Mystery on Magnolia Circle

by Kate Klise, Celia Krampien (Illustrator)

Overview

Rear Window meets Nancy Drew in this middle-grade novel by Kate Klise about a girl who believes she has witnessed a crime

What happens when two best friends take on the world’s worst summer?

On the first day of vacation, ten-year-old Ivy Crowden falls down the stairs and breaks her leg. Stuck in a plaster cast, she’s certain her summer is doomed. Not even Teddy, her neighbor and best friend, can cheer her up because he’s dealing with his own pain: the loss of a beloved dog.

But when Ivy witnesses a possible burglary from her living room window, her summer takes a sudden turn from meh to mysterious. Who are the criminals? Might a classmate be involved? And . . . uh-oh. A second mystery is nipping at Ivy’s heels. Cue the best friends, the best dog, and the best chance that summer can be saved!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250833051
Publisher:	Square Fish
Publication date:	08/02/2022
Pages:	208
Sales rank:	479,242
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.50(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Kate Klise is the author of more than 30 books for young readers. Her books for Feiwel and Friends include Grounded, winner of the Women's National Book Association/Judy Lopez Award for Children's Novel of the Year, Homesick, and Stay: A Girl, a Dog, a Bucket List.

Editorial Reviews

Stay: A Girl, A Dog, A Bucket List:

2018 ALSC/ALA Notable Children's Book

An Iowa Public Radio Best Book of 2017

"Evocative acrylics amplify the matter-of-fact narrative, showing Astrid growing taller and more active as Eli slows down. ...The Klises close with an image of girl and dog watching the sunset over the water, a moment that—like the book as a whole—is both emotionally restrained and full of feeling."—Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Quirky and delightful on its surface, this poignant picture book opens the door to deeper considerations of eventual loss. A tender tension between the author’s ebullient text and her illustrator sister’s touching acrylic paintings—particularly the exquisite portrayals of the two protagonists—delicately suggests the inevitable without any overt occurrence."—The Horn Book, starred review

"The full-page, warm, pastel-colored illustrations perfectly match the text and make the book all the more wonderful. This is a story about making the best of and appreciating the (brief) time we have with our loved ones—in this case our pets, though the title easily applies to grandparents and other aging loved ones."—School Library Journal

From the Publisher

08/02/2021

In this swiftly paced adventure inspired by Rear Window, active, overachieving, pale-skinned 10-year-old Ivy Crowden breaks her leg on the last day of fourth grade. Stuck in a full leg cast until August, Ivy must cancel her summer plans. “Think of this experience as an adventure. Capture the wisdom with paper and pen,” her doctor advises. These lessons close every chapter (“What I learned from that: It’s important to feel empowered so you don’t feel like a victim”), paired with boldly outlined b&w illustrations by Krampien that amplify atmosphere. Now mostly stuck at home, Ivy sits in front of her window, noticing mysterious events on her cul-de-sac, Magnolia Circle in St. Louis— including spying her redheaded white classmate, Melvin Moss, who disappeared before they started their Trojan War report. When a neighbor is robbed, Ivy and her best friend and neighbor Teddy Samuelson, who is Black, along with Ivy’s rescue sheepdog, set out to solve the case, help an agoraphobic neighbor, and rescue a pet. Klise’s (Don’t Check Out This Book!) diction captures age-appropriate cadence while drawing sympathetic characters in this multi-mystery novel. Ages 8–12. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly