Discover Summer McPhee and Ocracoke Island
Summer McPhee of Ocracoke Island has landed on my list of favorite "female detectives"! (even though she is a kid)
In Kilroy was here!, Summer, who just happens to be 12 years old, uses her wits to solve a mystery that is throwing her entire school in to a tizzy. The computers have a mysterious virus that has locked up every device in the building and no one, not even the school technology expert, can figure out who put it there.
In her quest to help out her school, our lead detective puts many pieces together to solve the puzzle. Some of those pieces come from her own interests and her friends. For example, Summer discovers that the origin of the phrase "Kilroy was here!" has some very real history. How does she find this history? By using her internet searching skills learned because she is interested in genealogy.
In fact, I learned a lot from reading this book. I absolutely loved finding out about ancestry.com (I had originally called the website genealogy.com, and a reader kindly informed me of my error. Thanks!) and seeing the steps that Summer used to help solve the mystery of the computer virus.
I cannot wait to talk to my grandchildren about this short novel. There are so many common life issues that are covered in this book. Bullying is one of them. Looking beyond physical appearance is another. For example, just because someone is in a wheel chair, does not mean that their other body parts do not work. Yes, there is a character in this short novel that is handicapped physically, but not mentally! So, don't push them around. (pardon the pun)
Do not hesitate to get your school aged readers hooked on this book and the entire Summer McPhee series. The author also has another series that features "Quinn Higgins, Boy Detective"!
The best thing about these books? You can read them and find joy in spending time in a young person's life. I can foresee lots of great conversations with my grand-daughters as a result of buying them this "mystery".
Keep your eyes peeled for Summer McPhee!
Just imagine living on Ocrakoke Island all year long. One of Summer's hobbies is collecting rubbings from the tombstones in the island's cemeteries. She is creating a collection so she can write a book! The videos below will allow you to see what she does.
Enjoy the videos so you can relate to Kilroy was Here!
Do you enjoy reading the same books that your children do?
This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.
© 2014 Mickie Gee
