The Secret Letters
(Mysteries of Trash and Treasure #1)

Haddix writes with her usual smooth skill in this series opener, weaving in an interesting theme about possessions and what they mean to different people. The characters are real and inviting, and the emotions ring true. Fast-paced and enjoyable.

Gr 4-6--Two sets of friends, separated by 50 years, are the heart of an engrossing historical fiction and mystery tale. In modern-day Groveview, OH, Colin and Neveah discover shoe boxes of letters written by Toby and Rosemary who lived there in the 1970s. The letters reveal details of Toby and Rosemary's close friendship which came to a dramatic and mysterious end. Intrigued, Colin and Neveah begin a search for clues to find out what happened to the old friends--and possibly reunite them. Their search uncovers long-buried family secrets and the surprising ways people's lives are connected. Readers will be invested in Colin and Neveah's burgeoning friendship as they grow to understand and support each other despite a big obstacle: their parents operate rival junk-removal businesses in the same town. Even worse, Neveah's dad suspects Colin's mom in the puzzling disappearance of valuable antiques he had hoped to sell. The solution to that second mystery seamlessly integrates the history of the modern women's rights movement into the character-driven narrative. It also brings the novel to a satisfying end and sets up Colin and Neveah's future as detectives. Master storyteller Haddix is in top form, weaving a complex tapestry of different genres, time lines, and generations of characters in a can't-put-it-down novel. VERDICT A winning start to a new series and a first purchase for all middle grade collections.--Marybeth Kozikowski

Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Two white 12-year-olds from rival small-town Ohio junk-removal families bond over a historical mystery in this accomplished series starter by Haddix (The School for Whatnots). Though introverted Colin Creedmont privately finds beauty in castoff objects, he dreads spending the summer helping his single mom, owner of Marie Kondo-esque business Possession Curation, clean out houses. Meanwhile, self-possessed Nevaeh Greevey, youngest child of the competing Junk King, longs for pristine possessions, and is similarly unexcited to join the family business. Colin's attic discovery of a shoebox full of letters written in the 1970s leads him to Nevaeh, and the duo bond while searching for the corresponding letters. Reading the missives offers the pair a tantalizing glimpse at a previous era, and as Colin and Nevaeh eagerly research period references such as the Equal Rights Amendment and Happy Days, they resolve to track down the letters' authors, while Nevaeh surreptitiously puzzles through a crime that could implicate Colin's mother. Brief third-person chapters alternate between the duo's experiences, building momentum through a gently feminist undercurrent while conferring character depth via the tweens' affection for the letter writers and their own opposing views on objects from the past. An author's note further contextualizes the 1970s details discussed. Ages 8-12. Agent: Tracey Adams, Adams Literary. (Sept.)

Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.