Summertime Mystery Fun!

It’s summertime! Summer brings sunshine and strong sun and best of all, no school! But with all the time what can you do? Well you can read a mystery, of course! Do you know that there are mysteries starring your favorite historical American Girl? Well, there are! From Kaya to Julie there is a mystery (or two, or even three) about them. Some of them have been nominated for the Edgar Award for Best Juvenile mystery.  The books are Nancy Drew-like in structure with the girl stumbling into a mystery and becoming determined to solve it. A good example of this is The Stolen Sapphire: A Samantha Mystery.  

In the book, Samantha and her adopted sister and ‘very best friend’ Nellie are taking a trip to Europe and have to take an ocean liner to get there. The first class was practically empty, with only a handful of passengers. They include an archaeologist, Professor Fitzwilliam Wharton and his nephew, Harrison ‘Harry’ Wharton III, Samantha’s grandmother and step-grandfather, a married couple, Mr and Mrs. Billingsley; who have a snooty daughter, Charlotta, a reporter, Jack Jackson, and Samantha and Nellie’s French tutor, Mademoiselle Etienne. When the archaeologist’s gem gets stolen during a dinner and Mademoiselle Etienne is accused, it is up to Samantha and Nellie to figure out who stole it, and prove her innocent.

The mystery itself is great, holds up even to adult readers. With plenty of red herrings and suspenseful moments.  It even has an ‘oh no’, the bad guy is gonna get away with it, wait, we’re smarter’ moments straight out of Murder, She Wrote. But they are not too challenging for younger readers to understand either. Plus, the historical settings are always fun, and there is always a historical lesson about the setting at the end. You’ll love the fun and exciting ride you’ll go on.  So, come in on in to Girl AGain and pick your next adventure that you love! 

  By Mackenzie H., a Yes She Can trainee