Saturday, November 28, 2015

Audacity Jones to the Rescue by Kirby Larson



Audacity Jones to the Rescue by Kirby Larson
Ages 8-12 years. Grade Level 3-7.
  • ISBN-10: 0545840562 - Hardcover $
  • Publisher: Scholastic Press (January 26, 2016), 224 pages.
  • Review copy courtesy of the publisher and the Amazon Vine Reviewers Program.

The blurb:
Audacity Jones is an eleven-year-old orphan who aches for adventure, a challenge to break up the monotony of her life at Miss Maisie's School for Wayward Girls. Life as a wayward girl isn't so bad; Audie has the best of friends, a clever cat companion, and plenty of books to read. Still, she longs for some excitement, like the characters in the novels she so loves encounter.

So when the mysterious Commodore Crutchfield visits the school and whisks Audie off to Washington, DC, she knows she's in for the journey of a lifetime. But soon, it becomes clear that the Commodore has unsavory plans for Audie -- plans that involve the president of the United States and a sinister kidnapping plot. Before she knows it, Audie winds up in the White House kitchens, where she's determined to stop the Commodore dead in his tracks. Can Audie save the day before it's too late?


Review:
Audacity Jones ("Audie") adjusted well to life at Miss Maisie's School for Wayward Girls.  Miss Maisie founded the school after being left orphaned and with a large fortune and her unorthodox method of raising girls includes a lack of emphasis on academics.  Audie regularly finds herself subject to discipline and is locked in the Punishment Room regularly.  But Miss Maisie's Punishment Room is her father's former library and a place of sanctuary and escape for Audie. 

When the Commodore, a public official and donor to Miss Maisie's School, comes seeking a volunteer for a dangerous mission, he ends up leaving with eleven-year-old Audacity Jones.  Her assignment takes her to the White House under President William Howard Taft.  While Audie finds some suspicious behavior, she's not sure what might be afoot.  During the time of her White House visit, there are two Taft children at the White House: Taft's niece Dorothy and Charlie Taft.  Audie makes an impression on the two youngsters but it's her old friends from Miss Maisie's Home for Wayward Girls that come forward to help Audie save the day.

An adventure story and historical fiction, Kirby Larson gives us a fun new series with Audacity Jones to the Rescue.

About the Author:
Kirby Larson is the acclaimed author of the 2007 Newbery Honor book Hattie Big Sky; its sequel, Hattie Ever AfterThe Friendship DollDear America: The Fences Between UsDuke; and Dash. She has also written a number of picture books, including the award-winning Two Bobbies: A True Story of Hurricane Katrina, Friendship, and Survival and Nubs: The True Story of a Mutt, a Marine, and a Miracle. She lives in Washington with her husband.

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