Junyi Wu

With an clever shrew and tons of meals each day, this mystery lures in while building reading skills along the way.

Minerva Shrew's home is wallpapered in dictionary pages, and she loves nothing more than deep mysteries...like the meaning of life and philosophical questions. When one of her friends insists she help out with a real crime mystery and thwart a potential murder, Minerva isn't thrilled to shift her brain gears down to a 'lower level' discovery but doesn't want anyone to die, show more either. She follows her friend to a dangerous, human house and a complex mystery. But the stakes are very high and the clock is already ticking. Minerva must discover the true identity of the thief before the exterminator arrives and kills all the little animals living in the house.

When I first saw the cover and tale length, I thought this might be a tale for strong chapter book readers and lower middle grade ones, and while it is, it stretches further than that. The tale is short and engaging, and every few pages, Minerva drops a difficult vocabulary word and the definition...and these are mostly not words readers would usually run across. Add that the author tends to sprinkle in more difficult terms anyway, and the vocabulary skills are getting a workout. But thanks to the shorter read, it also relaxes what could be frustrating in a longer novel. The printed text is kept relatively short for a usual middle grade read, and there are lovely illustrations, which often dropped in to enhance the tale. Plus, it's not about depth as much as it is about solving the case. So, it is a true middle grade read...and one that works very well to improve those word skills. I'm thinking homeschoolers and classrooms will want to peek into these pages, too.

As for the story, it holds a quick-paced mystery with vibrant characters and tons of quirks. Of course, Minerva, as a shrew, already gives this book a fun and original twist. Readers learn a little about shrews along the way, too (like they need to eat extremely often to stay alive). The other animals are just as interesting and add a little furry chaos and fun. The first pages give readers time to meet Minerva and learn about her usual life and interests, which then, makes the turn into the mystery that much more interesting. The mystery is well laid and holds several surprises. The ending isn't easy to solve and, of course, there are some messages about friendship, helping others, and reaching beyond the comfort zone as well.

I can only hope that this is the first in many tales to come. show less