Trashed!
by Martha Freeman (Author)
From Edgar Award-nominated author Martha Freeman comes a compelling middle grade mystery following a young boy working at his family's secondhand store that is a steal-your-heart story about family and friendship.
Arthur Popper helps out in his family's Boulder, Colorado, junk store, Universal Trash, a place so full of cool stuff it inspires awe in first-time shoppers. When it comes to ukuleles, peppermills, and rhinestones, Arthur knows what's what. But unlike his motorcycle-riding grandma and his namesake, King Arthur, he's not brave or adventurous.
Then Arthur finds a chipped teacup, of all things, and realizes it's the key to solving the perfect crime--a crime only he knows about.
With help from a supernatural sidekick, his best friend, his annoying little sister, and a sad-faced police officer, Arthur embarks on the hard work of detecting. Everyone knows Arthur is good at customer service. Does he have what it takes to solve a mystery and confront a thief?
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Publishers Weekly
Eleven-year-old Arthur Popper likes his comfortable, familiar life living above his family's thrift store, Universal Trash, in Boulder, Colo. But his quotidian existence is derailed when a funeral for the pet mouse of younger sister Ramona brings about an accidental rodent haunting. Supernatural conundrums deepen when a chipped teacup with a puzzling past, previously thought stolen, suddenly resurfaces in the shop. The ghost mouse, named Watson, takes up residence inside the teacup and persuades Arthur to unravel the mystery behind the item's appearance. Doing so uncovers an even larger enigma at the store, with far-reaching consequences that prompt him to begin seeing his neighbors, friends, and family in a new light. A subplot tackling issues of prejudice and racism raises vital questions about but fails to explore the societal forces that perpetuate systemic racism. Freeman (Noah McNichol and the Backstage Ghost) uses pastoral, omniscient third-person narration to drive the overarching mystery. Nestled between hunting for clues and interviewing witnesses is a portrait of a busy, lovingly rambunctious family trying to run a beloved thrift store while navigating myriad internal conflicts and engaging in thought-provoking personal growth. Arthur reads as white. Ages 8-12. Agent: Jennifer Mattson. Andrea Brown Literary. (Jan.)
Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.JUV028000 - Juvenile Fiction | Mysteries, Espionage, & Detective Stories
JUV069000 - Juvenile Fiction | Ghost Stories
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