A Recipe for Robbery

July 1, 2009
Gr 4-6-When Lindy, 11, gets stuck having to eat a dish prepared by Mrs. Unger, aka Granny Goose, at the annual Bloomsberry Cucumber Festival, she finds a ruby-encrusted locket in the concoction. The item is one of the many heirlooms Mrs. Grimstone reported stolen from her home earlier in the week. Lindy seriously doubts that Granny is the thief. The woman cares little for material goods and spends most of her time rescuing and looking after animals, especially her goose. Lindy, her friend Margaret, and their classmate Gus set out to solve the mystery and hopefully nab the $5000 reward. The novel is full of likable characters and fun twists and turns. The plot moves quickly, and Kelsey writes with wit and verve. An enjoyable addition to the genre."Beth Cuddy, Seward Elementary School, Auburn, NY"

Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2009
Grades 4-6 Sixth-grader Lindy longs to attend summer band camp with her friend Margaret, but her parents cant afford it. She discovers a valuable locket in her stewed cucumbers, but learns that a wealthy womans jewels have been reported stolen and that their wacky, elderly friend, Granny Goose, is suspected. Margaret, Lindy, and their friend Gus join forces to find the culprit, clear Granny Gooses name, and collect the reward. The trail of clues winds a bit but ends with justice for all. Unlike the many mystery narrators striving for a noirish voice even in childrens books today, Lindys first-person narrative sounds refreshingly innocent: her characters gasp, exclaim gosh, and even say tsk, tsk. The storys backdrop is the Bloomsberry Cucumber Festival, a suitably down-home venue for a mystery with a decidedly old-fashioned tone and a relatively slow pace. While not for every child, this old-school childrens mystery may suit a number of todays readers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)