Ernestine, Catastrophe Queen

by Merrill Wyatt, James Patterson (Foreword by)

Overview

In this tantalizing mystery that's "filled with laugh out loud moments" and "reads like a middle-grade version of the movie Clue", Ernestine is the smart, spunky, and fearless Nancy Drew for today's young readers!

We all know and love Ramona, Matilda, and Harriet the Spy. Now meet Ernestine.

When a series of suspicious accidents befalls the wealthy residents of the retired artists' home where she works, Ernestine is determined to piece together clues to find the real culprit. She suspects it might be a zombie, but maybe greedy relatives can be just as scary! Catastrophe has never been so much fun!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316471572
Publisher:	Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	08/07/2018
Sold by:	Hachette Digital, Inc.
Format:	eBook
Pages:	304
File size:	4 MB
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Merrill Wyatt lives in Toledo, Ohio, with her husband, daughter, three cats, and a hamster who might possibly be an immortal magician. She spent far too much of her childhood wandering around cemeteries and old Victorian homes. A middle-school technology teacher, she is dollphobic, donut-obsessed, and owns too many pairs of shoes.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for Ernestine, Catastrophe Queen:

"Harriet the Spy meets Coraline...Wyatt has created a bright, determined, and emotionally complex protagonist to join the illustrious roster of young mystery-solvers and monster-slayers...A heroine to warm the heart and a mystery to chill the blood."—Kirkus

"A snarky, sparky Nancy Drew of the undead with more twists than a zombie zumba class. I sooo want Ernestine on my side when the zombie apocalypse comes!"—Mo O'Hara, author of the NYT bestselling My Big Fat Zombie Goldfish series

"Among a cast of colorful characters who leap off the page, no one stands out as much as the wonderful Ernestine. She blends brains and bravery with heart and humor to pull the reader along for an unforgettable ride. Catastrophe has never been so much fun."—James Ponti, Edgar Award-winning author of the Framed! mystery series

"A traditional mystery filled with laugh-out-loud funny moments make for a winning combination."—School Library Journal

"Wyatt's first novel reads like a middle-grade version of the movie Clue. Readers will enjoy this murder mystery."—Booklist

"It will be a big hit with avid readers."—School Library Connection

From the Publisher

2018-05-23
A young zombie enthusiast tries to bring about the apocalypse and uncovers a murder plot instead in Wyatt's middle-grade debut. Harriet the Spy meets Coraline in this horror romp starring almost-13-year-old Ernestine Montgomery. Intent on jump-starting the apocalypse and with a zombie survival guide already written, Ernestine, with the help of her white stepbrother Charleston, tries to raise the undead from a nearby cemetery. Plans are derailed a bit, however, with the attempted murder of their landlady, and the eccentric, "retired artists, both performing and otherwise" who share their apartment building are thrown under suspicion. Wyatt has created a bright, determined, and emotionally complex protagonist to join the illustrious roster of young mystery-solvers and monster-slayers: Ernestine barely blinks when tracking down a would-be homicidal maniac is added to her apocalyptic to-do list. Past trauma, a delicate mother-daughter relationship, and premeditated violence bring a balance of gravitas to the delightfully macabre narrative without slowing it down. Wyatt makes some awkward missteps in representation, overemphasizing the hair textures—and misbehavior—and skin tones of biracial Ernestine and her mother in comparison to brief eye- and hair-color descriptions for white characters such as Charleston. Despite this, the narrative will have readers asking for the sure-to-come sequel.A heroine to warm the heart and a mystery to chill the blood. (Mystery. 9-12)

Kirkus Reviews