Lark Holds the Key

by Natasha Deen, Marcus Cutler (Illustrator)

Overview

The first book in the Lark Ba Detective series!

It’s the third day of summer vacation, and Lark’s halmoni—that’s Korean for grandmother—has promised to take Lark and her twin brother, Connor, to the library. Only trouble is, they arrive to discover that the town librarian is missing her key to the library. Lucky for her, Lark just happens to be a budding private eye. Can rookie detectives Lark and Connor solve this mystery and recover the lost key?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781459807273
Publisher:	Orca Book Publishers
Publication date:	10/18/2016
Series:	Orca Echoes Series , #1
Edition description:	High readability edition
Pages:	80
Sales rank:	698,117
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.40(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	510L (what's this?)
Age Range:	6 - 8 Years

About the Author

Natasha Deen loves stories: exciting ones, scary ones and, especially, funny ones! As a kid of two countries (Guyana and Canada), she feels extra lucky because she gets a double dose of stories. Natasha is the author of many books including the Lark Ba Detective series in the Orca Echoes line, Depth of Field in the Orca Soundings line and In the Key of Nira Ghani which won the Amy Mathers Book Award and was nominated for the Red Maple, MYRCA and R. Ross Arnett Awards. Natasha lives in Edmonton.

Marcus Cutler is a freelance children's illustrator whose work has appeared in magazines, books, apps and more. He has worked with a variety of clients, including chickaDEE Magazine, OWL Magazine, Macmillan Publishers and Parks Canada, and he is the illustrator of the Lark Ba Detective series, The Owl and the Two Rabbits and The Walrus and the Caribou. Marcus lives in Tecumseh, Ontario.

Editorial Reviews

"There are enough clues in this engaging novel to allow readers to solve the mystery on their own, and astute detectives will be able to figure it out even before Lark does. Lark is a very likable and relatable character, with some quirkiness about her that children will find humorous…There are a perfect amount of illustrations, which are extremely appealing and perfectly enhance the story. This offering in the Orca Echoes Series of beginning chapter books is one that most libraries will see circulate."

Resource Links

"The narrative style...has a distinctively personal flavour with the inclusion of crossed out spelling attempts. Lark's fascination with words enhances the text and adds humour...Lark Holds the Key provides an excellent example of the steps of problem solving...After reading this first book in the Lark Ba detective series, young readers will look forward to the sequel."

CM Magazine

"The narrative style...has a distinctively personal flavour with the inclusion of crossed out spelling attempts. Lark's fascination with words enhances the text and adds humour...Lark Holds the Key provides an excellent example of the steps of problem solving...After reading this first book in the Lark Ba detective series, young readers will look forward to the sequel."

CM: Canadian Review of Materials

11/01/2016
Gr 1–3-Lark Ba has ants in her pants, but not real ants, because, as she states, "that would be gross." She also has a younger brother. Ten minutes younger, that is. Like Judy Moody and Piper Green, Lark Ba is spunky and ambitious. When Lark's family visits the library, or the "Temple of Secrets," they discover it is closed because Mrs. Robinson lost the library key. Lark is determined to solve the mystery and locate the key, and she asks Mrs. Robinson to retrace her steps. When that approach fails, the others resign themselves to calling a locksmith. Not willing to leave any stone unturned, Lark continues to envision the key's whereabouts. Most noteworthy about this early chapter book may be the way Deen embraces and simply defines new vocabulary, a critical skill for kids at this reading level. Often this takes place in the context of the story, such as when Lark describes dyslexia. Other times, readers are given clues to uncover the new word, with answers in the back matter. Swahili and Korean words integrated seamlessly into the story help readers learn more about Lark's background. VERDICT A problem-solving adventure led by a lovable character and enhanced with vocabulary lessons: there is much to celebrate in this story. Lark Ba is a welcome addition to early chapter book heroines.-Beth Parmer, New Albany Elementary Library, OH

School Library Journal

2016-08-02
Key words: mixed race. Dyslexic. Twin. Girl. Private investigator. But the real question is: can she find the missing key to the library?Although there are many labels that could be placed on this short chapter book’s protagonist, none of them matter to the plucky little heroine who loves to read. Lark Ba pops awake at 5:00 a.m. because she and her twin brother, Connor, are going to the library. But Mrs. Robinson has lost the key, and the library is not open! Lark’s insatiable appetite for learning makes her uniquely qualified to solve this mystery. Deen pens her first chapter book with a simple plot through which Lark’s character is explored. In first person, Lark explains the names of her paternal, Korean grandmother (Halmoni) and her maternal, Kenyan grandfather (Babu). Cutler’s illustrations depict these racial distinctions, but Lark goes through life just like many other sassy little heroines. She doesn’t even see the slight when a blonde, white girl named Sophie calls her “Baa baa Lark sheep.” Brother Connor, with the right amount of eye-rolling, provides the balance to this lively character, and the subjects of race and learning disabilities are incorporated neatly. Endnotes discuss some of the words Lark ponders. Lark is a mixed-race girl debuting a lighthearted series; with a little effort, she may develop into a character with a fan base, like Ramona and Clementine before her. (Fiction. 6-9)

Kirkus Review