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| Sammy Keyes and the Curse of Moustache Mary cover art by Craig Phillips |
Wendelin Van Draanen’s Sammy Keyes and the Curse of Mustache Mary, a middle grade mystery first published in 2000 by Penguin Random House Children’s Books, combines bicycles, pigs and gold into an adventurous romp while solving a crime. Craig Phillips illustrated the 2017 paperback cover. This is the fifth book in the Sammy Keyes series and was nominated for an Edgar Award. Sammy and her friends ride their bicycles about farms and to a nearby development on December 31, New Year’s Eve. They encounter mysteries, vendettas and unique characters in both settings. While over 25 years old, Ms. Van Draanen’s story is fun, relevant and the absence of portable electronic devices may be explained by the lack of cell phone coverage in a rural area. Perhaps the most salient point is the arch criminal’s insidious behavior and lies and the ripple effects of those actions. At the end Sammy reflects on friendships, choices and future paths.
Source: Purchased, 2017 paperback version with 272 pages. The novel is appropriate for fifth grade and older.
Thanks as always to Greg Pattridge host of Marvelous Middle Grade Monday.
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Visit Wendelin Van Draanen
Visit cover artist: Craig Phillips
Previous review of Wendelin Van Draanen's: Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief
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