Brainstorm 357: Animal Investigators

This week's Brainstorm features some animal investigators that are either the sleuths themselves or help a human in solving a mystery. To see my full summaries/reviews of each title plus any content notes/trigger warnings, please scroll below. 

My Full Summaries & Reviews

Dogsled to Dread (A Miss Mallard Mystery) by Robert M. Quackenbush

Miss Mallard has been invited as the guest starter for the annual sled dog race. But really, the people who invited her really want her to look into the Totem Avenger who is terrorizing the neighborhood. He steals a sled dog puppy in broad daylight right in front of several witnesses!

Another nice little mystery with Miss Mallard. Make sure you study the illustrations and see if you can spot the clues before Miss Mallard! I like that in this one you can figure it out before Miss Mallard if you do pay close attention.

Mimi Lee Gets a Clue (A Sassy Cat Mystery, #1) by Jennifer J. Chow

Mimi Lee has just opened her own pet grooming shop in the Hollywood area hoping to cater to the wealthier pet owners in L.A. But starting a new business and building a clientele is not easy. Her benefactor is doing her best to recommend friends, and through them Mimi starts to notice similar problems in puppies coming from one particular breeder. But the day after she reports him, he ends up dead and Mimi is the detective's prime suspect. She decides that to clear her name she needs to do some of her own sleuthing. And she has a most unusual partner. Her sister gave her a big fluffy white rescue cat she dubbed Marshmallow, and it turns out Marshmallow can talk. But only to Mimi. At first Mimi doesn't know what to do with her new feline that causes her to question her sanity, but it turns out when investigating a crime it can come in handy to have a partner who can speak to the animals. Can Mimi and Marshmallow figure out who really killed the breeder before Mimi goes down for the crime?

I was afraid that the talking cat elements would make this feel cheesy, but since Marshmallow only talks to Mimi (and telepathically at that) and since Chow wrote Marshmallow in a very convincing cat voice, this actually felt like a very realistic mystery. It is actually easy to forget there are any fantasy elements. Marshmallow is snarky and temperamental, and I can totally picture cats I've known talking just like him. Oh, and I loved his additions to the story. Don't get me wrong. Mimi is likable, and a fairly pleasant sleuth to follow around. I liked the elements of her Malaysian-American heritage that are woven into the story. Malaysian characters are few and far between in American lit, let alone in the mystery genre. Being in Thailand, I know several students and teachers who will absolutely love the fact that we'll soon have a Malaysian American character on the shelves, and will gobble up Mimi's Ma's phrases. The mystery definitely kept me guessing. The LA aspects were done very authentically (I lived in the area for a few years) and I loved the fact that she actually had Marshmallow and Mimi cold outside in a couple scenes! No one ever admits that LA can get chilly, but it totally does from Nov-Mar. The development of a little romance for Mimi with the lawyer was done cutely, and those elements felt like this was a blend of mystery and Hallmark movie. I'll definitely be looking to add more of the Sassy Cat Mysteries to our library very soon, and I want to check out more of Jennifer J. Chow's other books too. Hand this to cat lovers who like cozy mysteries and those who are looking for Malaysian American characters.

Notes on content: No language issues that I remember. No sexual content beyond a tiny kiss. A murder is mentioned but absolutely no gory details. Animal abuse/neglect is part of the story, but genetic defects and poor living conditions are the worst described and there's a happy ending for all the animals.

Owl's Outstanding Donuts by Robin Yardi

Alfred the owl notices some shady goings on with 2 people and a truck in the middle of the night outside the donut shop in Big Sur. He knows the stuff those people are dumping isn't good for the area, so he wakes up the girl who lives with the donut lady. Mattie is woken by an owl. Which is strange. But even more strange is the white truck and two suspicious people. The next day she tries to recruit her best friend, Sasha, and Sasha's little sister, Beanie, to help her figure out who is dumping gloop. Beanie is enthusiastic, but Sasha thinks Mattie is making up the owl stuff. The investigation gets more important when Mattie's aunt's donut shop is threatened, just as she's starting to feel at home in Big Sur after her mom's death. But solving the crime may require Mattie to address her biggest fears that have been building since her mom died.

This reads entirely like contemporary fiction except for the chapters from Alfred's perspective and then it drifts just ever so slightly into magical realism. It's a nice little mystery, with lots of donuts (it is wise to have donuts on hand for the reading of this...or to make sure there's no way you can get them, depending on your dietary needs). I really liked the Big Sur setting. It was so fun to follow the girls around their woodsy mountain area, traipsing through streams, and climbing trees. Along with the mystery there's a good dose of time devoted to character development. Mattie is still figuring out her relationships with her new full-time neighbors (who used to just be summer friends), and also dealing with unresolved mental issues after her mom's tragic death. If you like believable mysteries with an extra savvy owl, forest settings, lots of donuts, and plenty of time getting to know the characters, snatch this up.

Notes on content: No language issues. No sexual content. At one point violence is somewhat threatened, but everyone ends up ok. A past fatal car accident comes up, and fears that have resulted from that.

The Perfect Spot (Dot the Ladybug) by Kallie George, ill. by Stephanie Fizer Coleman

Dot the ladybug is an expert on dots and finding them, so her friend Jots wonders if she can also find spots. Dot trots off confidently in search of a spot, but does so before Jots can fully explain what he's looking for. Will Dot fail Jots?

This was a cute little adventure/mystery picture book for beginning readers with a great lesson about listening, and an easy teaching opportunity about synonyms (dots and spots) and homonyms (spot = dot, spot=location). The illustrations are very fun too. It isn't often you get such a well-developed plot in a leveled reader.

Brainstorm 356: 3 Overcomer Biographies

For this week's Brainstorm I have 3 fascinating biographies of people who overcame hardship. To see my full summaries/reviews of each title plus any content notes/trigger warnings, please scroll below. 

Full Summaries & Reviews

On the Corner of Chocolate Avenue: How Milton Hershey Brought Milk Chocolate to America by Tziporah Cohen, ill. by Steven Salerno

A picture book biography of Milton Hershey, how he went from poverty to prosperous businessman, persevered through many failures along the way in first the caramel and then milk chocolate businesses, and used his money to help children in poverty like he was.

I never knew that Hershey started out by making caramels and first made his name that way. His rise from poverty and his perseverance through numerous failures is inspiring, as is the way he used his money to start a school for kids in poverty that is still ongoing through his generous legacy. This is a heartwarming picture book biography and interesting background on a brand name sweet producer.

Saving My Assassin by Virginia Prodan

The autobiography of Romanian Virginia Prodan who grew up under Ceauşescu in a family that treated her like she wasn't a full member of the family. They would have her work while the rest of the kids had summer vacation, and she did chores while the others rested. Virginia was driven to find truth, and she thought the best way would be to become an attorney. She passes the law school entrance exams and makes it through law school to become a successful attorney. While practicing law Virginia meets some people with surprising joy and meets Christ through them. She then starts representing Christians in the Romanian courts arrested for possessing Bibles, churches who are denied permission to rebuild after the police vandalize them, and more. She successfully wins many cases by using laws about religious freedom that Ceauşescu's forces overlooked. This makes her a hero on the Voice of America reports and a target for the Securitate. They arrest her multiple times and when intimidation doesn't work, start sending assassin's after her. But it doesn't work out the way they planned.

This was a pretty astounding autobiography. Virginia Prodan has not had an easy life, but she has witnessed God work in some pretty amazing ways both through her and those around her. Her story is inspirational and I'm glad she shared it with the world. I'm not sharing too much here because I don't want to spoil it for other readers. Definitely worth the read.

Notes on content: Language: None; Sexual content: Nothing beyond some kisses.; Violence: Securitate beatings are mentioned and at least one is described. Deaths in jail are mentioned. A couple assassination attempts, but given the fact Virginia wrote this book you know they aren't successful.; Ethnic diversity: Most of the people are Romanian, but you also meet some people from the American Embassy who take an interest in Virginia.; LGBTQ+ content: None; Other: Unjust treatment by family and state leaders. Religious persecution. Virginia's husband is a gambler and it strains their marriage.

Whale Eyes: A Memoir About Seeing and Being Seen by James Robinson, ill. by Brian Rea

The autobiography of James Robinson, focusing on how growing up with anomalous retinal correspondence - a condition he’s dubbed “whale eyes” to make it easier to understand - impacted his childhood and youth and adulthood, especially his feelings about reading. He then explains how he decided to make a documentary about himself as a young adult to help others understand why he looks the way he does and the challenges he has in visual perception. And then how that opened the doors for future employment, more documentaries, and this book.

Back when I did tutoring I accidentally ended up working with several kids with visual acuity issues, one was similar to James’ issue, but not exactly the same. The fact that kids who perceive the world differently can teach themselves to adapt and survive in a world not catered to their conditions is astounding. I loved hearing how James’ documentary helped others feel seen, and his further documentaries are doing the same for people with other “invisible” issues. He’s doing important work, and this book is part of that. I hope reading this helps the younger generation be more understanding and empathetic. It’s a good reminder that you never know what is going on in someone’s life. It was also so interesting to hear how he’s trying to change the Hollywood use of people with misaligned eyes to not just portray those who are crazy or evil. I need to get a copy of this for our library.

Notes on content: Language: None; Sexual content: None; Violence: I don’t remember any.; Ethnic diversity: James’ family is white American.; LGBTQ+ content: None specified.; Other: Discrimination based on appearance. School unwilling to make accommodations (or does so sparingly). Misunderstanding someone with a disability.