I have been reading books about Sherlock Holmes recently, so I decided to try Tracy Barrett's The 100-Year-Old Secret, which is Book 1 of a series called The Sherlock Files. This is a shorter book than others I have read recently, such as Shane Peacock's Eye of the Crow, or Nancy Springer's The Case of the Missing Marquess, and it is meant for a younger audiece. Whereas Eye of the Crow is about Sherlock Holmes as a young boy, and The Case of the Missing Marquess is about Holmes's younger sister, The 100-Year-Old Secret is about twins Xena and Xander Holmes, who are modern day decendants of Sherlock Holmes. The twins are given their famous relative's unsolved casebook, and they decide to try solving the mystery of a missing painting called Girl in a Purple Hat. The twins are likeable, resourceful sleuths, and they solve the mystery without too much danger to themselves, so I think this is a good mystery series to recommend to 3rd and 4th graders.
I really enjoyed Molly Moon's Incredible Book of Hypnotism, by Georgia Byng. This is the first book in a series about an orphan named Molly Moon who has an incredible gift for hypnosis. She discovers this gift when she reads a book she finds in the library. Her first subject is the dog who lives in the orphanage (this is the dog on the cover), and she ends up flying from her home in England to New York, where she uses her ability to become rich and famous. In the beginning of her adventure she is pretty selfish and manipulative. However, in the end she realizes this and makes good by helping many people, including the children in her orphanage. You really need to suspend disbelief when reading this book, because she truly does live out a fantasy life of being able to make just about everyone around her cater to her every whim. Also, some of the plot twists that get her out of trouble are pretty far fetched. Still, it's a fun story with a happy ending, and I would like to read more about this little girl and her dog.
The Tiger Rising, by Kate DiCamillo was one I listened to in the car on the way to work and back. This is a short, sad book. The main character, Rob Horton, and his dad have moved to Florida after Rob's mother's death. Rob is plagued with a perisitent rash on his legs, and he is bullied at school. Both Rob and his dad are still grieving over their recent loss, and Rob's dad refuses to talk about it. He goes so far as to not allow Rob to say his mother's name. One day Rob discovers a caged tiger behind the hotel where he and his dad are living. Rob and his new friend, Sistine, decide they want to free the tiger from its cage. The caged tiger clearly represents the unexpressed emotions that are eating away at Rob and his father. I wonder whether the 4th graders for whom this book was written will understand this, though. I understand that this book takes on a difficult subject, and I think it does so beautifully. Some kids will relate and appreciate being able to read about characters who have problems similar to their own. However, it was not one of my favorites.
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