The Serial Sneak Thief (Felicity Snell Mystery) - Hardcover

Grade 4-6?Felicity Snell returns. "The Chameleon," a disturbed character who has set out to destroy the library, has disrupted a mystery detective hunt that has been staged as a publicity project by Felicity and the library director. The Mystery Club Watchdog Squad, a library club, has been assigned to police the event but instead must find "the Chameleon" before someone gets hurt. Suspects abound but eventually the scoundrel is revealed and the valuable galley of an important book belonging to the library is recovered. Hildick presents an appropriately wry picture of the library scene: the A-V librarian who envisions a high-tech Internet-centered library; the director who wants to impress the Board with an outstanding event; the overbearing custodian; and a self-important reference librarian. The young patrons are easily recognizable: the shy boy; the sweet, energetic but annoying kid; the attention-seeking girl, etc. The writing is witty and teasing. The story is complicated and readers must pay attention or miss the clues. It is for children between David Adler's "Cam Jensen" series and Ellen Raskin's The Westing Game and surely for those who enjoyed "McGurk." Mystery lovers rejoice. Hildick is back with a new series.?Marlene Gawron, Orange County Library, Orlando, FL
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

"Mystery lovers rejoice, Hildick is back." -- School Library Journal, February 1998

"These two titles, which introduce a new mystery series for Hildick, feature intrepid children's librarian and former private investigator Felicity Snell....Not since John Bellairs introduced us to Miss Eells have children's librarians gotten such an image boost!...Both books will make great read-alouds, and the Great One-Day Cluefinders Contest has potential as a real library program." -- Booklist, January 1998