Published by Scholastic

Summary:  Hilde is a young detective and reporter who has started her own online newspaper, The Orange Street News, about events in her neighborhood.  When she hears about a break-in, she jumps on her bicycle to find out more.  A trail of clues leads her to a series of people who have had a baked good stolen…and right on the morning of the big Bake-Off Bonanza!  Hilde’s reporter father has trained her to look for the who, what, where, when, how, and why, and she doesn’t give up until she’s found the answer to each one of those questions.  The mystery isn’t solved until she’s at the Bake-Off itself, and it’s a determined little black dog who finally leads her to the culprit.  Includes information about the real Hilde, who wrote this book with her father, and a preview of book #2.  96 pages; grades 1-3.

Pros:  Fans of Cam Jansen and the A to Z Mysteries will enjoy this new series, particularly when they find out it was written by someone their own age.  Hilde is smart and determined, and she and her older sister work well together with a refreshing lack of sibling rivalry.  Another successful early chapter book series from the Scholastic Branches imprint.

Cons:  All the teenagers in the book are portrayed as nasty and obnoxious (giving you a clue about the “who” in the mystery.)

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