Author: Sherri Winston
Genre: mystery
Similar books: The Case of the Stolen Sixpence by Holly Webb
The Amazing Life of Azaleah Lane by Nikki Shannon Smith
Rating:
Summary (provided by publisher): Detective Tip #1 Try not to jump to conclusions. Wednesday and her service dog, Woof, are the best detectives in the whole world—or at least their neighborhood. But can they find Mrs. Winters’s missing cat before her big trip? Or will the case of the cat-napped kitty be their first unsolved mystery?
My opinion: Elementary mysteries are a real challenge to pull off. The author has to set appropriate stakes that will be exciting and meaningful to the child reader without becoming too frightening or putting the characters in real danger. So most of these books center on missing pets or favorite toys, and this one is no exception. But it has a couple of things going for it. First, the vocabulary is accessibly and the writing is straightforward. This means that kids just beginning to read independently will be able to follow the plot as it will assist in comprehension. Second, there is an emphasis on proper investigation techniques and not relying on assumptions. Wednesday has to learn to examine all of the evidence to get a complete picture of what happened to the cat. Lastly, Wednesday's physical limitations, while important to her character and motivations, do not define the plot or every interaction people have with her. It simply an influence on her decision making and on important people in her life. This strikes me as a series worth watching.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
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