The Peacock Detectives
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5.0 • 1 Rating
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
Perfect for fans of The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street and Waiting for Normal, this charming middle grade mystery is full of heart, humor, and more than a few surprises.
Eleven-turning-twelve-year-old Cassie is an expert Peacock Detective.
Her sharp eye for details is why the Hudsons from across the street call her every time their pet peacocks wander away.
But there are some things even the greatest Peacock Detective can’t figure out, like why her best friend is so angry lately; why her older sister is cutting her hair off; or why her parents are acting like they don’t know each other anymore.
Cassie is an expert at solving things. But what’s a master detective to do when her whole world is changing, and all the answers are out of reach?
A Kid Detective on Her Toughest Case: Eleven-year-old Cassie is an expert at finding lost peacocks, but she’s about to discover the clues to her family’s problems aren’t so easy to spot.A Realistic Sister Story: As her older sister Diana pulls away—cutting her hair, exploring Buddhism, and acting like a total stranger—Cassie struggles to understand the big sister she used to know.Navigating Family Problems: With her parents acting like they don’t know each other anymore and her dad facing his own secret struggles, Cassie must navigate a home that feels like it’s quietly falling apart.A Touching Coming-of-Age Tale: A funny, observant, and moving story about growing up, finding your voice, and learning that some mysteries don’t have easy answers.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
"Eleven-turning-twelve years old" Cassie narrates this story, set in small-town Australia. Her father, an English teacher who always wanted to be a writer, teaches Cassie many writing tips ("be good at details," include an "Inciting Incident") that she shares in the text. He also named the observant girl a "Peacock Detective" when noting details helped her to track down the neighbor's escaped peacocks, William Shakespeare and Virginia. Cassie plans for her story to be about the latest peacock escape, but then her dad begins having more "Those Days" depressive episodes something Cassie understands because she sometimes has them, too. Though Cassie tries to avoid seeing the problems facing her family, she employs her observational prowess when her mother moves out, mean girl Rhea keeps telling Cassie her dad is "crazy," and a secret about her beloved grandfather is revealed. This quietly powerful journey deals honestly with the impact of depression and such social issues as gun violence in the U.S. Debut author Nugent sensitively portrays Cassie's struggles with family and friends as she grows to see that true bonds can be both hard won and well worth the effort. Ages 8 12.
