“A must-have series for middle-grade readers.” ― Booklist A Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year, 2017 Imagine if Sherlock Holmes was an eleven-year-old girl! When Friday Barnes, girl genius, solves a bank robbery, she uses the reward money to send herself to Highcrest Academy, the most exclusive boarding school in the country―and discovers it's a hotbed of crime! Soon she's investigating everything from disappearing homework to the terrifying Yeti haunting the school swamp. But the biggest mystery yet is Ian Wainscott, the handsomest (and most arrogant) boy in school who inexplicably hates her. Will the homework be found? Can they ever track down the Yeti? And why is Ian out to ruin her? With black-and-white art throughout, Friday Barnes, Girl Detective is the launch of an exciting new mystery series that "will keep readers laughing from start to finish." ( Publishers Weekly ) Gr 4–6—Nine-year-old Friday Barnes is used to being invisible. In fact she works hard at it. But when she uses the $50,000 she earned for solving a bank robbery in order to attend the exclusive Highcrest Academy, she discovers that her usual drab brown cardigans actually make her stand out from the other well-dressed students. She is soon noticed for another reason: her uncanny intellect and ability to solve crimes. Before long, she finds herself with a number of students willing to pay for her detective work, as well as her first nemesis: the handsome Ian Wainscott. Eventually even the headmaster asks for her help investigating sightings of a terrifying beast-man in the nearby swamp. The strength of this novel lies in its quirky, tongue-in-cheek writing style and pervasive humor. The characters are all delightfully eccentric, and middle grade readers will especially enjoy Friday's Holmesian analysis of the various crimes and the criminal's flaws, as well as the lengths she is willing to go in cracking the case (one episode has her trailing the school dog and sending his poop off to a lab in order to prove that he ate a fellow student's homework). The final mystery, focusing on the swamp yeti, is reminiscent of Scooby-Doo, with a surprise villain. The book ends with a cliff-hanger, followed by a teaser chapter from the sequel. Gosier's cartoony black-and-white drawings add appeal for a broad audience, although the vocabulary may make this a better fit for stronger readers. VERDICT A good choice for voracious readers who enjoy a blend of humor and mystery.—Ashley Larsen, Pacifica Libraries, CA "With off-the-wall plot turns and small mysteries scattered throughout, this is the perfect choice for mystery fans with a silly sense of humor, and the cliff-hanger ending promises more sleuthing on the horizon. Gosier’s black-and-white spot illustrations add to the charming atmosphere. A sheer delight." ― Booklist , starred review "Spratt’s (the Nanny Piggins series) effortlessly funny narration will keep readers laughing from start to finish."― Publishers Weekly , starred review "Quirky, tongue-in-cheek... delightfully eccentric... A good choice for voracious readers who enjoy a blend of humor and mystery." ― School Library Journal "Spratt begins this new series with a nifty, engaging protagonist who can keep readers laughing and help young geeks feel good about themselves... Delightful, highly logical, and well-informed fun." ― Kirkus “Snappy and smart. [R.A. Spratt's] clever plotting moves the action right along. Everything ends with a giant cliffhanger, which will definitely leave readers ready for more.” ― BookPage R.A. Spratt is an award-winning author and television writer. Her Nanny Piggins series went into nine best selling volumes in Australia. She lives in Bowral, Australia with her husband, two daughters and a puppy called Henry. Like Friday Barnes, R.A. enjoys wearing a silly hat. Phil Gosier is an independent art director and designer working in the Washington, D.C. area. His illustration and design clients include Kellogg's, the Discovery Channel, Marvel and DC Comics, and Macmillan, where he illustrates the Friday Barnes Mystery series as well as his own picture books, including Snow Beast Comes to Play . He graduated from the University of Maryland and lives in suburban Maryland with his family. Friday Barnes Girl Detective By R.A. Spratt, Phil Gosier Roaring Books Press Copyright © 2014 R. A. Spratt All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-62672-297-2 Contents Title Page, Copyright Notice, Dedication, Chapter 1: The Beginning, Chapter 2: A Brilliant Deduction, Chapter 3: The Bank Vault, Chapter 4: How Friday Spent the $50,000, Chapter 5: A New Chapter, Chapter 6: Ow!, Chapter 7: The Nice Lady, Chapter 8: The Headmaster's Office, Chapter 9: A Problem Solved, Chapter 10: Friday's Roommate, Chapter 11: Bullying, Chapter 12: The Greek God, Chapter 13: The Swamp, Chapter 14: Fisticuffs, Chapter 15: The Stakeout, Chapter 16: The Sticky Substance, Chapter 17: The Case of the