Bound To Stay Bound

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School Library Journal - 10/01/2015 Gr 4–6—Nine-year-old Friday Barnes is used to being invisible. In fact she works hard at it. But when she uses the $50,000 she earned for solving a bank robbery in order to attend the exclusive Highcrest Academy, she discovers that her usual drab brown cardigans actually make her stand out from the other well-dressed students. She is soon noticed for another reason: her uncanny intellect and ability to solve crimes. Before long, she finds herself with a number of students willing to pay for her detective work, as well as her first nemesis: the handsome Ian Wainscott. Eventually even the headmaster asks for her help investigating sightings of a terrifying beast-man in the nearby swamp. The strength of this novel lies in its quirky, tongue-in-cheek writing style and pervasive humor. The characters are all delightfully eccentric, and middle grade readers will especially enjoy Friday's Holmesian analysis of the various crimes and the criminal's flaws, as well as the lengths she is willing to go in cracking the case (one episode has her trailing the school dog and sending his poop off to a lab in order to prove that he ate a fellow student's homework). The final mystery, focusing on the swamp yeti, is reminiscent of Scooby-Doo, with a surprise villain. The book ends with a cliff-hanger, followed by a teaser chapter from the sequel. Gosier's cartoony black-and-white drawings add appeal for a broad audience, although the vocabulary may make this a better fit for stronger readers. VERDICT A good choice for voracious readers who enjoy a blend of humor and mystery.—Ashley Larsen, Pacifica Libraries, CA - Copyright 2015 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 12/15/2015 *Starred Review* Friday is the youngest, most overlooked Barnes child. But being overlooked has given her the time to develop into a top-notch detective. After handily solving a particularly tricky jewel theft, she’s given a hefty reward, and she’s going to use it the best way she knows how: tuition for fancy boarding school. When she arrives, she discovers her new school is full of mysteries to be solved—all for the right price. To do so, she must avoid cute but devious Ian Wainscott and keep from getting in so much trouble she gets expelled. That, and deal with the bully who convinces their classmates to cruelly ignore Friday. Spratt has created a sharp, plucky main character, whose brainy investigations and candid, sometimes tactless observations will appeal to mystery lovers of any gender. The diminutive detective’s not so great at social conventions, which gives Spratt a great opportunity to playfully skewer stereotypical middle-school plots. Spratt’s matter-of-fact tone and punchy sentences bring Friday to life, and the age-appropriate touch of romance is a sweet addition. With off-the-wall plot turns and small mysteries scattered throughout, this is the perfect choice for mystery fans with a silly sense of humor, and the cliff-hanger ending promises more sleuthing on the horizon. Gosier’s black-and-white spot illustrations add to the charming atmosphere. A sheer delight. - Copyright 2015 Booklist.

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