Goldilocks Private Eye

by Greg Trine

Overview

"Skillfully mixes fairy tales and detective fiction with a coming-of-age story about braving danger to prove oneself...a pleasing well-judged blend of genres with a good resolution." - Kirkus Reviews

"...vibrant, original, fun, and highly recommended." - Midwest Reviews

When her father dies, Goldilocks is left with nothing but her loyal cat Charlotte and a fledgling detective agency, which hasn't turned a profit in years. Then again, her father wasn't much of a detective...and even less of a businessman.

Behind in the rent, with the landlady breathing down her neck and an over zealous orphanage director out to get her, Goldilocks knows that the only way to keep herself off the mean streets of Lick Skillet (and out of the orphanage) is to do what her father couldn't--to make the agency a success.

It's not easy. How does she spread the word without getting snatched by Tom the Kid Snatcher, chief orphanage henchman...who works on commission!

With more twists than San Francisco's Lombard Street, GOLDILOCKS, PRIVATE EYE tells the tale of a girl desperate to make it on her own and her loyal cat who expects nothing less.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780578464077
Publisher:	Greg Trine
Publication date:	09/01/2019
Series:	Goldilocks Private Eye , #1
Edition description:	Goldilocks Solves the Mystery of the Missing Grandparents, Encountering Giant Spiders, Bears...and M ed.
Pages:	114
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.27(d)
Age Range:	7 - 10 Years

About the Author

When Greg Trine was in seventh grade, his mother dropped him off at soccer practice and then promptly forgot she had a son at soccer practice. Some hours later, Greg found himself alone in a dark city park, thinking of monsters and other things that go bump in the night. This experience lead to one of his latest books, Willy Maykit in Space, about a boy who is left behind on a far-away planet, which one reviewer called, a book by Greg Trine. Sometimes referred to as the Bob Newhart of children's literature, Greg writes books that are humorous without being over-the-top silly, which makes his books not only popular with kids, but with teachers, librarians, and parents. He's also a popular school presenter. Greg grew up on the tough streets of Bellevue, Washington, where he learned the value of chocolate milkshakes and red licorice. These days he resides in California with his family and Alaskan Malamute Luke the wonder dog.

Editorial Reviews

02/24/2020

Trine (Melvin Beederman, Superhero) introduces readers to lovable and quick-witted detective Goldilocks in this amusing mix of fairy tale and mystery. After inheriting her father’s investigative business, Goldilocks is desperate to pay the rent owed on the office that was also their home. She also fears being caught by Tom the Kid-Snatcher, who takes children to the horrible orphanage. When her first customer, Frank Sims, asks her to help find his missing grandparents and figure out why bears are living in their home, Goldilocks leaps to take the case—even though the home she must investigate is in the nightmarish Black Forest. Fortunately she has her sidekick cat, Charlotte, and her new friend, orphanage escapee Patty Wagon Patty, to help her.

The characters, both good and evil, are perfectly written for tween readers. Charlotte is the ideal companion and gives Goldilocks someone to narrate her plans to. The new friends she makes, such as wise Patty, are fun and endearing. The questions of whether Goldilocks will prevail against the tough landlady and dodge the Kid-Snatcher add suspense that will keep young readers hooked but not scared. This isn’t a comedy, but the frequent dashes of dark humor keep the story from getting too intense. Unfortunately, Baykovska’s chapter-head sketches are bland, but the writing is vibrant enough to stand alone.

Putting a Nancy Drew twist on the tale of Goldilocks and the three bears, Trine adds adventure, mystery, friends, and villains, telling an intriguing story of why Goldilocks was at the bears’ house and what happened after she ran away. Though Goldilocks faces real-life fears and troubles such as potential homelessness, losing a parent, stranger danger, and tales of giant spiders in the dark forest, the tone stays light, drawing readers into the new layers of an old story.

Takeaway: Older children will want to investigate right alongside this tough, smart, noir-influenced version of Goldilocks and her clever friends.

Great for fans of Great for fans of Liesl Shurtliff’s Red: The True Story of Red Riding Hood.

Production grades Cover: A Design and typography: A Illustrations: B- Editing: A Marketing copy: A

BookLife Reviews

"Skillfully mixes fairy tales and detective fiction with a coming-of-age story about braving danger to prove oneself...a pleasing well-judged blend of genres with a good resolution." - Kirkus Reviews

"...vibrant, original, fun, and highly recommended." - Midwest Reviews

"Fans of Clementine will fall in love with Goldilocks Private Eye. This refreshing and clever new series from Greg Trine is perfect for reading aloud. It is filled with adventure and humor...but expect to have your heartstrings tugged as well!

Connie Halpern - Mrs. Figs Bookworm

From the Publisher

2019-06-24
In this middle-grade chapter book, private detective Goldilocks takes the case of a man whose missing grandparents have been replaced by bears.

After her father dies, 10-year-old Goldilocks inherits the family business: a private detective agency, which she runs with her cat, Charlotte, in the town of Lick Skillet. Money is tight, the rent is overdue, and she must do her best to avoid the wild-haired Tom the Kid-Snatcher, who rounds up kids without parents for the local orphanage. (He even occasionally kidnaps children who aren't orphans: "He was that kind of kid-snatcher.") Goldilocks advertises her detecting services, and her first client is a man named Frank Sims who wants her to find his missing grandparents—and figure out why bears are now living in their house. She's glad to take the case, but her client's grandparents live in the nearby Black Forest, which is notoriously full of scary creatures, and she'll have to pass near the orphanage, besides. In order to avoid some dangers, including Tom, Goldilocks leaves the safe forest path; luckily, she meets Patty, an orphanage escapee who lives in the forest. The girls become friends and partners, solving the mystery and alerting authorities to the orphans' mistreatment. Trine (Willy Maykit in Space, 2015, etc.) skillfully mixes fairy tales and detective fiction with a coming-of-age story about braving danger to prove oneself. Such elements could easily become rather dark, and Trine does touch on serious issues (including Goldilocks' money problems), but moments of humor help to lighten the story. For example, Tom's horse-drawn jail, the Patty Wagon, is named after his most recent captive: "With any luck he'd soon change the name to the Goldie Wagon." The girl-power message is also appealing. Baykovska (The Nasty Princess, 2018, etc.) provides lighthearted, cartoonish black-and-white pencil illustrations for each chapter head; these offer nice details, such as the fact that Tom bears some resemblance to Struwwelpeter, a character from a well-known 1845 children's book.

A pleasing, well-judged blend of genres with a good resolution.

Kirkus Reviews