Synopses & Reviews
andlt;b andgt;An aspiring handwriting analyst tracks down her missing neighbor in this caper from the author of andlt;i andgt;The Problem with the Puddlesandlt;/iandgt;.andlt;/bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;More than anything, eleven-year-old Lucy wants to be the worldand#8217;s most famous handwriting expert. and#8220;You can learn a lot about a person through how they write their Iand#8217;s,and#8221; she tells her friend, Pigeonand#8212;who just so happens to be a talking bird. When Lucyand#8217;s neighbor Zelda goes missing and the only clue is a cryptic handwritten note, Lucy is determined to crack the case using her graphology skills. With some help from Nicky, who lives upstairs, and plenty of advice from Pigeon (who just so happens to be very opinionated), can Lucy decipher the whereabouts of her apartment buildingand#8217;s missing resident?
Review
In a New York City apartment building, two lonely children, a pie-baking grandmother and a talking pigeon connect in this gratifying mystery. andlt;BRandgt; Eleven-year-old Nicky has mostly stayed in his room ever since his mother moved to India two years ago, and his and#8220;Time-Out Averageand#8221; has spiked to .750. One floor below, Indian-American Lucy, also 11, a budding forensic scientist and graphologist interested in the study of handwriting, has just moved to the city. Although sheand#8217;s been unlucky making new friends and gathering more samples for her handwriting journal, sheand#8217;s reluctant to get to know Nicky. But when the resident talking pigeon intervenes, Lucy soon finds herself putting her sleuthing skills to the test to help Nicky find his missing Grandma Zelda, who never leaves her apartment (only one floor above). Believing and#8220;you are what you write,and#8221; Lucy offers witty writing rules (e.g., and#8220;Life changes lead to letter changesand#8221;), which guide the suspense. Simulated writing samples and actual signatures of such notable individuals from history as Eleanor Roosevelt, Al Capone and, of course, John Hancock, fuel Lucyand#8217;s forensic applications. When Nickyand#8217;s father becomes a prime suspect, his grandmotherand#8217;s disappearance also becomes a moral dilemma. andlt;BRandgt; A quick and steady story for readers who like some substance to their mystery but are not quite ready for the complexity of Blue Balliett. (authorand#8217;s note) (Mystery. 8-12) --andlt;iandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Kirkus Reviewsandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;/iandgt;, April 15, 2012
Review
"I laughed, I gasped, I cheered, and I instantly fell in love with this wonderful story."
Review
"Fascinating and FUNNY. (I made 74 smiley faces in the margins by the end). I LOVED this book. Can't wait for the next!" --Coleen Paratore, author of andlt;Iandgt;The Wedding Planner's Daughterandlt;/Iandgt;
Review
Set in New York City, Feifferand#8217;s (The Problem with Puddles) fantasy-tinged mystery follows two 11-year-oldsand#8212;Indian-American Lucy, a recent transplant from Savannah, Ga., who and#8220;planned on becoming the worldand#8217;s leading expert on handwriting,and#8221; and Nicky, Lucyand#8217;s upstairs neighbor, a boy who has no trouble getting into trouble. Along with a talking pigeon, the pair tries to figure out what happened to Nickyand#8217;s grandmother, Zelda, who disappears on April Fooland#8217;s Day. Initially, Lucy and Nicky spar with each other, but the friendly presence of Pigeon and a cryptic note left behind by Grandma Zelda bring the children together. Handwriting samples, letters, and clues help build tension, and Lucyand#8217;s rules about handwriting and character offer humor and insight (and#8220;Confused people have confused writingand#8221;). andlt;BRandgt; Publishers Weekly
Review
Nickyand#8217;s mother has taken a permanent vacation to India and his apathetic father puts him in time-out for the slightest offenses, so he sneaks out to spend time with his beloved Grandma Zelda. When she goes missing, he enlists the help of his friend Lucy, handwriting analyst extraordinaire, and a talking pigeon, and they search the city for her. With Pigeonand#8217;s help, the children unravel the nefarious dealings of Nickyand#8217;s father and the scheme behind Zeldaand#8217;s disappearance. Told as a rotating arc, this quirky mystery is interspersed with handwriting samples, notes, and Lucyand#8217;s Writing Rules #1-11, which add a fun element to the cast of eccentric charactersand#8230;. readers will be drawn into the story and will enjoy the fast-paced action. Feiffer has included a signature test to help savvy readers spot forgeries and an authorand#8217;s note that is almost as entertaining as the book itself.and#8211; School Library Journal
Review
The plot in this mystery turns on one of the young main charactersand#8217; passion for handwriting analysis. Lucy has just reluctantly moved with her parents from Savannah to New York City. Her one consolation is having a new pool of people whose handwriting she can analyze. The familyand#8217;s new apartment is right below that of Lucyand#8217;s classmate Nicky, who drives her crazy with his incessant jumping around upstairs. Nicky has a more pressing concern: his beloved grandma Zelda has suddenly disappeared from their building, leaving behind a note that says, and#8220;Help me.and#8221; What Nicky doesnand#8217;t know is that Lucy intercepted an earlier note sent by Zelda because she loved the writing. Since the story moves forward and backward through time, readers learn the facts out of order, heightening both the mystery and the confusion. There are some serious issues raised in the book: Nickyand#8217;s father isnand#8217;t a nice guy, and the way he treats Zelda is appalling. But Feiffer keeps the tone light, incorporating a talking pigeon and lots of handwriting analysis tips that readers may find intriguing.
Synopsis
An aspiring handwriting analyst tracks down her missing neighbor in this caper from the author of The Problem with the Puddles.
More than anything, eleven-year-old Lucy wants to be the world's most famous handwriting expert. "You can learn a lot about a person through how they write their I's," she tells her friend, Pigeon--who just so happens to be a talking bird. When Lucy's neighbor Zelda goes missing and the only clue is a cryptic handwritten note, Lucy is determined to crack the case using her graphology skills. With some help from Nicky, who lives upstairs, and plenty of advice from Pigeon (who just so happens to be very opinionated), can Lucy decipher the whereabouts of her apartment building's missing resident?
Synopsis
An 11-year-old aspiring handwriting analyst, a solitary boy and a talking pigeon to solve the mystery of Nicky's missing grandma.
Synopsis
From Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
About the Author
Kate Feiffer is a writer, a filmmaker, and a mother. The New York Times Book Review heralded Ms. Feiffer “economy of style and understated wit” in her debut picture book Double Pink, illustrated by Bruce Ingman. She is the author of Henry the Dog with No Tail and Which Puppy? both illustrated by her father, Jules Feiffer, President Pennybaker and My Mom is Trying to Ruin My Life both illustrated by Diane Goode, as well as The Wild, Wild Inside, illustrated by Laura Huliska-Beith and The Problem with the Puddles, a middle grade novel illustrated by Tricia Tusa. Ms. Feiffer and her family live on Martha's Vineyard, MA. Visit her at katefeiffer.com.