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The last book of my Tour des Edgars! I didn't think I'd make it in time, but here we are: the last book in the Best Juvenile category. And another great cover, which made me open Horton Halfpott with anticipation.
The story is as fun as the cover: Horton Halfpott works in the Smugwick Manor kitchen, and falls right into chaos when one day, Lady Luggertuck (the lady of the manor) decides not to tighten her corset. The Luggernut Lump is stolen, and Horton is accused of the theft. Horton teams up with stable boys Bump, Blight and Blemish to solve the mystery and clear his name.
It took me a little while to get comfortable with the prose, but then found myself laughing at the little jokes and bits of wordplay throughout. The pacing is brisk--perfect for the younger middle-grade reader. In fact, I imagine this book would be fun to read aloud in class or at home, if you're up for the tongue-twisters in this book.
Verdict: Fun book for the younger MG reader who loves fantasy and whimsy.
Mystery Quotient: 4 out of 5; there was a solid whodunit, but the prose and whimsical fantasy overshadowed the mystery a bit.
The fourth book on my reading list of Edgar nominees for Best Juvenile had me reading
It Happened On A Train by Mac Barnett, the third in the Brixton Brothers mysteries series. I was a little worried that I wouldn't be able to follow along, as I hadn't read book one or two, but no worries needed. This book stands nicely on its own.
The story starts with seventh grader Steve Brixton feeling kind of down. He's retired from his PI business (a fun running joke in the book), and is busy throwing out his beloved Bailey Brothers mystery books. Steve's just lost all faith in himself and what he thought the PI business stood for. So when he goes on a field trip by train, he doesn't plan to solve any more mysteries.
Until he meets a pretty (and smart) girl named Claire, and ends up taking on one last case: finding the missing (and very expensive) cars belonging to the rich Vanderdraaks. With help of his best friend Dana, Steve is a true PI, and the book has you turning the pages and laughing at the jokes that are sprinkled throughout. Chase scenes on the train and cool illustrations by Adam Rex make this a fun middle-grade mystery great for the more reluctant reader.
Verdict: Great mystery, a modern take on The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew-type stories. Fun, fast-paced.
Mystery Quotient: 5 out of 5. Solid middle-grade PI story.
The third book on my list of Edgar nominees for Best Juvenile had me reading
Vanished by Sheela Chari. Can I just say that this is one of the best covers I've seen this year?
But on to the story. Eleven year-old Neela has the most beautiful instrument: her grandmothers veena, an instrument from India with a magical past. When it gets stolen from Neela, she feels horribly guilty, and begins her quest to find the veena. She follows different clues like a true amateur sleuth: a magical teakettle, a link to a dead musician... Meanwhile, Neela is trying to figure out where she fits at home, at school and with her friends, as well as what's really important to her.
This story felt like a classic middle-grade: the coming of age story, the unique cultural insight, and a mystery to keep the story moving. The author added some notes in the back of the book about the veena and her research--great extra material that I think should put this book with the classics in MG.
Verdict: strong MG classic, a great insight into the veena and Indian culture, too
Mystery Quotient: 4 out of 5. Not a mystery first, but still a good contender.
Side note: This book should be on the various children's awards list, I think. Perfect coming-of-age story.
The second read in my tour of the Edgar nominees for Best Juvenile had me reading
The Wizard of Dark Street by Shawn Thomas Odyssey. This one made me smile: if Roald Dahl and Agatha Christie wrote a book together, this would be it. And that's a pretty big compliment, since both authors are childhood favorites of mine.
The story: 12 year-old Oona is the wizard's apprentice on Dark Street, a magical world that's hidden on the streets of New York City.
But Oona would rather be an investigator, so she leaves the world of magic to solve a mystery: who killed her uncle, the wizard?
The narrative flows perfectly, the characters are quirky, and the whodunit is fun and paced well. This was a well-balanced blend of magic and mystery for the middle-grade reader.
Verdict: Great for kids who like mystery and magic alike; paced for the reluctant reader.
Mystery Quotient: 4 out of 5, since it was as much mystery as fantasy. Solid amateur sleuth story, though.
My last read for the Edgar nominees for best YA is
The Silence of Murder by Dandi Daley Mackall. This one was darker than the others at the opening: we're sitting in the court room with Hope while her brother Jeremy is on trial for murder. Not your light YA fare.
Against her better judgement, Hope testifies to their rough childhood so Jeremy, who no longer speaks, can be declared insane. In dark and clipped prose--my favorite--we learn that their mother is an unfit one, and an alcoholic too. But Hope (as her name implies) doesn't give up, and keeps looking for evidence to clear her brother's name. We delve deep into family history, small-town scandals, so the only way this mystery will be solved is by opening every can of worms.
This story was gripping, and the author didn't pull any punches when it came to the stakes. The resolution was a bit over-staged, but why not--I was right there as Hope revealed the killer. My only gripe was with the at times heavy religious message and quoting of scripture, particularly toward the end. It made the resolution very moralizing, and took away from the great grit this mystery has. Still, solid plotting, and a good murder mystery.
Verdict: a good mystery, could appeal to both boys and girls. Some religious overtones.
Mystery Quotient: 5 out of 5. Plotting a bit on the stretchy side, but done with heart.
The next book in my YA Edgar nominees read-o-rama is
The Girl Is Murder by Kathryn Miller Haines. As the cover hints, this YA mystery takes us to the forties, when Iris is struggling with the familiar YA stand-by: new school, new people.
But in the historical context, this YA cliche became fresh and interesting. Iris goes from a private to public school after her mother dies, and finds herself hanging with not-so-popular Pearl. To make matters worse, her P.I. father, an injured war veteran, is hanging on by a thread financially--which is what prompts Iris to help him with his cases. Her stubbornness is endearing, and her search for belonging in her new life recognizable.
Iris' quest shifts when a boy at her new school goes missing, and she begins her amateur sleuth quest for his whereabouts. We quickly get caught in some girl-drama, 1940s style. The historical detail in setting, dialogue and social mood were spot-on; big kudos to the author for getting the details right. This historical context got in the way of the story though, and the mystery's resolution felt a little disappointing to me. Still,
The Girl Is Murder is a very solid P.I. mystery, well-plotted, and a unique read.
Verdict: recommended for a teen-view of the 1940s in America, probably better-suited for girls.
Mystery Quotient: 5 out of 5; a solid P.I. mystery.
The third book in my kid lit Edgar nominees read-a-thon gave me a change of pace. After the fast-paced thrillers by Harlan Coben and Todd Strasser, Maureen Johnson's
The Name of the Star felt like a slower ride. But the book was no less interesting and gripping, just more of a mystery. There's a puzzle to solve, so settle in and enjoy the journey, was what this book seemed to say.
Rory, a teen from Louisiana, gets to spend a year at a London boarding school. Okay, so I rolled my eyes a little when I saw this boarding school angle--let's face it, it's been done. But Johnson obviously did her homework, because the details of the British school system and the colorful way she described Wexford made me regret my initial reaction. I quickly got to love Jazza, Jerome, and the rest of the Wexford population.
The book opens with the usual mystery body discovery, but then it took a while to get back to the dunnit--largely because Johnson took a good amount of time to let us watch Rory scramble to adjust to Wexford. But eventually, it becomes pretty clear that the story is not just any mystery, but a ghost hunting expedition as well.
I won't spoil the rest of the book, because you really should read it yourself. Despite some pacing and revelation hiccups,
The Name of the Star is such a smart, well-written story that I didn't care that I had to watch Rory get settled at Wexford before the mystery got hot. Great YA voice, too. It's Agatha Christie meets
Ghostbusters meets YA.
I know, you want to read it now, right? And you should.
Verdict: Perfect YA, probably more for a girl, but not a girly book. Smart. Cool.
Mystery Quotient: 4 out 5 because of the supernatural element. But pacing more like a traditional mystery.
Side-note: This is just the sort of book I wish had been around when I was a teen.
Book two on my Tour des Edgars (doesn't that sound fancy?) is
Kill You Last by Todd Strasser. A great cover that promises a snappy mystery/thriller.
And Strasser didn't disappoint. It took me a minute to shift gears from Harlan Coben's male POV to a decidedly more girl-friendly book, but once I got a few pages in, I was hooked. Break-neck pace, solid mystery--the perfect blend of mystery and thriller.
The story follows Shelby, daughter of a small-town but once big-shot photographer. When three missing girls are linked to her father and his questionably photography practices, she quickly gets caught in the media circus that puts her family life in chaos. Meanwhile, she's receiving threatening texts, and is alienated at school.
Shelby has to dig for the truth about her father's involvement in these girls' disappearances, all while trying to figure out who she can trust.
Kill You Last is a great mystery: I was wondering right along with Shelby what everyone's motive really was. Strasser had me staying up late, flipping the pages, so it had that great thriller element as well. I wasn't too crazy about the whole which-boy-do-we-like plotline, but that's more of a personal preference. Some of the dunnit and the title importance was a bit of a stretch, but not implausible.
Mystery quotient: 4 out of 5, mostly because of the thriller pacing. A solid mystery that leaves you guessing, but makes sense once you get to the reveal.
Verdict: Great for the reluctant reader teen, 14 and up. Main characters drive cars, and deal with mature subject matter, so definitely squarely in the YA category. But no questionable content at all. Probably more for a girl, but might stretch to boy territory because of the strong thriller factor.
Side Note: I liked
Kill You Last. This Edgar race might just be tough to predict...
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Another one to put on the list for Elizabeth when she's just a little bit older.
Thanks for doing this. It helps.
You're welcome :-) This one seems good for the younger crowd, if they like whimsical stuff.