Parents' Guide to

Finding Serendipity

By Jan Carr, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

Bold girl dives into author mom's story in wild romp.

Book Angelica Banks Adventure 2015
Finding Serendipity Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Community Reviews

See all
age 9+

Based on 1 parent review

StarboundExplorer
StarboundExplorer Parent of 13-year-old
March 15, 2023
age 9+

LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH

Not going to lie, if I had to chose ONE book to be real (And I've read a hefty stack of them in my day), it would be this one. Finding Serendipity (as well as the other books in the series) is such a perfect blend of adventure, comedy, and something that I cannot find a word for. If there is a word that combines simple, charming, daring, sweet, and original, it's that one. The book is full of scruffy little dogs, giant libraries, short librarians that always wear purple and are somehow absolutely terrifying, and, most importantly of all, Tuesday herself.

This title has:

Educational value
Great messages
Great role models
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

Tuesday McGillycuddy discovers that her mom, a wildly famous author on the order of J.K. Rowling, is missing and determines to find her. When Tuesday snoops for clues, she types on her mom's typewriter, and the words become a silvery thread leading her and her dog to a fantastic land where writers go to finish their stories. There, Tuesday inserts herself into her mom's unfinished story, meets her mom's feisty girl protagonist, and battles a couplet-loving pirate -- but can she save the day and make the story her own?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1):
Kids say (5):

FINDING SERENDIPITY is swashbuckling fun, a pirate adventure story and literary romp rolled into one. Young readers will love being transported to a land where writers meet their characters and work out stories, a window onto the writer's process. Both the story-within-the-story and the actual story are page-turners. And there's a mind-bending dramatic twist when the mom unwittingly puts her daughter in more danger.

There's also lots of entertaining wordplay: Tuesday's dad speaks alliteratively (starting each word with the same letter) just for the fun of it, and he and Tuesday trade rhyming couplets, a skill that serves Tuesday well later, when she challenges the pirate to a competitive round of couplets. Readers will enjoy this smart, quirky family and welcome this new resourceful girl protagonist.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about writing stories. How do you get ideas for your own stories? How do you decide what's going to happen in the plot?

  • Have fun with language: Try making up rhyming couplets at the dinner table.

  • This book was written by two authors writing under the one pen name Angelica Banks. What do you think would be difficult about writing a story with someone else? What would be fun and helpful? Try writing a story with a friend or sibling.

Book Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended book lists

Related Topics

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate