Spratt, R.A. Friday Barnes Under Suspicion. Illustrated by Phil Gosier. (Friday Barnes series, #2) Roaring Brook Press, 2016. $13.99. ISBN 9781626722996. 279 pages. Ages 8-12. P8 Q8
This book is the second in the series Friday Barnes. Friday is an eleven-year-old girl who attends a private school. The mystery starts out with her being arrested because she is thought to be a terrorist. While at the police station, she meets a man, Malcolm, who has also been arrested. Friday is determined to prove Malcolm’s innocence. In the process of proving Malcolm’s innocence, Friday solves several mysteries. This book was first published in Australia in 2014. It has whimsical line drawings in black and white.
Verdict: The mystery is interesting and has some unexpected twists. I found the book engaging and interesting. The idea of an eleven-year-old being arrested was far-fetched, but the rest of the book was good. The author added facts about birds and other real facts into the book. I recommend this book for elementary and middle school libraries. It made me interested in reading other books in this series.
December 2016 review by Tami Harris.
Oregon Coast Youth Book Preview Center 