Under the Egg by Laura Marx Fitzgerald | Mystery Novel for Teens & Young Adults | Perfect for Book Clubs & Classroom Reading (2015)

I was considering getting this book for friends' children and wanted to read it first. Loved it! I had to re-read the first few pages a couple of times to make sure I understood, but after that, I was sucked into the book. Lovely book, lovely characters. Very different from what I remember reading when I was the age of the intended audience. The kids in this book are mature and street smart, not just book smart, and are the type of good people you would hope your own kids would be friends with. I had read a couple of reviews that suggested that there was too much dependence on adults to get to the end, but I didn't find that to be the case unless you live in a world like Peanuts where no adults ever seem to be present. More of a sign that the girls did as much as they possibly could on their own, knew who and where to go to for help, and did seek out help, just like any person, child or adult, would and should do. They also did their share of helping adults along the way. Fitzgerald's book is straight talk to her audience but also age appropriate. I think that kids will appreciate the way that several "grown up" topics are presented and not babied but addressed straightforward for what they are and were. Fitzgerald is saying to her audience, you are old enough to thoughtfully consider these issues and form your own judgments. Meanwhile, I managed to learn a lot about art history that I knew nothing about, and it was certainly worth the time I spent reading it to walk away with a great storyline, memorable and strong characters, and beautifully worded descriptions. A pleasure to read and I highly recommend. I am back to buy additional copies now for friends.