Trespassers

Trespassers

By Breena Bard

Gabby Woods and her family visit their cottage by the lake every summer and they always have a great time.  The kids spend their days kayaking, canoeing, fishing and swimming, and evenings are spent around the fire or inside playing charades. 

But this summer feels different.  Gabby and her brother Simon feel pressured to hang out with the new neighbour kids, Paige and Bryan.  But Paige and Bryan are into things like shoplifting and blowing up firecrackers.  Gabby especially feels uncomfortable around Paige.

When the kids come across an abandoned mansion at the edge of the lake, they start to wonder why no one lives there.  The mansion was apparently designed by a famous architect who built it for his glamourous wife.  But one day, the couple disappeared.

Gabby, ever the voracious reader, decides to write a mystery story based on the missing couple and their empty home.  Soon Paige gets involved in helping Gabby with the story.  She insists that the only way they will ever know more about this local mystery is by breaking into the abandoned house. 

Of course, Gabby thinks that’s a crazy idea, but it still sounds enticing.  Soon Gabby and Paige are piecing together a murder mystery that they believe happened right there at the lake.  But once they start digging around in someone else’s business, the two girls could find themselves in real trouble.

Trespassers is a whodunit mystery that is also a graphic novel.  Perfect to read on your summer vacation or under the covers with a flashlight!

The Parker Inheritance

The Parker Inheritance

By Varian Johnson

Candice is about as bored as she can be in Lambert, South Carolina for the summer until she discovers old letters in the attic begging her grandmother to find a treasure. After befriending the shy boy next door, the two are off on the hunt, and together they unravel their town's racist secrets and past. A page turner that doesn't sugarcoat racism, but allows children to process some of its history.

The Thief Knot

The Thief Knot

By Kate Milford

Marzana and Nialla are best friends who live in the Liberty of Gammerbund, just outside of Nagspeake.  Although the Liberty is a known haven for former smugglers, including Marzana’s mother, the girls feel that nothing exciting ever happens and they are dying for an adventure!

When Marzana learns that a girl called Peony Hyde has been kidnapped, she and Nialla decide that they are going to crack the case.  But first they need a crew.  They begin to confide in other kids who may be able to help: Emilia knows her way around all the secret passages in and out of their school, J.J. is a magician, and Ciro is a camofleur.  They are even able to recruit Meddy of Greenglass House fame.  They call themselves The Thief Knot.

The kids are all sworn to secrecy but determined to find the missing girl.  Shy Marzana becomes the leader of The Thief Knot and thrives in that role.  But as danger creeps closer and closer, Marzana wonders if she can really lead a bunch of kids through this dangerous but thrilling mystery.

The Thief Knot is part of the Greenglass House series.  If you love mysteries and adventure, with a little twist of magic, this series is highly recommended!

The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel

Mars Patel

By Sheela Chari

Eleven-year-old Mars Patel is constantly being sent to detention at H.G. Wells Middle School.  He is famous for pulling pranks and generally being disruptive.  Mars is regarded as the leader of his gang of friends, all of whom have their own quirks.  Caddie can sense other people’s thoughts and feelings.  J.P. has super strength.  And Toothpick is incredibly intelligent. 

Despite getting in trouble all the time, Mars dreams of attending the prestigious Pruitt Prep, run by his hero, Oliver Pruitt.  Famous for his world renowned podcast, Oliver Pruitt is a genius, and his motto is “to the stars!”

But Mars has more immediate problems than taking the GIFT admissions test to get into the school of his dreams.  His friends Aurora and Jonas have both gone missing.  As he tries to determine what has happened to them, Mars learns that kids all over the world have been going missing, but no adults seem to care.

Soon Mars discovers that there may be a connection between Pruitt Prep and the missing kids.  As he and his friends begin to investigate, they notice that strange things are starting to happen. When they row out to Gale Island, reputed location of Pruitt Prep, their quirks become amplified so that they almost have super powers.  Yet they are followed by something that emits a terrifying howl, and they know they are in danger.  Stranger still, every time they get into trouble, their teacher, Mr. Q. shows up and rescues them.

Will Mars and his friends ever track down Aurora and Jonas?  Can they do it without getting expelled from H.G. Wells?  Is Mr. Q. really just a likeable teacher?  These questions and more are answered in The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel.  If you like science, mystery and adventure, this book is for you!

Tornado Brain

Tornado Brain

By Cat Patrick

Thirteen-year-old Frankie is different from the other kids in her life.  She can’t stand loud noises and doesn’t always understand social cues.  She’s been labelled “neurodivergent” – in other words, her brain works differently.  Frankie is also fascinated by tornadoes, hence the term “tornado brain”.

Frankie has always had two best friends – her twin sister Tess, and Colette.  But lately Tess and Colette haven’t wanted to hang out with her at all – they only want to be with mean Mia.  When Frankie overhears the three of them talking behind her back, she is devastated.

But everything changes when Colette goes missing.  Students from their middle school, including Frankie and Tess, are called to the police station to talk about the last time they saw Colette.  Both Frankie and Tess saw her on the night she went missing but have no idea where she went.

Although Frankie is mad at Colette, she desperately wants to help find her.  She begins to do some investigating herself and discovers some interesting details about Colette’s last known whereabouts.  She also finds clues in some of Colette’s recently-posted videos.  Frankie soon gets completely wrapped up in solving this mystery, and even puts herself and Tess in some danger to solve it.  Along the way she learns that she is a very capable human being and that sometimes, being different is a good thing.

Tornado Brain is a story about finding your own strengths.  It is also a story of friendship and a riveting mystery all rolled into one.

Highly recommended!     

The Secret of White Stone Gate

The Secret of White Stone Gate

By Julia Nobel

Thirteen-year-old Emmy Willick is back at Wellsworth, a prestigious British boarding school, for her second year.  She is thrilled to be back with best friends Jack and Lola, but is also concerned about what the year will bring.  

During Emmy’s first year at the school, she discovered that her father, who has been absent her entire life, is a target of the Order of Black Hollow Lane, a secret society with ties to Wellsworth.  This connection put her and her friends in grave danger.

Emmy has demonstrated to the Order that she has no knowledge of her father’s whereabouts, and doesn’t have anything they want.  She thinks she and her friends will now be safe.

As school resumes, Emmy, Lola and Jack volunteer to run a charity fundraiser.  When money goes missing, fingers are pointed at Lola, who is then expelled.  Lola moves to a new school in King’s Lynn, but soon becomes the victim of bullying and harassment.  Could all of this be tied to the Order?

As the story progresses, Emmy learns that many students at the school are not what they seem, and that she and her friends are still targets.  Can Emmy, Jack and Lola really stop the powerful Order from gaining more power?

The Secret of White Stone Gate is a fantastic mystery that brings in the British boarding school element (think Harry Potter).  Highly recommended (but read The Mystery of Black Hollow Lane first!)