"The Wind in the Willows meets Enola Holmes in this exciting, young middle-grade mystery series from Newbery Honor–winning author Margi Preus
Mystery: Something that is difficult or impossible to understand.
With a curious mind and a vast vocabulary (thanks to her wallpaper—pages of a discarded human dictionary), tiny Minerva Shrew would love nothing more than to solve the Big Mysteries of Life and the Universe.
Instead, in The Case of the Pilfered Pearls, she’s called upon to help her cousin Tenacity solve a mystery in the most dangerous of places: a human house. When a string of pearls goes missing, the human owner is sure a “dreadful rodent” has pilfered them—and now the lives of all Minerva’s friends are at risk! Will Minerva find the true culprit before the exterminators arrive?
With wit and warmth, Margi Preus creates a charming woodland world filled with creatures both whimsical and nefarious (neh-FARE-ee-us: wicked or criminal), along with suspense, intrigue, and, thanks to Minerva’s metabolism, plenty of snacks.
★ 'Scientific facts are deftly integrated … Best of all, the mystery is cleverly laid out and peppered with clues [that bring] Minerva and her ravenous detective mind to life … Wordplay, smart solution, a fantastic mystery, and shrew facts? Meet your new favorite detective!'—Kirkus Reviews"
"In Tag’s world, children are disappearing. “Youngers” who venture Outside are windswept—vanishing in the swirling snow—Tag’s sisters among them. Many have tried to find the lost children; all have failed. And since the Other Times, the Powers That Be seem intent on keeping it that way.
Little remains from those times: snippets of songs, heaps of plastic trash, and a few banned texts—including a book of fairy tales.
An unlikely crew of Youngers joins forces: Boots, who can climb anything; Ant, who will eat anything; Ren, who will say anything; and Tag, who doesn’t appear to have any talent whatsoever. With their dubious skills, the fairy tales, a possibly magic ribbon, and an unwillingness to accept “that’s impossible,” they set off to
rescue their windswept siblings in this spellbinding fantasy from Margi Preus."
"Lily is a small but sturdy sailboat sharing a harbor with enormous cargo ships, speedy fishing vessels, and bossy tugboats that all have somewhere to go. And something to say—mostly, “Out of my way, Lily!”
But Lily has somewhere to go, too. Out on the lake, the tall ships are coming!
To leave the harbor, Lily has to wait for the lift bridge to rise. When the other ships blow their horns, “OOHHH-pen, OOHHH-pen,” the bridge lifts up for them.
But not for Lily.
When she finally scoots under the bridge, the grand old ships are silently sailing toward the lowered bridge. Silently! How will the bridge know to open? Can Lily save the day?"
"Longing to fulfill his dream of becoming a voyageur, Jean Pierre Petite Le Rouge stows away in one of the
canoes traveling from Montreal to a faraway trading post. He’s so excited, he can’t stay hidden long and soon
finds himself perched on the bow of the canoe, whiskers to the wind, singing his heart out.
The voyageurs are not amused to find a pesky red squirrel among their crew. He rides, but does not paddle!
He eats, but does not cook! On the portages, he doesn’t carry anything—sometimes it is he who is carried! And
he’s a terrible singer. What kind of voyageur is that? Fortunately, his kind crewmate Jean Gentille takes pity on
him and lets “Le Rouge” ride in his vest pocket.
But when they finally arrive at the trading post, Jean Pierre Petite Le Rouge is in for a terrible shock—the
voyageurs have traveled 1,200 miles to collect what? Furs! Skins! The pelts of his fellow fur-bearers! Heartsick,
he believes he will have to give up his dream of becoming a voyageur. Unless, of course, he can find a way to
change their minds."
"Newbery Honor recipient Margi Preus tells the incredible true story of a group of French teenagers who helped save refugees in WWII Based on the true story of the French villagers in WWII who saved thousands of Jews, this novel tells how a group of young teenagers stood up for what is right. Among them is a young Jewish boy who learns to forge documents to save his mother and later goes on to save hundreds of lives with his forgery skills. There is also a girl who overcomes her fear to carry messages for the Resistance. And a boy who smuggles people into Switzerland. But there is always the threat that they will be caught: A policeman is sent to keep an eye on them, German soldiers reside in a local hotel, and eventually the Gestapo arrives, armed with guns and a list of names. As the knot tightens, the young people must race against time to bring their friends to safety."
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