The book case: an Emily Lime mystery

Title:

Author:

Summary:

"Daphne is off to an exclusive girls' boarding school, where she'll be given a brand-new start after her expulsion. But St. Rita's school for girls is not your ordinary school. And these are certainly not ordinary girls. As it turns out, nothing is quite what you'd expect at St. Rita's. But then she meets Emily Lime, a crime-solving genius, who's looking for a new library assistant. And the book smart Daphne is just the girl for the job. Mystery and intrigue are about to strike St. Rita's and Emily Lime is going to need all the help she can get." -- Amazon.com.

General Note:

"First published in the United Kingdom in 2018 by David Fickling Books, Oxford." --title page verso.

Edition:

First edition.

Physical Description:

358 pages : illustrations ; 22 cm.

Genre:

Humorous fiction.

Detective and mystery fiction.

Subject Term:

Boarding schools -- Juvenile fiction.

Library technicians -- Juvenile Fiction

Publisher:

Scholastic Inc.,

Publication Date:

2019

ISBN:

9781338323795

9781910989395

Publication Information:

New York : Scholastic Inc., 2019.

Call Number:

M SHELTON

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607003421545	Middle Fiction	SHELTON	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

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On Order

Summary

A hilarious illustrated book about a crime-solving heroine who enters a boarding school filled with very peculiar girls, from Bransford Boase Award-winner Dave Shelton.Daphne is off to an exclusive girls' boarding school, where she'll be given a brand-new start after her expulsion. But St. Rita's school for girls is not your ordinary school. And these are certainly not ordinary girls. As it turns out, nothing is quite what you'd expect at St. Rita's. But then she meets Emily Lime, a crime-solving genius, who's looking for a new library assistant. And the book smart Daphne is just the girl for the job. Mystery and intrigue are about to strike St. Rita's and Emily Lime is going to need all the help she can get.

Author Notes

Dave Shelton is the author of Thirteen Chairs . His UK debut novel for children, A Boy And A Bear In A Boat, was shortlisted for numerous awards in the UK and won the Branford Boase Award --- an award given to an outstanding children's or young adult novel by a first-time writer. He's also the creator of the UK comic strip "Good Dog, Bad Dog." He lives in Cambridge, England, with his family.

Reviews (2)

School Library Journal Review

Gr 4-6-There are strange and ridiculous goings-on at an extremely odd and wacky 1950s British girls' boarding school. Daphne discovers this even before her arrival when she's asked to return a lurid hard-boiled detective novel to the school by a train conductor. While there is indeed a mystery at the heart of this tale, the author muddies the plot development in favor of world-building, done through entertaining scenes featuring goofy but clichéd characters. For example, the titular Emily Lime turns out to be an unlikable, holier-than-thou library helper, replete with "wonky" glasses and a beret, who gets outraged at the thought of people mishandling books. All characters are white and British. Chapters cover one or two simple scenes with a good balance of dialogue, description, and action, and are liberally illustrated with cartoonish ink drawings of the characters, usually in poses suggesting the extreme emotions vividly conveyed the text. VERDICT This over-the-top story may tickle the funny bone of fans of Andy Griffiths's "Treehouse" series.-Rhona Campbell, Georgetown Day School, Washington, DC © Copyright 2019. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Publisher's Weekly Review

In this post-WWII-era British romp, Daphne earns a scholarship to the boarding school "St. Rita's School for Spirited Girls, Est. 1873." Upon arrival, Daphne meets George, the only boy in school, and signs on as the "assistant assistant librarian" to enigmatic student assistant librarian Emily Lime, to work in the school's stunning beautiful library, which contains only a few books after a recent fire. Amid the "rum crowd" of rough girls, these three form an unlikely detective trio and set off to solve a series of mysterious break-ins, thefts, and the whereabouts of a missing student. Shelton (A Boy and a Bear in a Boat) crafts an energetic setting in this ramshackle school, with driveway craters caused by a chemistry experiment gone awry and windows shattered by a motorcycling Latin teacher. Lean character development and an ultimately flat mystery may limit readership, but fans of broad humor (nostalgic black-and-white illustrations underscore the slapstick comedy) and classic mysteries peopled with quirky characters may well be pleased. Ages 8-12. (May) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.