[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Running Press Kids in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]
Summary
When Nellie’s dad is out of town for a long term work assignment and her mom loses her newspaper job, her mom’s college friend, Mrs. Kim-Franklin comes to the rescue. She invites them to move to Bear Creek and helps them get set up in the house next door. By default that means Nellie and Mrs. Kim-Franklin’s daughter Min are now “best friends,” at least according to Min.
Nell’s not really had friends before. She’s brilliant and can be off-putting to her peers. But living in a new town, and stumbling onto some mysterious events at the park piques her journalistic curiosity. To get the answers she is looking for, Nell needs to get to know the locals. Nell’s neighbor Thom offers to walk her to the local newspaper office so she can give them the information on the park. Min tags along, and the three discover yet another mystery in this small town that Nell would like to dig into.
But the newspaper office is not what Nell was expecting. Many of the reporters are packing up their desks because they were laid off. When Nell asks the editor how the town is supposed to know what is going on at the park, or when it is safe to return, if there’s no newspaper to tell them, he tells her she might have to write the story herself.
With Thom and Min’s help, that’s exactly what Nell plans to do!
Review
I LOVED this! The six kids at the core of this book are delightful! Nellie is bright and brings the newspaper experience. Thom is loyal and thoughtful. Min is enthusiastic. Gordon is talented. Gloria is passionate, and Charlotte is brave. I loved them. I hope there will be shelves full of books starring these kids.
The mysteries here are kid-friendly – pranks or vandalism at the park and a sad business owner. There are a few serious moments which were especially endearing because I was already so attached to the characters from the rest of the story.
I loved the adults in this – the exasperated police chief who still answers Nell’s questions, Thom’s moms who make Nell feel welcome, Gloria’s dad who gives Gloria space to put her own “flavor” on their restaurant, etc.
The newspaper pieces are well written and informative. Readers could put together their own newspaper with the ideas and examples in this book. But it’s never overly technical.
Do not miss this delightful story! This would be so great as a read-aloud or for book groups. I loved this like I loved Beth Vrabel’s 2018 release, The Reckless Club. I can’t wait to see what happens for these characters next!