Published by Sterling Children’s Books

Summary:  Aven Green from Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus tells how she got her start as a detective back in third grade.  In this first installment, she’s working on two mysteries: who is stealing food at her elementary school and what has happened to her grandmother’s beloved dog?  Aven is confident in her problem-solving ability (“all of the cells that were supposed to make my arms went into making my brain instead”), and has some good friends who are happy to help.  Both cases are cracked by the last page, and there’s a preview of book two, due out in August.  Includes a glossary of Aven’s sleuthing words.  128 pages; grades 1-4.

Pros:  It’s great to meet Aven as a third-grader and learn how she got her start solving mysteries.  She is matter-of-fact in her explanation of how she was born with no arms, and both the text and the illustrations show her doing everything for herself with her feet.  Her voice is funny and confident, making this a surefire hit with the early chapter book crowd.

Cons:  I’m not sure if that crowd will understand the hemorrhoid joke in the “Robot Chickens” chapter.