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Friday Barnes Girl Detective

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Friday Barnes Girl Detective
By R.A. Spratt
Illustrated by Phil Gosier
Roaring Brook Press, 2016. 255 p.

Friday Barnes is a smart girl. With her parents both being professors it is no surprise that she is smart; however, Friday isn’t just book smart. Friday also notices things. And she can determine the probability of what happened based on what she sees—which means, Friday is also a great detective. In fact, she was able to solve a difficult jewelry heist and earn quite a substantial reward. Friday used the reward to pay for a spot at a prestigious boarding school, where she ends up doing even more detective work.

This is a clever story. Friday Barnes is a likable character (especially considering she could be an obnoxious know-it-all type). The solutions to the various mysteries are not obvious yet there are enough clues that readers will feel satisfied when they also figure out bits of the puzzle. This is a great edition to the mystery genre and would be a good book to give any Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys fan.

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