Mystery – Page 4 – Unleashing Readers

Sofia’s Kids’ Corner: The Wishtree by Katherine Applegate

July 24, 2021 by Ricki

Sofia is an 9-year-old brilliant reader who aspires to be a book reviewer. On select Saturdays, Sofia shares her favorite books with kids! She is one of the most well-read elementary schoolers that we know, so she is highly qualified for this role!

Dear readers,

This book is especially for the Katherine Applegate fans! I present to you . . . The Wishtree by Katherine Applegate! This book is also a Teachers’ Pick on Amazon!!! This book is recommended for ages 8-12.

Red is a wishtree. His friend, Bongo, the crow, is one of his residents as you might say because she lives in Red. Red is the town’s wishtree so he gets covered in paper scraps and cloth that is carefully tied onto his branches with wishes for the future. Some of his other inhabitants are a family of owls, a family of opossums and a family of racoons. At night time a girl from a family that just moved in goes outside and sits quietly and waits for Red’s inhabitants to scurry forward. Bongo likes the girl, her name is Samar. When it’s wishing day, Samar ties a wish on Red that reads “I wish for a friend”. Will the wishtree be able to make up a scheme to help Samar’s wish come true?

I love this book for its really cute illustrations. They are remarkable even though they are not colored. They look more like pencil drawings but great ones at that! When I read this book I feel my heart warm up. This is such an amazing book and Katherine Applegate did an awesome job writing this book! I just can not express how much I love this book! The author wrote this book from an unexpected point of view. Who would have thought to write a book coming from the perspective of a tree! The perspective is fun because we are simply not trees, we will never be trees. It is exciting to imagine how something like a tree would think. Of course, like almost all of the Katherine Applegate books, there is a bit of humour just to keep the mood happy! I hope that you love this book as much as I do!

If you loved this book then I highly recommend Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate! The Wishtree by Katherine Applegate is similar to Crenshaw because it is the same type of heartwarming story. The problem is not the same but Crenshaw will touch your heart like The Wishtree.

**Thanks so much, Sofia. This book holds a special place in our hearts, too.**

Sofia’s Kids’ Corner: The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

July 4, 2021July 3, 2021 by Kellee

Sofia is a 9-year-old brilliant reader who aspires to be a book reviewer. On select Saturdays, Sofia shares her favorite books with kids! She is one of the most well-read elementary schoolers that we know, so she is highly qualified for this role!

Dear readers,

Introducing the best book ever: The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart! This is a wonderful read and I highly recommend it! This is a very adventurous and funny book. The writer has a wonderful writing style but some of the words are difficult to understand, and you need an advanced vocabulary to follow this book. I had to look up a few words in my dictionary while reading this. This book is recommended for ages 9-12.

Reynie is an orphan. He gets a tutor for school because he has already finished all of the orphanage’s high school curriculum. Reynie likes to read the newspaper. One day an ad in the newspaper calls for gifted children searching for special opportunities. It is a weird ad because it sounds like it is being written directly to children. Reynie thinks this is odd because almost no children read newspapers. To get the special opportunities Reynie has to take a test. There are many time slots available on the weekend so Reynie and his tutor, Miss Perumal, sign him up for the first session of the test. After Reynie arrives the next morning he only has to wait a few minutes. Just after he finishes the first test the test administrator tells him the test is over. When the test administrator calls the names of the people who passed the test Reynie is startled that he is the only one in that room who did. On his way to the second test he sees a girl who drops her pencil into a sewer grate. He thinks it is weird and when he helps her she offers him the answer key. Reynie declines and passes the test without her help. Much to his surprise the girl with the answer key does NOT pass! On his way to the third test he meets another kid named Sticky. He is a super fast reader and everything that he reads sticks in his head. They talk while they wait for the test and Sticky says someone in his test ALSO dropped her pencil! They are very surprised and become even more scared when a third kid enters the room and also had a kid drop her pencil and offer her the answer key. The girl who just entered is called Kate. She is very tall and always carries a bucket with her.

When they finally pass the third and fourth test they eat. They meet a new girl whose name is Constance, she is really small. Then they meet a mysterious man called Mr. Benedict. He tells them about mysterious messages that are being sent to confuse people’s minds. Mr. Benedict tells them that a man named Ledroptha Curtain is behind the messages. He also tells them that Mr. Curtain runs an institute and that he will send them there to go undercover so they can stop the messages. Follow Reynie on the rest of his exciting journey and help him save the world! Also, figure out if Mr. Benedict is to be trusted!

The many laughs this book gave me was only one of the amazing things about this book. This book was very fun to read and as more awkward characters joined the story it became even more hilarious! I do not know if I would consider this book realistic fiction even though I am pretty sure this could happen in real life. The characters are very clever, they even used Morse code to save the day! This is one of the best books I have ever read for sure, and I highly recommend it!

Sofia’s Kids’ Corner: Jukebox by Nidhi Chanani

June 27, 2021June 26, 2021 by Ricki

Dear readers,

Imagine how excited I was when I figured out Nidhi Chanani, the author of Pashmina, came up with a new book! I was dying to get my hands on that book and thanks to the Macmillan publishing house, I have! (Thanks so much Macmillan!) Introducing Jukebox by Nidhi Chanani! This graphic novel is recommended for ages 10-14.

When Shaheen’s music loving father goes missing she starts to panic. She starts to feel really bad because of all of the bad things she did to her dad. At first her family just thinks he is out for a long time but when days pass they start to worry. Her babysitter takes her out to distract her and they get a snack. After a long time passes Shaheen gets worried and drags her babysitter to her dad’s music shop. They have to break into their dad’s shop because it is closed and get scared when they see Shaheen’s dad’s glasses on the floor. They go upstairs to explore. You have to read the book though to see what kind of secrets they uncover!

I love this book because of the colors. This is about the most colorful graphic novel I have seen in my life and that is SAYING SOMETHING.That is one of my favorite things about this book because when the scene is really sad you still can not help feeling happy because of the flourishing colors and your mind can not decide whether you should be happy or sad. This is definitely one of those books to lighten your mood. I also love this book because the author is making a graphic novel mystery, something that you come across very little. This is a truly unique book! I hope that you enjoy this book too!

**Thanks so much to Sofia for giving us an advanced review of this book! We were excited to see it came out this week!**

Aven Green, Sleuthing Machine by Dusti Bowling, Illustrated by Gina Perry

April 6, 2021 by Kellee

Aven Green, Sleuthing Machine
Author: Dusti Bowling
Illustrator: Gina Perry
Published April 13th, 2021 by Sterling Children’s Books

Summary: Third-grader Aven Green has been solving mysteries for a whole month—cracking such cases as The Mystery of the Cranky Mom. But can this perceptive detective solve two cases at the same time? First her teacher’s lunch bag disappears. Then Aven’s great-grandma’s dog goes missing. Fortunately, since Aven was born without arms, all the “arm” cells went to her super-powered brain instead. (That’s her theory.) This hilarious chapter book showcases a new side to Dusti Bowling’s unforgettable protagonist.

About the Creators:

DUSTI BOWLING is the award-winning, bestselling author of Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus, Momentous Events in the Life of a Cactus, 24 Hours in Nowhere, The Canyon’s Edge, and the forthcoming Across the Desert and Aven Green chapter book series. Dusti currently lives in New River, Arizona with her husband, three daughters, a dozen tarantulas, a gopher snake named Burrito, a king snake name Death Noodle, and a cockatiel named Gandalf the Grey.

Gina Perry graduated from Syracuse University, worked as a compositor in animation, then an art director for a stationery manufacturer, before discovering her true passion—writing and illustrating children’s books. She lives with her family in NH.

Praise:

“[Bowling] infuses her writing with humor and empathy.” —School Library Journal (starred)

“A fun series opener with a feisty protagonist who’ll keep readers on their toes.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Unapologetically smart and refreshingly confident in her abilities, this super-sleuth extraordinaire is a joy to tag along with.” —Booklist

“Aven’s candid voice ensures that this chapter book series starter will draw a young audience.” —Publishers Weekly

Review: I am so happy that Aven is now starring in chapter books. Her voice is one of my favorites in middle grade literature because it is full of truth and humor. Her voice is just as strong in this chapter book as it was in Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus and Momentous Events in the Life of a Cactus, just a bit younger.

In addition to Aven’s voice, the story is a compelling one! I’m a fan of mysteries, and this is a fun kid lit mystery. Also, the cast of characters are wonderful! I am a huge fan of Aven’s friends.

And I cannot wait until August when Aven Green, Baking Machine comes out!

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: I would love to see Aven Green read in classrooms! It would be such a fun book to read together as a class! The class could even keep track of all of the clues and see if they can figure out the mystery!

There are also opportunities in the book to talk about acronyms and word play!

Discussion Questions:

How did Aven keep track of her clues?
What type of materials does Aven need to be a good detective?
How did Aven help Sujata with acclimating with the new school?
What are your slumber party traditions?
What is a time you have heard a word incorrectly like Emily heard hen droids?
Have you ever lost something? How did you work to find it?
If you were going to do a report on a country

Flagged Passages:

Read This If You Love: The Magnificent Makers series by Theanne Griffith; King and Kayla series by Dori Hillestad Butler; The Misadventures of Toni Macaroni in The Mad Scientists by Cetonia Weston-Roy; The Misadventures of Salem Hyde series by Frank Cammuso; Meena series by Karla Manternach; Questioneers series by Andrea Beaty; Weird Little Robots by Carolyn Crimi; A Boy Called Bat series by Elana K. Arnold

Recommended For:

**Thank you to Sterling for providing a copy for review!**

Sofia’s Kids’ Corner: Beyond the Bright Sea by Lauren Wolk

January 23, 2021 by Ricki

Dear readers,

If you are looking for a book that takes place maybe 100 years ago then this is the book for you. The book, Beyond the Bright Sea by Lauren Wolk takes place in 1925! It is an amazing historical fiction adventure about a girl, named Crow, who is curious about where she came from and who her parents are. I recommend this book for 10-13 year olds. By the way, when I started reading this book I was a bit confused, but after maybe the thirtieth page I understood everything. I am saying this so you don’t get discouraged in the first few pages.

When Crow was a newborn baby she got sent off on a skiff and landed on a beach where a person nicknamed Osh took her in and cared for her. Osh’s neighbour, Miss Maggie, came over every day to help him with Crow and bring her gifts. As Crow grew older she began to wonder more about her background, where she came from and who her parents were. Ever since she lived on the island everybody avoided her except for Miss Maggie and Osh. Due to her mysterious appearance a lot of people thought she was from Penikese, an island where a few years before people sick with leprosy, a bad sickness that can kill people, were sent to live in. She gets even more curious about her background when a mysterious fire appears on Penikese. She tells Osh about it and tells him that she wants to go there. Osh says that is just the old bird keeper and that all is ok on the island but she convinces him to go there anyway. If you were wondering, Penikese is burnt down when he says that. A few days later when they go to the island they meet a big mad man. He claims to be the bird keeper, but Crow heard a clunk before he came to greet them that makes her suspicious. Do you think something is wrong with that acclaimed bird keeper and the clunk or do you think that it was nothing?

I love this book because of the different lifestyle she lives. She basically lives in a cottage made of pieces of ships that got shipwrecked. She also lives a different life because she is homeschooled and because she helps out on a farm anytime she wants for fun. I also love this book because no matter how weird it seems, a lot of people can relate to Crow! For example I related to Crow when she sees the fire on Penikese island and wants to investigate it, I would do that too. Enjoy the ride!

If you liked this book then you might want to check out The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart, which I wrote a review about last week! The characters are alike in the way that they both don’t really live a normal life.

**Thanks so much to Sofia for this review! We love historical fiction, and we are excited to feature this one on the blog!**

Sofia’s Kids’ Corner: The Amelia Six by Kristin L. Gray

January 9, 2021 by Ricki

Published June 30, 2020

Dear readers,

This book, called The Amelia Six by Kristin L. Gray is soooooo cool but also a bit scary, so I will warn you: DO NOT READ THIS BOOK BEFORE YOU GO TO BED! I literally had to hide under the covers and only leave a little hole so I could breathe! This book is recommended for ages 8-12.

Millie along with five other girls is invited to spend the night at Amelia Earhart’s house! Millie’s dad drops her off in the middle of a big snowstorm which will last the whole night and tells her that he is only one call away. When she arrives she thinks the building is beautiful and goes inside it. There she meets the five other girls named Thea, Natalie, Cassie, Robin and Wren. The person who basically runs the house is called Birdie. Birdie takes the six girls on a tour of the house and she tells the girls to pick their bedrooms but Amelia Earhart’s room is off limits. When Mille looks for her room she opens a door by mistake and in a glass box in the room there are Amelia Earhart’s goggles! Then the girls, along with Birdie, go downstairs and have a wonderful meal. Some of the dishes that the chef prepared were Amelia’s favorite back in the day. After that they go on a scavenger hunt and Millie realizes that Amelia’s goggles are gone! At first she and her partner Wren think it’s part of the game but when Birdie gets poisoned they know it’s not part of the game. To make matters worse Mille was the last person who saw them so all fingers are pointing at her!

I love this book so much because of how the story affected my mood. You see, no other book that I have ever read made me hide under the covers or look twice in the hallway in my house and then flee to get to the bathroom to brush my teeth! Also, this book basically begged me to read on! If I decided that I was going to read one last chapter I would probably break my promise because most of the chapters ended like this! “And that’s when a hand grabbed my arm.” or “And the whole house grew dark.”. Seriously! I can tell you that the only time that I actually decided to go to bed while reading this book was when the words started dancing all over the page and my head kept helplessly flopping to the side. So that meant that I was really tired and thanks to this book that was around 11:30 pm! Have fun!

**Thanks so much to Sofia for this review! We will be sure to read it well before our bedtimes!**

Sofia’s Kids’ Corner: From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks

December 5, 2020 by Ricki

Dear readers,

I have just finished reading this amazing book about a girl who would stop at nothing to find out the truth about her father! It is called From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks! This book is recommended for ages 8-12.

On Zoe’s twelfth birthday she finds out that her father is sending her letters from jail when she accidentally finds one in the mail. Zoe is confused by the letter because it says that her father had written more letters and decides to keep the letter secret and answer it. She does that because her mom refuses her to have any contact with her dad because of the crime he is in jail for. She knows that her mom will forbid her to write any more letters the second she tells her she has been writing letters to her father. In her reply to the letter she asks a bit about him. Zoe is also an excellent baker, like her father and wants to enter The Kids Bake Challenge!. She asks her mom and her new dad if she can, but they say maybe. They allow her to work at Ari’s Cakes so her mother’s friend, Arianna, can teach Zoe some of her baking tricks. They also say if Arianna gives her a good review then she would probably be able to enter The Kids Bake Challenge!. When Zoe is ready to mail her letter she goes to the street’s mailbox so her parents won’t see the letter. Her dad, named Marcus, keeps on writing her letters and Zoe sends some back along with questions. But one time Zoe’s grandma sees one of Zoe’s letters to Marcus when she is on her way to mail it! Will Zoe get in humongous trouble or will her grandmother be kind about it?

I loved this book so so so much because of how well it was written and how much joy it gave me reading it. I couldn’t put this book down because of the amazing suspense, action and normal life drama that was in it. There were so many cliffhangers in the story, it was just great! Too good for words to express! I loved every second of the journey through this book. I also loved it because of Zoe’s personality. The fact that Zoe was curious, courageous and smart made the book very interesting. It also meant that she would keep digging for the truth about her father no matter how impossible it was. I also loved this book because Zoe’s passion for baking and creating recipes carried on to me and she even inspired me to make up a recipe, Nutella swirl Cupcakes! My mom had a recipe for vanilla cupcakes and I simply just added my favorite thing… Nutella! I’ll include the recipe in case you want to try it out.

Nutella swirl cupcakes recipe

Ingredients

1 ½ sticks unsalted butter
1 cup of sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 ½ teaspoons of baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
2 ½ cups of flour
1 ¼ cups of milk
15 teaspoons of Nutella

Instructions

Grab a big bowl and mix butter, eggs and sugar together. Add vanilla. Grab a medium sized bowl and mix flour, baking powder and salt. Mix all into the big sized bowl using spoonfuls each time of the medium bowl and use the mixer to stir around and add milk. Put into cupcake forms. Add one teaspoon of Nutella into each cupcake (you should have about 15) and twirl with a toothpick. After all that put the cupcakes in your oven and bake at 375 degrees for twenty minutes. Let cool and Voila! You baked Nutella swirl cupcakes! Enjoy!

If you absolutely loved this book then I would definitely recommend Front Desk by Kelly Yang! I have already written a book review about that book so click on the link here Front Desk book review to see the review! I make this recommendation because they are kind of alike in the characteristics of the main characters. Mia in Front Desk is just as courageous and smart as Zoe in From the Desk of Zoe Washington.

**Thanks so much to Sofia for this terrific review!**