story is told through pieces of evidence, including emails, text messages, audio transcripts, and journal entries. This format allows Morrison to tell her clever, moving story from multiple perspectives, increasing reader engagement through the appealing variety of voices; the collection of peripheral characters truly make this novel stand out. Ella, Sadie, and Pug are cued white, and contextual clues signal some diversity in the supporting cast.

Filled with witty banter, this mystery is sure to appeal to soccer fans and aspiring sleuths alike.