Who's Mandie? (Young Mandie Mystery Series #1)
Grade 3-5-The first in a series that crosses historical fiction with mystery, this easy chapter book falls short of the mark. The story is set in North Carolina in 1897. On the way home from school, nine-year-old Mandie thinks she sees something being thrown from a wagon, and when she later investigates, she finds a cat. She takes the animal home with her, where it gives birth to a kitten and vanquishes a rat, thereby getting into the good graces of Mandie's mother. When Mandie discovers that a cat has been stolen from a family that is visiting her friend, she must make a major decision. In the end, she does the right thing, of course, and the owners allow her to keep the kitten. This is typical series fare, with a fairly simple plot and straightforward text. The story is entertaining and the characters are generally likable, but the writing is uninspired, with moments of didacticism and dialogue that does not ring true to the time period. Leppard introduces several elements that are not resolved in the course of the story. Pass on this one and introduce children to Laura Ingalls Wilder's "Little House" books (HarperCollins) instead.Amy Lilien-Harper, Ferguson Library, Stamford, CTCopyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.