| 9780545699846 |
| 0545699843 |
Available:*
Library | Material Type | Call Number | Shelf Location | Status | Item Holds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Searching... Library 21c | Children's Book | KERR | Children's-J-Fiction | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
Searching... Library 21c | Children's Book | KERR | Children's-J-Fiction | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
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Summary
Summary
When feisty Edie is sent to a remote school to spy on fragile Anastasia, she never imagines that they'll become best friends instead--and discover an ominous plot that puts both their lives in danger!Through a series of strange coincidences, orphan Edie finds herself at Knight's Haddon, a stately boarding school for girls. But Edie is not just another student--under normal circumstances, she could never afford to go to boarding school. She's been sent to Knight's Haddon by her art-dealer uncle to investigate the disappearance of a precious crystal bird that belongs to his secretive client's daughter. Anastasia, a Russian royal, has a fragile disposition and a melodramatic bent--or so the headmistress and all the other girls say. Edie's assignment is not only to find the missing glass bird; it's to befriend the troubled blueblood and keep a watchful eye on her. When the two girls uncover a dangerous plot, how can they stop it? Inside the walls of the isolated estate, is there anyone they can trust?
Author Notes
Esme Kerr lives between London and Oxford, England, where she studied history. She has three children, two dogs, three cats, and four goldfish.
Reviews (3)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-7-Edie Wilson is a thoroughly unhappy child. An orphan whose grandmother has just moved to a nursing home, she is sent to live with her inattentive aunt and vicious cousins. Edie sees no escape until Cousin Charles shows up. Her aunt's brother, he's no blood relation, but he does happen to be looking for a child her exact age to go on an undercover mission to her mother's old boarding school, Knights Haddon. Her job is to befriend a young Russian aristocrat named Anastasia and determine whether the girl is being terrorized or if she is completely insane. Edie discovers the truth surrounding Anastasia is far more complicated, and dangerous, than she could possibly have imagined. Katey Sobey's narration is excellent, neatly delineating the children from the adults and somehow managing to give unique voices to all the residents of the all-girls school. VERDICT Though some of the loose threads wrap up a bit too neatly at the end of the story, most listeners will eagerly clamor for the anticipated sequel and return to the world of Knights Haddon. ["Charming without being particularly engaging": SLJ 12/14 review of the Scholastic book.]-Michaela Schied, Indian River Middle School, Philadelphia, NY © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Kerr's suspenseful British-boarding-school mystery is full of secrets, murky characters, and psychological intrigue. Ever since 11-year-old Edie's blind grandmother, who has cared for her following her parents' death, was forced into a nursing home, Edie has been living miserably at Folly Farm with her nasty cousins. This changes when her unpleasant uncle, godfather to Russian princess Anastasia Stolonov, plants Edie at an old-fashioned, excessively strict boarding school for girls as an undercover spy to discover who is tormenting the princess. Is Anastasia paranoid? Or simply careless? It's sharp-eyed Edie's assignment to find out. Despite her uncle's warning to avoid growing close to the princess, the girls quickly bond. With several fellow students and a trio of adults as plausible suspects, an ambiance of growing mistrust permeates the novel; it's deepened by mounting questions about the nature of the headmistress's connection to Edie's late mother. Set among skirmishes on the lacrosse field, forbidden midnight feasts in dormitory rooms, play rehearsals, and tea outings, the story keeps readers puzzling past its riveting climax, all the way to its gratifying conclusion. Ages 8-12. (Mar.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
When orphaned Edie meets her distant cousin Charles, she's been living with her aunt and horrible cousins. So when Charles offers to hire her to spy on a Russian prince's daughter, Anastasia, at Knight's Haddon boarding school, she hastily agrees. Watching over Anastasia is harder than she expects, however, because, even though she is desperate to go to school, Knight's Haddon is far stricter than Edie hoped. The teachers are secretive and harsh, and Edie's role as servant and secret spy means she can't get involved with the other girls and activities. She is there to find out what's been troubling Anastasia, and as she investigates their fellow students, the mystery gets incredibly twisty. Is Anastasia crazy, or is there more to Knight's Haddon than it appears? Kerr's quaint style at times feels more like historical fiction, so some readers may find the modern setting a bit jarring. Nevertheless, this is a rich, fun mystery that will likely hook young readers. Fans of Edie will be happy to know a sequel is in the works.--Comfort, Stacey Copyright 2015 Booklist
