SHERLOCK HOLMES - THE HAMSTER VERSION

A pun filled  beginning reader where detective Hamster Holmes and firefly sidekick Dr. Watt help Springy Beaver, a stupendous inventor, solve the case of mysterious things being disturbed in his workshop.
A light mystery with clues and red herrings to mislead the reader while trying to solving this unusual mystery.

Hamster Holmes: On the right Track is just one in the series of Hamster Holmes books.  For readers in grades 1-2.

CREEPY AND TWISTED

Tabitha, an unwanted child of two very selfish parents, is about to be left at the doorstep of the local orphanage, when she and five other children are  invited to a spend the weekend at the mansion of a wealthy but reclusive countess.  Strange things begin to happen as soon as they arrive.  The maid dies right at the dinner table and the children begin to dissappear one by one.

Tabitha sets out to investigate the secrets she's sure is hiding in the mansion and with the seemingly more and more unstable countess.  Nooks and Crannies by Jessica Lawson is a Dahlish gothic novel set in some nebulous Dickensian time period.  It's a perfect read for those looking for something different to read.

For readers in 4th-6th grades.  

MURDER MOST FOUL

A review by Theresa from the Children's Room: 

For the seven girls who are students at St. Etheldreda’s School for Young Ladies it was a typical Sunday in the 1890’s at the boarding school. Sunday dinner meant buttered bread and hot beans for the girls and veal and the trimming for the headmistress Mrs. Placket and her brother Mr. Aldous Godding. They had learned to be content with the privilege of watching the two adults consume the meal that the girls had cooked. But on a particular Sunday in May that all changed with both Mrs. Placket and Mr. Godding dropped deal in the midst of the evenings repast. Following the unfortunate event the girl’s (each has a less than desirable nickname and the reader must make sure not to gloss over the brief introduction) quickly decide to hide the crime as no one desires to return home to their families. 

What happens next is a dark comedy full of hidden corpses, investigation worthy of Sherlock Holmes and a great deal of strength and ingenuity on the part of the girls in Julie Berry’s The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place. A tale for mystery lovers in grades 5-8.

GIRL EXTRAORDINAIRE

Ruby is an extraordinary,  super code cracker who is desired by Harvard but really in her heart she wants to be a detective.   Ruby Redfort:  Look Into My Eyes by Lauren Child is a too cool for school girl who only wears t-shirts with witty sayings. She has wealthy parents, a great nanny/cook, chauffeur and a very best friend.  Sounds like a great girl with a great life, eh? Well life has a way of changing things around when you least expect it.  

When a secret spy agency taps her to break a special code, she finds it absolutely boring and is itching to do some real field work and follow the clues no matter where they may lead her... like to The Jade of Bhuttan, a very special object that will be exhibited in her town.  


Although Ruby is an appealing character, this book starts slowly before all the action starts but for those who enjoy Clarice Bean, the quirky humor of this slightly hipster 13 yr. old detective will be very appealing.  

For readers in 4th -6th grades.  

SAMMY KEYES GETS A FATHER OR TWO

Sammy Keyes and the Showdown in Sin City by Wendelin Van Draanen is number 16 in the spunky girl detective mystery series.  Sammy has finally snapped and is going to confront her mother about the identity of her father and to stop her from marrying her boyfriend's father.  Good grief!  All this is so complicated and it's about to get even more complicated, as Sammy lies, manipulates, begs and weaves her way from Santa Martina to Las Vegas by enlisting the help of friends, enemies and a bunch of Elvises to solve the biggest mystery of her life -  Who is Sammy's father?  

A page turning Sammy Keyes  for mystery and Sammy lovers in 6th -8th.  

MAGGIE BROOKLYN IS BACK

Maggie is back with another mystery. She's been hired by a schoolmate to find out who has been egging her dog in the park.  Maggie finds out other dogs are being egged, too.  Hmmm... she's gonna get to the bottom of this. 

Meanwhile her two best friends are in a state of hyper excitement because teen heart throb, Seth Ryan, is in town to shoot a new movie and they want to be cast as extras. There's a lot of excitement in the movie world, but not all of it is good.  Seth Ryan acts totally weird, the neighbors are upset by the constant noise  and the horrible director is making everything worse. Then one day, Seth Ryan disappears.  Another mystery for Maggie to solve.

Vanishing Acts:  A Maggie Brooklyn Mystery by Leslie Margolis.  For readers in 6th-8th grades.

MUSICAL MYSTERY

From Children’s Librarian, Kristine Markosyan at the Adams Square and Pacific Park Branch Libraries:

Vanished by Sheela Chari is a story about a young girl named Neela who has received a musical instrument as a gift from her grandmother.  This musical instrument, known as a veena, is an Indian instrument that has been rumored to be cursed.  When the instrument is stolen, Neela is determined to find the person who took it and find out why it was stolen it in the first place.  This mystery and adventure takes Neela and her friends all the way back to India to find the veena.  Will Neela, with the help of her friends and family find the veena and finally break the curse?

This is a great read for readers who enjoy a mystery and also interested in reading about another culture.  With so much suspense, readers will not want to put the book down in the last 100 pages.

Best for readers in grades 4 and up.