Absolutely Truly

A simple lovely mystery for kids. The book is about 350 pages, so the length could be an issue for some. It felt like the perfect length for me to get to know Truly, her family, and her friends. I fell in love with then too. There is nothing objectionable in the book as far as the romance or the mystery. There is some name calling, but no inappropriate words. And it deals so well with the trauma that some military kids experience. It is not a deep and painful way of dealing with it either. It is realistic without adding to the trauma. I can't wait to read the next one in this series!

Frederick has set up a great cast of characters, a fabulous setting, and a clever plot in this middle-grade children's mystery. And the really lovely thing is that these characters and this setting are big enough to carry a series, which is where I sense she is going. And that's Absolutely Truly good news.