(3) 4-6 Mysteries of Maisie Hitchins series. Illustrated by Marion Lindsay. In book four, twelve-year-old Maisie's friend, Professor Tobin, is donating amazing objects from his world travels to the British Museum, and he's devastated when a priceless Amazonian tribal mask is stolen before it can get there. But plucky sleuth Maisie will retrieve the mask, even if she has to face a giant to do it. Charming line drawings help conjure the Victorian setting.

Reviewer: Lisa Catherine Findlay

(3) 4-6 Mysteries of Maisie Hitchins series. Illustrated by Marion Lindsay. In the fifth book, Maisie's grandmother's boarding house has a new lodger, Mr. Grange. Twelve-year-old Maisie thinks he's very dull--until she notices suspicious things about him. Is he part of an art-smuggling ring in London's underground tunnels? The simple mystery plot and well-placed clues are appropriate for a young middle-grade audience; black-and-white line drawings help establish the Victorian setting.

Reviewer: Lisa Catherine Findlay

(3) 4-6 Mysteries of Maisie Hitchins series. Illustrated by Marion Lindsay. In book three, Maisie's friend Alice invites her to a beautiful country manor--which happens to be filled with a ghostly cat, a miasma in the library, and a terrible wailing. Twelve-year-old Maisie is determined to solve this mystery, even if all the servants have fled and she has to do the washing up herself. Spindly line drawings reinforce our Victorian heroine's plucky personality.

Reviewer: Lisa Catherine Findlay

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Rebecca Harry. Harry, a fluffy brown-and-white puppy, makes a friend and discovers his doggy strengths--his bark and sense of smell--after he slips out of his leash and gets lost at the park. Soft-focus pastel backdrops and fuzzy, huggable animals who wear their emotions on their faces accompany bland text and a predictable plot line. Harry's human owners occasionally appear stiff.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(3) 4-6 Mysteries of Maisie Hitchins series. Illustrated by Marion Lindsay. Twelve-year-old Maisie (The Case of the Stolen Sixpence) won't miss out on an opportunity to go sleuthing. When actress Lila Massey's jewels are stolen, Maisie gets a job at London's Dauntry Theater. Readers will find the mystery challenging enough to stay engaged but will delight in solving it just before our spunky heroine. Line illustrations help paint the prim Victorian setting.

Reviewer: Lisa Catherine Findlay

(3) 4-6 Mysteries of Maisie Hitchins series. Illustrated by Marion Lindsay. Twelve-year-old Maisie helps her grandmother run a London boarding house, but she has bigger dreams: she wants to be a detective--and finding out who's been stealing from the butcher will be her first case. Webb creates appealing characters distinct enough to hook young middle-grade readers, and the old-timey black-and-white line drawings will help them envision the Victorian time period.

Reviewer: Lisa Catherine Findlay