Published by Random House Studio

Summary:  When the Mona Lisa was stolen on August 21, 1911, the Louvre was a sleepy museum where guards sometimes left their posts to take naps or get a snack, and the Mona Lisa was just another Renaissance portrait.  The theft changed everything, becoming a detective story that captivated a global audience, and making the Mona Lisa the most famous painting in the world.  Alternating between the 20th-century whodunit and the 16th-century tale of Leonardo da Vinci and Lisa Gherardini, the story captures many details of both pre-World War I Europe and the Renaissance.  Includes 16 pages of sources and an index.  288 pages; grades 5 and up.

Pros:  Holy Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum!  I was engaged immediately by this impeccably researched and humorous tale that takes readers on a roller coaster ride of (botched) detective work and life with the original Renaissance man.  Complemented perfectly with art by–Lemony Snicket!–Brett Helquist, this is sure to be a serious contender for some awards.

Cons:  I struggled to keep straight the many characters with unfamiliar French and Italian names.