SYNOPSIS: Twelve-year-old Howard Wallace lives by his
list of rules of private investigation. He knows more than anyone how to work
with what he’s got: a bathrobe for a trench coat, a makeshift office behind the
school equipment shed, and not much else—least of all, friends. So when a hot
case of blackmail lands on his desk, he’s ready to take it on himself . . .
until the new kid, Ivy Mason, convinces him to take her on as a junior partner.
As they banter through stakeouts and narrow down their list of suspects, Howard
starts to wonder if having Ivy as a sidekick—and a friend—is such a bad thing
after all.
THOUGHTS: This
is the perfect light-hearted mystery with characters to root for and root
against – with a few surprises thrown in! This was such a fun
book! I loved the chemistry between Howard & Ivy, I loved the mystery
component, I loved the humor. This book totally hit the bull's eye for me, and
I think a lot of kids are going to really enjoy it. I could easily recommend this to any middle
grader – boy or girl, mystery lover or not, great reader or reluctant reader –
and feel good about it. Kudos to Ms. Lyall!
CARTWHEEL AWARD NOMINEE?: I think this book is a model book for what we like to
choose for a Cartwheel nominee, so most definitely.
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