Mabel Opal Pear and the Rules for Spying

by Amanda Hosch, Ira Sluyterman van Langeweyde (Illustrator)

Overview

A young spy gets entangled in an action-filled, whodunit mystery! When Mabel's parents leave town without warning, she isn't worried. They're spies, after all. But when her beloved Aunt Gertie is arrested for leading a smuggling ring, then her obnoxious Uncle Frank and Aunt Stella show up, demanding to be let into the family's private museum, things begin to look fishy. Especially since Mabel hasn't heard from her parents in days. Tackling a mystery like this one is what she has been training for her whole, short life. Using her self-authored spy handbook, will Mabel be able to find her parents and unmask the real criminal before it's too late? Rife with quirky characters, zany twists, and an unflinching look at the difficulty of learning to trust, Amanda Hosch's debut is sure to capture the hearts of secret-keepers, sleuths, and everyone in-between.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781623708061
Publisher:	Capstone
Publication date:	10/01/2017
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	272
Lexile:	700L (what's this?)
File size:	1 MB
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Amanda Hosch loves writing, travel, and coffee. She lived abroad for ten years, teaching English as a Foreign Language. A fifth generation New Orleanian, Amanda now lives in Seattle with her husband, their two daughters, and a ghost cat. When not writing, she's a reading tutor for elementary school kids.
Ira Sluyterman van Langeweyde studied design at the University of Applied Sciences in Münster, Germany. She worked several years as a screen designer before she rediscovered her passion for illustration. Now, living in Munich, she makes character designs and illustrations for books, movies, TV shows, and other media. You can see more of her work at www.iraville.de.

Interviews

Humorous mystery with a spunky lead sleuth; At its core, an emotional journey about being brave and learning to trust; First-person narration and fast-paced plot will keep readers engaged and make it a great read-aloud

Editorial Reviews

I can’t recommend this one enough. If you love anything to do with spies I highly suggest reading this one. It’s funny and amazing and you will not regret picking it up. Amanda Hosch is the queen of writing great characters with lots of heart.

YA Books Central

It’s not uncommon for middle-grade novels to build a story around a kid whose parents are spies, but Hosch manages to keep this premise fresh and entertaining in her new mystery. . . .Hosch works humor and suspense into the story, along with appealingly quirky characters and intriguing spy communications that will leave armchair detectives hooked and happy.

Booklist Online

07/01/2017
Gr 4–6—Mabel Opal Pear, aka Moppet, is learning the art of spying from her parents. They run the only museum in town, which features spoons from all over the country and world. When her parents are suddenly sent on a mission far from home, a long-lost uncle shows up with his greedy wife and Mabel's only cousin. Mabel is usually cared for by her aunt Gertie, the town's beloved baker, but not this time. Aunt Gertie is arrested, rooms are ransacked, an inspector is snooping around, and everyone is looking for a mysterious red suitcase containing valuables that Mabel's uncle claims are his. The girl's spy sense kicks into high gear, and things begin to go downhill fast. Mabel tries to follow her "Rules for a Successful Life as an Undercover Secret Agent" to expose the plot that threatens her family. Her good friend Stanley helps her discover clues. It is Mabel's turn to save her family's small-town museum, rescue her captive aunt, find out family secrets, and figure out if her cousin is a friend or foe. VERDICT A light and quirky mystery. Consider for large collections.—Erin Olsen, The Brearley School, NY

School Library Journal

2017-07-02
Mabel tries to "be in control," "trust her instincts," and "anticipate surprises" after her secret-agent parents disappear.A "curious, brave, and clever" (almost) 11-year-old white girl, Mabel lives near Mount Rainier in Washington, where her mother operates an antique-spoon museum. When her parents are away on secret missions for the Agency, Mabel's aunt Gertie acts as her guardian. As soon as Mabel's parents leave on another mission, her long-lost greedy uncle, his obnoxious wife, and their meddling daughter unexpectedly descend under the auspices of watching over Mabel because Aunt Gertie's been falsely arrested. Taking control of Mabel's house and life, they clearly want the museum as well. Meanwhile, duplicitous Inspector Montgomery accuses Mabel's parents of international smuggling and interrogates her about a mysterious red suitcase. Learning from the Agency her parents are indeed missing and uncertain whom she can trust, Mabel follows her Rules for a Successful Life as an Undercover Secret Agent (reproduced in full in the backmatter) as she tackles each surprising element of the case. Mabel's first-person narration reveals a clearheaded and resourceful but lonely and somewhat resentful girl whose efforts to protect her parents' secrets deny her the normal social life she deserves. A suspenseful, multifaceted puzzler with a savvy girl sleuth. (author's note) (Mystery. 9-12)

Kirkus Reviews