Mysteries are always a winner!
I'm not doing as many book reviews these days because I'm busy writing and illustrating my own book(s), not to mention the least-loved chore of moving house to a place where the light is so gorgeous for my art that the aches and bother of the move are worth it! However, I couldn't resist reviewing this book as I love Sherlock Holmes, tales from other eras, and yes, I'm an Anglophile having lived in London for 12 years. Also, who wouldn't want to be an assistant to Sherlock Holmes? You can by solving a case with young Imogene in the pages of this new book for middle grade wannabe whodunnits.
Imogene and the Case of the Missing
Pearls
Imogene
is a bright ten year old Victorian girl who dislikes piano lessons,
hand-writing practice, and all the other arts that girls in the late Victorian
era are expected to accomplish. She loves mysteries and avidly follows the
cases of Sherlock Holmes in the newspapers. Her dreams of becoming a detective come
true when Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson engage her as their assistant in
solving the case of her mother’s missing pearls. Imogene keeps a diary of all
her suspects, mostly household staff, especially her governess Miss Mullin who
hides a secret in her sewing basket. She works hard at solving the mystery, but
then she has to go visit her stuffy cousins in Staines for the weekend. How can
she solve this mystery?
Elizabeth
Varaden has crafted an excellent plot that pulls the young reader deep into the
story, has them identifying with Imogene, and then examining each page for
clues as they read. It is satisfying to know that the genre of mystery books
for young people has expanded, including historical mysteries. It gives
children more books to choose from and the opportunity to fall in love with
reading, which becomes a life-long passion for many. It is recommended that
every home and school library have copies of this book for readers 9 years
through high school.
http://victorianscribbles.com
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