Friday, October 21, 2011

The Girl is Murder by Kathryn Miller Haines -ADVISABLE

Haines, Kathryn Miller The Girl is Murder, 352pgs. Roaring Brook Press, 2011. $11.46. (Language-G -Swear Count: 0, Violence-PG; Sexual Content-PG13.)
15 year old Iris Anderson’s life changes when her mother dies: she must live with her father whom she hardly knows. WorsE yet, her lifestyle has changed too, now she lives in a bad part of town and is worried that her father can’t support them with his detective work. So Iris decides to step in and help out with the detective work –secretly of course. She sneaks out to Harlem dance clubs, manipulates her friends, and learns the ropes of investigating.
The setting of 1940’s New York City adds an incredible depth to this story: from the lingo, the war time atmosphere, to the young soldiers desperate for a last bit of fun. Iris is an interesting character to get to know and the plot is excellent. This is one of those books that can really draw you in and keep you there. Students will love to have this time period brought to life and find the differences in their own slang to be interesting. Common teen issues like drinking and pregnancy are brought up. I hope this book becomes a series!
HS – ADVISABLE Reviewer: Stephanie MLS graduate.

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