SHERLOCK, LUPIN AND ME: THE DARK LADY
Author: Irene Adler. This is a spinoff series of Sherlock Holmes. Narrated by Irene Adler, the book tells the tale of a young Holmes, the future gentleman thief Arsene Lupin, and Irene meet in Saint-Malo. The mystery ensues when a valuable necklace is stolen, and a dead man is found by the three youngsters on the beach. The characters are really great and well developed. The plot/storyline is weak, though. The plot is a familiar one, but how they come to catch the culprit is actually a pretty good piece of writing, with the writer not revealing the perpetrator until the end. I give this book 3 stars.
THE OUTLAWS OF SHERWOOD STREET: STEALING FROM THE RICH
Author: Peter Abrahams. Robbie is walking home from school when she meets an old beggar woman. Before she knows it, the woman is taken to the hospital, leaving a curious charm bracelet behind. It isn't long before Robbie discovers the bracelet's magical powers. She and three new friends (Ashanti, Silas and Tut-Tut), who also have strange powers given to them by the bracelet, are soon embarked on a quest to steal from the rich, give to the poor, and stop the unjust closings all around the neighborhood. I really like this book. The characters are well developed, the storyline is good and keeps you guessing, and the plot line keeps you guessing about what happens next. Not much violence, except for a few incidences of gangs and street violence. No guaranteed nightmares. There is no language, and only one little mention of drugs in a passing comment. I give this book 4 and 1/2 stars.
THE DIAMOND OF DRURY LANE: A CAT ROYAL ADVENTURE
Author: Julia Golding. Cat Royal lives in a theater in Covent Garden, and she couldn't be happier. That is, until she overhears the owner of the theater telling a shady character about a diamond in the theater. After that, Cat's world begins to spin out of control. A gang war in Covent Garden seems to be imminent. The son of a lord disappears. And what about those treasonous political cartoons being drawn and distributed by the mysterious 'Captain Sparkler'? All I can say is that you'll be captivated and enthralled (and maybe just a little bit horrified) by Cat's description of 18th century London. I give this book 4 and 3/4 stars.
MURDER AT MIDNIGHT
Author: Avi. Fabrizio is a servant boy, eager to please his master, Mangus the Magician. But Mangus doesn't seem to want a servant. But when Mangus is accused of treason, he will need all the help he can get from Fabrizio to find the real traitor and clear his name. This book is a real page-turner that will keep you guessing until the end. Is the traitor the superstitious Prince Cosimo, or the scheming Count Scarazoni? Will Fabrizio be able to uncover the traitor without getting himself killed? It's actually a fairly short story considering the mystery of it all. 4 stars.
THE TRIXIE BELDEN MYSTERY SERIES
Author: Multiple in the series. This is a Nancy Drew type mystery, but I like this series better. Trixie is a young teen, and along with her friends Jim and Honey Wheeler, Diana Lynch, Dan Mangan, and her brothers Brian and Mart, she solves mysteries. Her enthusiasm and fervor to solve the mysteries will infect the reader with the same type of excitement. I'm not going to get into any details about any specific book (There are just too many), but when you read them, you'll know what I mean when I say they Nancy Drew could have taken lessons about friendship and getting along with people from Trixie. 4 and 1/2 stars for the entire series.
Well, that's the summary of my weekend :D. I hope that you'll take a cue and dive into one of these books. *Sidenote* most of these books are in a series, but these that I checked out are the first in their series.
Annabelle
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