Wind in the Willows meets Enola Holmes in this exciting, young middle grade mystery series from Newbery Honor–winning author Margi Preus and with art from Junyi Wu Mystery: Something that is difficult or impossible to understand. With a curious mind and a vast vocabulary (thanks to her wallpaper―pages of a discarded human dictionary), tiny Minerva Shrew would love nothing more than to solve the Big Mysteries of Life and the Universe. Instead, in The Case of the Pilfered Pearls , she’s called upon to help her cousin Tenacity solve a mystery in the most dangerous of places: a human house. When a string of pearls goes missing, the human owner is sure a “dreadful rodent” has pilfered them―and now the lives of all Minerva’s friends are at risk! Will Minerva find the true culprit before the exterminators arrive? With wit and warmth, Margi Preus creates a charming woodland world filled with creatures both whimsical and nefarious ( neh-FARE-ee-us: wicked or criminal ), along with suspense, intrigue, and, thanks to Minerva’s metabolism, plenty of snacks. Don't miss this first volume in the fun Shrew Detectives series. It's perfect for readers of Kate DiCamillo's The Tale of Despereaux and has been welcomed with four stars. ***STARRED REVIEW*** "Scientific facts are deftly integrated…Best of all, the mystery is cleverly laid out and peppered with clues, while Wu’s charming art brings Minerva and her ravenous detective mind to life…Wordplay, smart solution, a fantastic mystery, and shrew facts? Meet your new favorite detective!" ― Kirkus Reviews ***STARRED REVIEW*** “Preus (Windswept) channels animal sleuth classics such as The Great Mouse Detective in a radiant series opener.” ― Publishers Weekly ***STARRED REVIEW*** “Wu’s black-and-white illustrations, both full-page and spot images, complement the text nicely…This fun mystery offers young readers a glimpse into the mystery-solving process as well as a chance to learn more about animals and increase their vocabulary. A delightfully entertaining series opener that blends an intriguing and educational mystery with the often-amusing antics of the various animal characters.” ― School Library Journal ***STARRED REVIEW*** “Delightful series starter…this pick will thrill advanced early readers and seems ready-made for family read-togethers. A pint-size and plucky delight!” ― Booklist Margi Preus is the author of the Newbery Honor book Heart of a Samurai and other notable books for young readers that have been honored as ALA/ALSC Notables and landed on many best-of lists, including the New York Times Best Sellers list. She lives in Duluth, Minnesota, where her backyard teems with the woodland creatures she writes about, including a troupe of flying squirrels and at least one tiny, industrious shrew. Junyi Wu has illustrated several novels, including the Newbery Honor books Elf Dog and Owl Head by M. T. Anderson and Scary Stories for Young Foxes by Christian McKay Heidicker. She is from Southern California and loves gardening, collecting, and exploring the outdoors.