Tuesday 22 September 2015

The Case of the Missing Moonstone

by Jordan Stratford

This mystery set in 1826 London stars Lady Ada Byron, daughter of Lord Byron and Mary Godwin, later to be known as the famous Mary Shelley, author of Frankenstein. Eleven year-old Ada and fourteen year-old Mary will be tutored by Percy Shelley, a poet and Lord Byron's best friend. Ada and Mary quickly become good friends and decide to start a secret private detective agency. Soon, they receive their first case regarding a stolen necklace and false confession.The pair navigate through a cast of suspects and dangerous clues until Ada arrives at the only plausible conclusion which leads them on a hot air balloon chase.
During a time when women and girls were discouraged to pursue professions reserved for men, Ada and Mary combine their skills of deductive reasoning to prove that even girls have the intelligence and stamina to solve a complex mystery.
Biographical information on the characters is included at the end of the book.     

Tuesday 15 September 2015

Francine Poulet Meets the Ghost Raccoon

Francine Poulet Meets the Ghost Raccoon
Francine Poulet Meets the Ghost Raccoon


by Kate DiCamillo



Fans of Mercy Watson and Leroy Ninker will love the latest in the Tales From Deckawoo Drive series.

Francine Poulet, an animal control officer who once had to capture Mercy, is the star of this adventure.  Both Francine’s father and grandmother were animal control officers and Francine is “the real deal”.  She is not afraid of anything.  But when she gets a call about a raccoon that screams people’s names, she meets her match.  

Francine’s heart is in her throat when the raccoon screams “Fraaaaaannnnyyy”, and she believes he really is a ghost.  Terrified, Francine withdraws from being an animal control officer.

Discover what brings Francine back to the job that is her calling.  Is Francine able to tame the ghost raccoon?  Will she get to enjoy some toast with butter with some of her friends?  

The ghostly raccoon that prowls around at night and screams can be a little frightening for sensitive children, but most will find it funny and very readable.  This is a great read-aloud for parents.