This
book has some interesting historical links as well as a fun mystery. It’s another
one of the fiction nominees for the 2016 Silver Birch Awards from the Ontario
Library Association.
Lady
Ada Byron, age eleven, is a genius. Isolated, awkward and a bit rude—but a
genius. Mary Godwin, age fourteen, is a romantic. Adventurous, astute, and
kind, Mary is to become Ada’s first true friend. And together, the girls
conspire to form the Wollstonecraft Detective Agency—a secret constabulary for
the apprehension of clever criminals. Their first case involves a stolen
heirloom, a false confession, and an array of fishy suspects. But it’s no match
for the deductive powers and bold hearts of Ada and Mary.
The Wollstonecraft
Detective Agency: The Case of the Missing Moonstone was written by
Jordan Stratford with art by Kelly Murphy. It was published by Alfred A.
Knopf in 2015.
My
Take:
I
loved the idea of stepping back into history to explore what famous scientists
may have been like when they were growing up. Ada and Mary have very different
and interesting personalities.
The
characters are really what makes this story come alive and keeps the book
engaging. The detective agency is a fun idea, though I wished the mystery
element was a bit more complex and there were more interesting clues for the
girls to solve (especially ones that would take more advantage of Ada’s
scientific knowledge).
I also enjoyed all the details from
the early 1800’s, especially the differences in the use of language between
then and now.
For
writers:
It’s interesting to study how the
author incorporates historical events into a middle grade novel. Be sure to
check out the author notes where he explains how he has modified real events to
create a compelling story.
Opening
Line:
“Force…equals…mass…times…acceleration,”
muttered Ada as she wrote in her notebook.
Quotes:
“Ada
looked at her as if she were some undiscovered species of sea creature
mysteriously washed ashore.”
“Tall
wooden bookshelves stood in ranks that seemed to go on and on forever below the
London streets, each square shelf stacked with aging gray newspapers, folded
like blankets.”
“With
each collection of brackets, she simplified all the thoughts in her head down
to manageable groups, like variables in an equation.”
Other
Info:
Jordan
Stratford lives on an island in British Columbia, Canada, where he is working
on the next novel in the series.
In
the FAQ on his website, Jordan Stratford has some good advice for writers: “Get
that draft over with. Don’t put it off because you’re afraid it will be
terrible. Of COURSE it will be terrible. But that gives you something to fix,
and that bit is really joyous, really rewarding.”
Teaching
Ideas:
Have
students research a woman scientist. Create a class museum (virtual or
physical) to showcase their amazing discoveries.
Have
students write their own short story using a famous woman scientist as one of
the main characters.
This
book has an extensive educator guide with STEM connections and connections to Common Core Standards.
Sounds like a good read. But too bad the mystery wasn't more complicated.
ReplyDeleteThe friendship aspect is very appealing. So to is the science angle. Thanks for sharing a title I somehow missed last year.
ReplyDeleteI've heard good things about this book. I've read Laurie Wallmark's picture book about Ada Byron Lovelace, but it's a biography. How fascinating that Jordan Stratford came up with a fictional detective agency founded by two real people. Love the girl power here!
ReplyDelete