Common Sense Media Review
By Mary Eisenhart
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Smart girl solves boarding school mysteries in fun romp.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 9+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
At 11, Friday Barnes, youngest child of a family of physics professors, has more or less raised herself and acquired quite an education by reading all the books in her parents' library. In the process, she's perfected the art of going unnoticed, which has quite a few upsides, including getting to consume a nearly unlimited amount of chocolate and detective stories, which she likes much better than physics. When she gets a $50,000 reward for recovering a stolen diamond, she decides to invest in her future by spending it on a year at the nation's best -- and priciest -- boarding school ("If they operate on a profit motive, the PE teachers will accept bribes, so that I am never forced to run cross-country again," she explains). She's scarcely arrived before her detective skills come in really handy, as her wealthy classmates are happily willing to part with almost any amount of cash if she can find a missing clock, retrieve a lost homework assignment, or otherwise avert disaster -- and hey, she likes it there and is already thinking about next year's tuition. Plus there's the insanely good-looking Ian, who was the smartest kid in school till she came along. Also, there are nighttime shenanigans in the swamp. Maybe even a yeti. All promising territory for FRIDAY BARNES, GIRL DETECTIVE.
Is It Any Good?
This fun romp from Down Under has boarding school shenanigans, sinister goings-on, a brilliant, socially clueless detective, and a posse of cartoonishly over-the-top rich kids. First published in Australia in 2014, Friday Barnes, Girl Detective has funny, cartoon-like illustrations by comic artist Phil Gosier. Between the academic references, pop-culture shout-outs, and fondness for big words, this probably isn't the book for reluctant readers, but it's a likely hit with kids who revel in clever language and ridiculous situations. Like this one, explaining Friday's early start in staying unnoticed:
"On the due date, [Mrs. Barnes] was committed to speak at a conference in Bern, Switzerland, about the possibility of the International Super Collider opening a black hole and destroying the planet. For the first time in her adult life, Mrs. Barnes saw her ironclad grasp on order and reason begin to slip.
"Mr. Barnes was, however, a man of action. That is, if the action did not require him to leave his office or get up from his desk. He Googled 'Bern' and 'maternity hospitals.' They discovered that there was one just two miles from the conference center. Mr. and Mrs. Barnes both breathed a sigh of relief. From that moment on, life proceeded exactly as if Friday did not exist."
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about boarding-school stories. Why do you think they're so popular? Which others do you know? Are they always funny?
Some people like to call attention to themselves, while others try to stay unnoticed. What do you think? Can you think of situations where it might work better to do one or the other?
It sounds pretty cool to have your classmates give you hundreds of dollars to solve their problems -- but what could go wrong?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Phil Gosier
- Genre : Mystery
- Topics : STEM , Friendship
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Roaring Brook Press
- Publication date : January 19, 2016
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 8 - 12
- Number of pages : 272
- Available on : Nook, Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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