Review / Mystery on Magnolia Circle

Book: Mystery on Magnolia Circle (2021)
Author: Kate Klise
Genre: MG, Mystery

Opening lines from the book …
On the last day of school, I fell down the front steps of my house and broke my leg. After the surgery, my doctor said I’d have to wear a cast on my leg for most of the summer. “You might think your world will get smaller,” Dr. Ames said. “But depending on how you spend this time, your world could actually get bigger.”

WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THIS BOOK…

1) I didn’t realize this when I read the book, but after reading the author’s note, I discovered that this book was meant to be a kid-friendly version of the Hitchcock movie: Rear Window. I totally see that now that I’ve read the book. (I happen to really like that movie!) It’s not exactly the same, but the basic premis is there.

2) The main character is Ivy. I love her little “What I learned from that” at the end of each chapter.

3) And then there’s Teddy. I love how he pushes Ivy to do things, well, to make the story more exciting. And he keeps wanted to be called “Ted,” which I totally get. I like how that works its way into the story.

4) The mystery about the boy in van… I was intrigued. And it didn’t turn out quite how I expected. But I won’t give away any spoilers.

5) And finally, there’s the Scott Joplin house connection. I also happen to really like Scott Joplin’s music (rag), and this book made me want to visit his house! Anyway, I enjoyed the little tour and the facts the two kids learn about the composer.

THINGS THAT BOTHERED ME…

1) I almost wished there was more of a Rear Window vibe to the whole story. Like she’s stuck in her house with a view of the whole neighborhood, and she has to send Teddy out … But maybe that wouldn’t quite work…

FINAL THOUGHTS

A fun mystery that’s based on a good movie … I would definitely recommend this book to mystery-lovers. And if you happen to like Scott Joplin’s rag music, you might be intrigued by that part of the story.

 

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YOUR TURN…

Have you read this book? What are your thoughts? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

Note: I’m posting this for Greg Pattridge’s Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday…