Skip to main content

The Red Blazer Girls: The Ring of Rocamadour

By

By Michael D. Beil
Alfred A. Knopf, 2009. 298 pgs. Juvenile Fiction.
What a terrific new mystery series for girls twelve and up! The cover promise--"a puzzling mystery! A mystery with puzzles!"--is amply fulfilled as the Red Blazer girls, 7th grade students at St. Veronica's Catholic school in Manhattan--use geometry, linguistics, and logic--to outsmart the villains and find the treasure. Refreshingly, the story is filled not only with wit, suspense, excitement, reading(!), and adventure but with caring parents, teachers, priests, and other strong adult role models. Religion is treated as a natural and respected part of life, and in these pages it is actually cool--and crucial to solving the puzzle--to be smart and work hard in school. Parents may wish to know that this book includes occasional minor-league swearing and the casual, careless use of the name of Deity that is common to young people these days, but on the whole, this is a smart, highly readable story with much to say about education, friendship, loyalty, and honor.

Labels:

Comments

Ms. Yingling said…
Agree completely with your review, and was impressed with all of the titles you have on your site.
April 21, 2009 at 4:03 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Review: The House with Nobody in It

By
  The House with Nobody in It By Jon Klassen Somerville, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press, 2026. Board Book.  The House with Nobody in It may very well be your child's first ghost story. The simple story begins with the narrator explaining to readers that this house used to have someone in it, but there is now nobody there. Toddlers and preschoolers will love contradicting this statement as they peek through the house that the board book forms, as the ghost is clearly visible throughout the story.  This unique and imaginative board book is the perfect thing to read during Halloween season! The book itself plays into the experience, with cutouts and clever turns that make it especially interactive. The illustrations are superb, simple but well crafted, adding to the story's theme as a whole. This will likely be a book that gets many repeat reads!
Post a Comment
Read more

Display: Teddy's Top Picks

By Suzanne
  Bear in the Air Written by Susan Meyers Illustrated by Amy Bates New York : Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2010. Picture book. When a teddy bear is lost by the child who loves him, the bear begins an adventurous journey to get back home again. -- Editor Blanket and Bear, A Remarkable Pair Written by L.J.R. Kelly Illustrated by Yoko Tanaka New York : G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2013. Picture book. When a boy loses his beloved blanket and bear, they travel a great distance to make their way back to him. -- Editor A Bear to Share Written by Jessica Alba, Nora Weinstein, and Kelly Patricof  Illustrated by Alicia Mas New York, NY : Baby2Baby/Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2021. Picture book. Tiana loves her teddy bear, Bach. She doesn't mind that he's a little worn and somewhat torn. So when her mother suggests she make room for a new bear, Tiana can't believe her ears! Will Tiana have to lose the one bear she really loves? Or will she find room in her heart for t...
Post a Comment
Read more

De la hora del cuento: La letra "B"

By
  Cuentos La bicicleta nueva Por Darcy Day Zoells New York : Clavis, 2023. Libro ilustrado. "Mari tiene una bicicleta nueva. Ahora el mundo luce diferente. ¡Hay tantas cosas que puede hacer! ¿Hacia dónde irá? ¿Qué descubrirá? ¿Conocerá a nuevos amigos? ¡Acompaña a Mari a descubrir lo más importante que la bicicleta puede llevar!" --Editor Cuentitos Me gusta mi bici Por AG Ferrari New York : Holiday House, 2022. Fácil. "Ilustraciones y texto fácil muestran las ventajas de andar en bicicleta cuando las calles están llenas de otros veh̕culos." --Editor Otros libros sobre la letra "B" Baby Ballena El oso polar y la bailarina El tejado de Benito Mi abuela es una bruja ¡Hola, Lola! A la bodega
Post a Comment
Read more