The Secret of the Sealed Room

January 1, 2011

Gr 5-8-Fourteen-year-old Patience Martin, the orphaned daughter of a sea captain and an escaped slave, lives in 1721 Boston as an indentured servant. Mrs. Worth is a difficult mistress, but Patience is nonetheless shocked when the pregnant woman dies of arsenic poisoning. Running away to escape indenture to Mrs. Worth's brother-in-law, Patience learns that she and midwife Moll Bacon are both murder suspects. Young Benjamin Franklin, as mischievous as Tom Sawyer, agrees to help Patience find the true culprit. MacDonald has crafted an engaging mystery starring one of America's most intriguing historical figures. Readers will appreciate the vivid details of Boston's chill weather, noxious odors, and lively tradesmen as they piece the clues together along with the protagonists. The denouement reveals each twist of the crime and ties up Patience's future nicely. There are a few flaws, however. While the narration allows for an intimate portrayal of colonial Massachusetts, Patience tells her story as an adult, and it isn't clear why she has decided to tell it or what meaning it has in her present life. As such, it seems incomplete. The final words of the book, stating how clever Franklin is, seem artificial given that Patience and Ben solve the mystery in equal parts. That said, they make an enterprising pair in this lively story with a Sherlock Holmesian finale.-Caitlin Augusta, Stratford Library Association, CT

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2010
Grades 5-8 Decidedly impatient Patience Martin is stuck in an unhappy indenture with the Worth family in colonial Boston. After the untimely death of her mistress, she and a wayward midwife fall under suspicion for murder and witchcraft. Fortunately for 14-year-old Patience, she meets a teenage apprentice printer named Ben Franklin who vows to help her after she runs away from her master. This follow-up to MacDonalds Wicked Will (2009), a mystery starring Shakespeare, offers a stimulating look at young Franklin, a refreshing counterpoint to most textbook accounts of his later years. Franklins early aptitude for writing poetry is explored, and his rocky relationship with his brother James foretells his own eventual departure to Philadelphia. Alluding to Franklins autobiography, MacDonald creates a series of events that could very well be factual and leaves the reader curious to know more. Replete with historical facts without being blatant, the well-developed plot will keep mystery lovers guessing until the very last chapter.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)