Sisterhood of Sleuths
Lively Nancy Drew homage/friendship tale has history, heart.
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Sisterhood of Sleuths, by Jennifer Chambliss Bertmans and illustrated by Vesper Stamper, in many ways, an extended infomercial for the Nancy Drew multimedia franchise, but also a sweet, often poignant tale of friendships lost, found, and sometimes rekindled after long estrangement. Steeped in the world of Nancy Drew fandom, the book finds 11-year-old girls on a quest to discover what's behind the sudden arrival of a box of old Nancy Drew books on the doorstep, especially when it proves to also contain an old photo of one girl's grandmother (who denies all knowledge) with two other women. Along the way, the girls learn a lot about the series (now in its third, 2007 revision), its history, the problematical content of the original stories (especially racism), the numerous adaptations to changing times, Nancy-themed academic conferences, and lots of related product. Aside from being a great choice for adult Nancy fans to pass to the next generation, it also includes a lot of wisdom and life lessons about friendship, change, and reconciliation.
What's the Story?
As SISTERHOOD OF SLEUTHS opens, 11-year-old Maizy is facing changes. Her older brother Max, with whom she's close, is soon off to college. Her best friend Izzy now wants to be called "Isabelle" and seems to be turning into someone else -- someone who lets boys hijack her and Maizy's class project because she likes them. But when a big box lands with a thump on the porch of her mom's thrift store, and proves to contain not only dozens of old Nancy Drew books but an old photo of Maizy's grandmother with two unknown women, there's a mystery to be solved. Maizy, along with friends Cam and Nell, are determined to solve it. As in the original Nancy stories, unlikely but satisfying adventures of girl power ensue.
Is It Any Good?
Friendships lost, found, and rekindled intertwine across generations in a lively, relatable tale that's also an ode to Nancy Drew, a deep dive into history, and a fun adventure. As a new generation of 11-year-olds discover the iconic girl detective and delve into a mystery of their own, there are lots of wildly unlikely coincidences, ridiculous situations, and remarkable emergence of specialized talents and big reveals at just the right moment -- just like in the original. And that's part of the charm. As protagonist Maizy muses, "There's something about all the twists and turns in Nancy's story that has me hooked. No matter what happens, Nancy can handle it.
"Injured pigeon falls at your feet? Nancy takes care of it.
"Sinister man who might abduct you? Nancy knows what to do."
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Nancy Drew is presented in Sisterhood of Sleuths. The Nancy Drew series has been popular for almost a century. Are you a Nancy fan? Which era do you like best?
Have you ever found an old photo of family members and tried to find out who they were and what the story in the picture was? What did you find out?
Do you agree with the girls, in the story, who say that it's important for people to read -- whatever they like, not just what you think they should be reading?
Book Details
- Author: Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
- Illustrator: Vesper Stamper
- Genre: Mystery
- Topics: Book Characters, Brothers and Sisters, Friendship, Great Girl Role Models, Middle School
- Character Strengths: Curiosity, Empathy, Teamwork
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Christy Ottaviano Books
- Publication date: October 4, 2022
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 8 - 12
- Number of pages: 336
- Available on: Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Award: Common Sense Selection
- Last updated: December 5, 2022
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For kids who love mysteries and friendship tales
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