A Girl, A Raccoon and the Midnight Moon
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Pearl lives and breathes her local library - perhaps it's not surprising when her mother is the librarian and her mum's boyfriend Bruce is the manager.
But when the head of the statue in the garden is stolen, Pearl is determined to track down the culprit... and save the library from developers while she's at it.
A Girl, A Raccoon and the Midnight Moon is a highly original story, covering themes such as friendship and bravery while adding in a bit of animal magic, too.
With amusing sidebars and footnotes - along with cute illustrations by Jessixa Bagley - it's one for more confident readers.
But anyone willing to invest their time in the story will be richly rewarded with a tale that somehow effortlessly combines a heartfelt tribute to books and reading, a classic detective drama, a school story, a quest and a bit of fantasy, too.
Karen Romano Young carefully weaves together various plot strands into a satisfying conclusion, and the book is sure to inspire budding activists to stand up and make a difference.
