A worthy whodunit that will keep readers guessing.
In Xavier’s middle-grade novel, a seventh grader and a tiny sleuth gather clues to solve a mysterious missing person case.
It’s 1937, and 12-year-old Nelly’s mother, Davey Morgan, is an aviator; her father, George Melcham, is a ship’s captain for a New York shipping company. The girl stays with a “doddering great aunt” in Chicago while her parents are away. As she’s preparing to get on a plane to Puerto Rico for Christmas break, she meets Tim, a 6-inch private detective who travels in a suitcase; he must get to New Orleans and solve his new case, he says. Nelly convinces the pilot, Charlie, to fly her (and, secretly, Tim) to New Orleans. There, Nelly asks people questions on Tim’s behalf while carrying him in her pocket. The case involves Maj. James MacLaren’s wife, Millie, who’s gone missing; Madame Bellio, a self-proclaimed Voodoo priestess, may somehow be involved. Millie is part of the Hastings family, an old, established name in New Orleans; gold is rumored to be in her family’s mansion, and finding it becomes integral to the mystery. Deep, hidden tunnels and dark, stormy nights will engage readers as Xavier’s cleverly written mystery proceeds. The author slowly reveals various clues for readers to follow, such as the fact that Millie’s brother is also missing; a hidden note offers further hints, such as the phrase “Go to tunnels.” Nelly is shown to conquer fearful obstacles while helping Tim solve his case, for example, being imprisoned in a high tower, being threatened with a knife, and almost being poisoned by deadly smoke.
A worthy whodunit that will keep readers guessing.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: 9798361863372
Page Count: 225
Publisher: Saguaro Books, LLC
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
An absorbing fantasy centered on a resilient female protagonist facing growth, change, and self-empowerment.
In Florence’s middle-grade fantasy novel, a young girl’s heart is tested in the face of an evil, spreading Darkness.
Eleven-year-old Lydia, “freckle-cheeked and round-eyed, with hair the color of pine bark and fair skin,” is struggling with the knowledge that she has reached the age to apprentice as an herbalist. Lydia is reluctant to leave her beloved, magical Mulberry Glen and her cozy Housetree in the woods—she’ll miss Garder, the Glen’s respected philosopher; her fairy guardian Pit; her human friend Livy; and even the mischievous part-elf, part-imp, part-human twins Zale and Zamilla. But the twins go missing after hearing of a soul-sapping Darkness that has swallowed a forest and is creeping into minds and engulfing entire towns. They have secretly left to find a rare fruit that, it is said, will stop the Darkness if thrown into the heart of the mountain that rises out of the lethal forest. Lydia follows, determined to find the twins before they, too, fall victim to the Darkness. During her journey, accompanied by new friends, she gradually realizes that she herself has a dangerous role to play in the quest to stop the Darkness. In this well-crafted fantasy, Florence skillfully equates the physical manifestation of Darkness with the feelings of insecurity and powerlessness that Lydia first struggles with when thinking of leaving the Glen. Such negative thoughts grow more intrusive the closer she and her friends come to the Darkness—and to Lydia’s ultimate, powerfully rendered test of character, which leads to a satisfyingly realistic, not quite happily-ever-after ending. Highlights include a delightfully haunting, reality-shifting library and a deft sprinkling of Latin throughout the text; Pit’s pet name for Lydia is mea flosculus (“my little flower”). Fine-lined ink drawings introducing each chapter add a pleasing visual element to this well-grounded fairy tale.
An absorbing fantasy centered on a resilient female protagonist facing growth, change, and self-empowerment.Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2025
ISBN: 9781956393095
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Waxwing Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Delightful fun for budding mystery fans.
Only children, rejoice! A cozy mystery just for you! (People with siblings will probably enjoy it too.)
Debut novelist Cornett introduces the One and Onlys, a trio of mystery-solving only kids: Gloria Longshanks “Shanks” Hill, Alexander “Peephole” Calloway, and narrator Paul (alas, no nickname) Marconi. The trio has a knack for finding and solving low-level mysteries, but they come up against a true head-scratcher when the yard of a resident of their small town is covered in rubber ducks overnight. Working ahead of Officer Portnoy, who’s a little on the slow side, can Paul, Shanks, and Peephole solve the mystery? Cornett has a lot of fun with this adventure, dropping additional side mysteries, a subplot about small businesses, big corporations, and economics, and a town’s love of bratwurst into the mix. Most importantly, he plays fair with the clues throughout, allowing astute readers to potentially solve the case ahead of the trio. The tone and mystery are perfect for younger readers who want to test their detective skills but are put off by anything scary or gory. The pacing would serve well for chapter-by-chapter read-alouds. If there are any quibbles, it’s the lack of diversity of the cast, as it defaults white. Diversity exists in small towns, and this one is crying out for more. Hopefully a sequel will introduce additional faces.
Delightful fun for budding mystery fans. (Mystery. 8-12)Pub Date: April 14, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-9848-3003-6
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Dec. 21, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2020
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