Lehr, Dick. Trell.

Lehr, Dick. Trell. Candlewick Press  2017  307p    $17.99    ISBN 978-0-7636-9275-9    ms/hs  Mystery  VG         

Romero Taylor is imprisoned, but is it wrongful imprisonment? His daughter Trell believes it is. Rejected in the plea for a new trial, Trell continues her quest with a reporter. Together, they tackle the impossible, trying to find witnesses who have disappeared in gang-ridden neighborhoods of Boston. Author Dick Lehr, in his first attempt at the young-adult audience, has a solid plot, an interesting, fast-paced writing style, and well-developed characters. His protagonist is Trell, a young teen who is resourceful, resilient and resolved.  Readers see this in her actions. She lives in a dangerous part of Boston, but that has not shaped her life. She has elevated herself by gaining acceptance into a prestigious private school with a scholarship. What establishes the plot is her desire for justice for her father, a former drug dealer accused and convicted of murder, and she doggedly pursues the people who can help. First? She elicits the help of a young lawyer, Nora Walsh. Nora shows Trell just how difficult the journey of proving one’s innocence can be, yet the pair forge ahead to file for a new trial. When that petition is denied, Trell next elicits the help of a reporter, a down-and-out former success who fell apart after the death of his child years before.  Clemens Bittner comes aboard after first avoiding Trell, and the two become sleuths, interviewing witnesses who were coerced into testifying at Romero’s trial and searching out alibis who were with Romero when the murder of young Ruby Graham occurred. Gangs, drugs and poverty provide a dramatic backdrop for this powerful story. However, it is the story and principal characters that compel the reader forward. Lehr has not created a new genre of literature, fiction based on a real-life incident, but he establishes himself as a writer who knows how to tell a story that is exciting for younger readers.  They will want to find out if Trell proves her father’s innocence. That is the sign of good writing. This novel is a good choice for middle-school and high-school readers who like a book they can tackle in a few sittings. The drama combines with the detective genre in just the right amounts to make this a worthwhile read. Good writing; very good plot.   

Summary: Trell pairs up with a young lawyer to find evidence of her father’s innocence in the crime of murder. 

Murder-Fiction                                     --Martha Squaresky

Mobley, Jeannie. Bobby Lee and the Criminal Element.

Mobley, Jeannie. Bobby Lee and the Criminal Element. Holiday House 2017 228p  $16.95  ISBN 978-0-8234-3781-8  elem/ms  Historical Fiction  E-BN         

When Bobbie Lee becomes an orphan at age 13 in 1929, he decides that his future lies as a criminal working for a famous Chicago gang. His pickpocketing skills should allow him to be useful to mob leaders. He boards a steam-powered train and finds himself investigating a murder that happened in New Orleans, his hometown. Also traveling on the train are three men and a widow with her baby, all potential suspects in the widow’s husband’s death. Details on train travel in the early 20th century flow smoothly into the story, as do descriptions of the changing countryside between Louisiana and Chicago. Also incorporated into this historical novel are facts about Jim Crow laws and Prohibition and how these institutions affected daily life. A compelling mystery drives the story, which has an authentic feel and maintains consistent tension and danger within a framework of soulful contemplation about whether Bobbie Lee is suited to be a criminal or not. Believable supporting characters and some humorous moments as well as historical facts make this a perfect historical novel. A great book to accompany social studies units on race relations in the 1920s and the effects of the Jim Crow laws. An addendum explains the inspiration for the story as well as historical facts about race relations, jazz, and railroad life in the 1920s. Strongly recommended as an adjunct to teaching about Prohibition or Jim Crow laws and their impact on people.  

Summary: Bobbie Lee, 13 years old, decides to travel to Chicago to become a criminal in a famous gang. His trip via railroad from New Orleans to Chicago is packed with action and mystery. The novel refers to the Jim Crow Laws and to facts about steam railroads. Grades 4-8.

Mystery-Fiction, Prohibition, Jim Crow-Fiction     --Lois McNicol

Davis, Danielle. Zinnia and the Bees.

Davis, Danielle. Zinnia and the Bees. Capstone Publishers     2017   240p.   $19.99        ISBN 978-1-62370-867-2          elem/ms            Conflict        E-BN

Zinnia, an eighth grader, is a master knitter. She makes yarn bombs (think tea cozies) for any object. When she cloaks the school mascot, a rattlesnake sculpture, in a full-length yarn bomb as a last-day-of-school prank, her punishment makes her feel like her world is closing in. Her older brother, 18 years old, disappears the next day without notice. After eating an ice cream to console herself over the loss of her brother, she attracts a hive of honey bees that take up residence in her unruly, curly hair without causing her a single sting.  Her attempts to deal with this colony of bees who think her hair is their new hive, trying to find her brother, becoming friends with a boy visiting his uncle next door, and mending the fractured friendship with her girl friends keep this novel humming along. Lots of laughs, plenty of puns about flowers and birds, and even a first-person narrative by the scout of the bee colony all provide the reader with an enjoyable novel about friendship, family and growing up. A unique story featuring a girl whose character changes from being self-centered and angry at her brother and mother to one who is capable of understanding the fears, needs and wishes of others.                           

Summary: Zinnia, an 8th grader, loves to knit. She makes a yarn bomb (like a tea cozy) for the school mascot statue and gets into trouble. Her older brother goes missing, she attracts a hive of bees, and her summer is one she will never forget.  Gr. 4-8   

Friendship, Bees, Mystery                                                  --Lois McNicol

Davis, Danielle Zinnia and the Bees

Davis, Danielle           Zinnia and the Bees  Capstone Publishers 2017   240p   19.99  978-1-62370-867-2            elm/ms           Conflict           E-BN            

Zinnia, an 8th grader, loves to knit. She makes a  yarn bomb (like tea cozy) for the school mascot statue and gets into trouble. Her older brother goes missing, she attracts a hive of bees, and her summer is one she will never forget.  Gr. 4-8     

Zinnia is a master knitter. She makes yarn bombs (think tea cozies) for any object. When she cloaks the school mascot, a rattlesnake sculpture, in a full length yarn bomb as a last day of school prank, her punishment makes her feel like her world is closing in. Her older brother, 18 years old, disappears the next day without notice. After eating an ice cream to console herself over the loss of her brother she attracts a hive of honey bees that take up residence in her unruly, curly hair without causing her a single sting.  How to deal with this colony of bees who think her hair is their new hive, trying to find her brother, becoming friends with a boy visiting his uncle next door, and mending the fractured friendship with her girl friends keeps this novel humming along. Lots of laughs, plenty of puns about flowers and birds, and even a first person narrative by the scout of the bee colony provide the reader with an enjoyable read about friendship, family and growing up. A unique story featuring a girl whose character changes from being self-centered and anger at her brother and mother to one of being capable of understanding the fears, needs and wishes of others.                          McNicol,Lois          Friendship, Bees, Mystery

Harvey, Sarah N., and Robin Stevenson. Blood On the Beach.

Harvey, Sarah N., and Robin Stevenson.  Blood On the Beach.  Orca 2017  259p. $14.95  Paperback  ISBN 978-1-4598-1293-2      ms/hs  Mystery/Suspense VG

Suspense/fear builds quickly and is sustained after one girl goes missing from a  “treatment” camp hosted by three adult counselors on a remote island. The eight teens with a variety of issues are sent to the island in hopes of having them come back as better people. When one girl goes missing and the radio is found sabotaged, the teens realize that the girl could be dead and one of them could be the murderer.  After a series of other sinister events and false leads, the teens realize they need to band together to stay safe and solve the mystery of who is really the psychotic person on the island.  The adults do not seem well-equipped to handle all the issues (assault, drugs, gender identity, psychological issues, and theft) that caused the parents to send their children to this camp in the first place. With inexperienced staff who display questionable conduct, it is a wonder that the camp had any accreditation, but that problem definitely plays into the plot. Sexual attraction, but not graphic, among the teens both gay and straight occurs during the search for the killer. The teens are the most believable part of this story as they learn about each other, support each other, and band together to protect their safety. Because of the easy vocabulary, this book qualifies as a hi/lo book for high-school readers. Recommended where mysteries are popular, especially among those who find using a rehab camp as the setting is relevant.

Summary: In this combination of Survivor and Lord of the Flies, eight troubled teens arrive on an island staffed by three adults. When one girl goes missing and the radio is sabotaged, suspicion falls on many, but only solidarity among the teens will get them off the island. Gr. 7+

Rehab-Fiction, Mystery                                            --Lois McNicol