The House of Found Objects
Bea Bellemore Mysteries #1
By Jo Beckett-King
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for
Young Readers
Publisher’s Blurb:
Twelve-year-old Bea from Passaic, New Jersey, is
visiting her family in Paris for the summer when her grandmother’s most
precious heirloom—a drawing by Henri Matisse—goes missing. After a cryptic clue
arrives on Bea’s doorstep suggesting its whereabouts, Bea is determined to
pursue the lead.
Without the French skills to navigate her way around the landmarks of Paris,
she teams up with her cousin, Céline, whose clear-eyed French directness makes
her a perfect partner for curious, problem-solving Bea. The girls embark on a
city-wide search, deciphering riddles, solving puzzles, and cracking codes as
they try to locate the Matisse, find a thief, and identify their mysterious
benefactor.
My Thoughts:
Bea is bummed. She was supposed to be having lots of
fun adventures with her aunt. Her parents are on a trip (without her), and sent
her to stay in Paris. Sounds great, right? Well, her aunt, a journalist, keeps having
to work. Her grandmother is busy running her secondhand/antique shop. And her
cousin doesn’t seem to have much in common with Bea.
And then disaster strikes. Bea accidentally allows a
man to take a box that contains the family treasure, a portrait of Bea’s
great-grandfather, created by famous artist Henri Matisse.
And thus begins Bea’s true adventures in Paris. A
mysterious note is left for her which indicates that, if she unravels the clues
she will be able to recover the portrait. But Bea’s French is rudimentary, so
she must enlist Celine’s help. The two visit sites around the city—although Bea
is not supposed to leave the neighborhood without her aunt.
There are red herrings and misdirections along the
way. But with the help of a couple of clever—and cute—French boys, Bea and
Celine just might win the day.
We feel Bea’s frustration with being limited to her
aunt’s flat and her grandmother’s shop all day while the aunt is at work. I’d
be frustrated too! We also understand Bea’s guilt at having—however accidentally—allowed
the painting to be taken.
Descriptions, characterizations, and conversations
were well-done.
Possible objectionable material:
A tweenage kiss. Sneaking around and going places
without adult permission. Lying.
Who might like this book:
Anyone interested in Paris or who likes solving a
mystery. I’d say that the grade levels provided by the publisher are pretty
accurate.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
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