From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler meets Chasing Vermeer in this clever middle grade debut When Theodora Tenpenny spills a bottle of rubbing alcohol on her late grandfather’s painting, she discovers what seems to be an old Renaissance masterpiece underneath. That’s great news for Theo, who’s struggling to hang onto her family’s two-hundred-year-old townhouse and support her unstable mother on her grandfather’s legacy of $463. There’s just one problem: Theo’s grandfather was a security guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and she worries the painting may be stolen. With the help of some unusual new friends, Theo's search for answers takes her all around Manhattan, and introduces her to a side of the city—and her grandfather—that she never knew. To solve the mystery, she'll have to abandon her hard-won self-reliance and build a community, one serendipitous friendship at a time. “Uniquely readable, entirely charming, and a pleasure from start to finish. Debuts this good are meant to be discovered.” —SLJ Fuse 8 Blog “Riveting from start to finish.” —BookPage
Download and start listening now!
“Narrator Jessica Almasy’s warm, reassuring candor is a welcome companion during this captivating coming-of-age mystery…Almasy’s interpretations of Fitzgerald’s spirited characters are engrossing. Nuanced, confident portrayals draw listeners into Theodora’s world…Pacing is key in a story with so many interwoven parts, and Almasy’s delivery lends urgency where needed but slows to allow particularly significant moments to unfurl.”
—
AudioFile