TROUBLE AT THE TANGERINE, by Gillian McDunn, Bloomsbury Children’s Books, April 2, 2024, Hardcover, $17.99 (ages 8-12)
A boy whose family is always on the go dreams of putting down roots in Trouble at the Tangerine, a middle-grade novel by Gillian McDunn.
Simon’s family is always on the move. Every few months, they load up their van, “Vincent Van Go,” and set off for a new adventure. According to his dad, you can’t live an extraordinary life by staying in one place. But all Simon wants is to settle down, so he’s hatched a plan: to make their latest apartment in the Tangerine Pines building his forever home.
When a priceless necklace is stolen, clues indicate the thief might actually be another neighbor. Simon worries he’ll have to move again if the thief isn’t caught. He usually doesn’t go looking for trouble, but if retrieving the necklace means establishing home, Simon is willing to risk it. With the help of his neighbor Amaya, pet sitter, plant-waterer, and podcaster extraordinaire, Simon is determined to crack the case and finally put down roots. —Synopsis provided by Bloomsbury Children’s Books
Trouble at the Tangerine is the sort of quirky mystery that will appeal to a large group of kids from diverse backgrounds.
At the center of the story is Simon, a bright kid whose aversion to heights may or may not have contributed to the cast on his leg. Though pretty easygoing, Simon is tired of going along with his parents’ need to keep moving.
So, Simon made a plan. A plan that involves staying put for a while. A plan for which he thought he’d considered everything. Then the necklace is stolen, and Simon becomes desperate. So desperate that he stops trying to blend in. He makes friends. He gets to know the neighbors. He actually begins to feel like he belongs.
The mystery at the center of Trouble at the Tangerine is what will draw in young readers, but it’s family, friendship and the concept of home that will keep them reading to the end.
Author Gillian McDunn’s writing is conversational in tone and pacing. And because of this, the book is a fast read, even at 250 pages. This would be a fun one to read aloud in a classroom.
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