Starred review from October 5, 2015
It’s 1910, and Audacity Jones is living in a struggling home for “wayward girls” in Swayzee, Ind., when a frequent donor, Commodore Crutchfield, arrives asking for a volunteer for a secret mission. Sharp-witted and well-read, Audie has her doubts about a man “who seemed to have no idea that mainsails were never lashed together with ropes” and “that the rank of Commodore had last been used by the United States Navy eleven years prior,” but she also has a taste for adventure. Before they leave, her favorite chocolate-striped cat, Miniver, slips into the Commodore’s car and becomes an integral part of this delightful historical mystery from Larson (Dash). Audie winds up in the nation’s capital where she makes several friends, including newsboy Juice and his grandfather, who works in the White House stable. Larson’s entertaining narration shifts attention among multiple characters amid the unfolding mystery of what, exactly, the Commodore is planning. First in a series, Larson’s thriller deftly mixes humor, heart-pounding moments, and a strongly evoked historical setting—it’s truly a story with something for everyone. Ages 8–12. Agent: Jill Grinberg, Grinberg Literary Management.
May 30, 2016
It’s 1910, and Audacity “Audie” Jones is living in a home for “wayward girls” in Swayzee, Ind., when a frequent donor, Commodore Crutchfield, arrives asking for a volunteer for a secret mission. Sharp-witted and well-read, Audie has her doubts about a man “who seemed to have no idea that mainsails were never lashed together with ropes” and “that the rank of commodore had last been used by the United States Navy eleven years prior,” but she also has a taste for adventure, and the commodore is headed to Washington, D.C. It quickly becomes clear that the commodore and his associates have nefarious plans regarding President Taft, plans for which they need Audie. Audie is too smart to do bad things, but what can one orphaned, wayward girl do? It is a good thing she knows how to make friends quickly. Browne narrates with cheerful energy, embodying a wide variety of characters. Some of the smaller wayward residents are snuffly. The commodore sounds a bit like Foghorn Leghorn; bad guys are nasal and impatient, while Audie is cheerful and spunky. The story moves along at a good pace, but never too fast. Though some listeners may find Browne’s character voices over the top, the story is never dull. A Scholastic Press hardcover.
October 15, 2015
Audacity travels to Washington, D.C., where she foils a kidnapping plot at the White House. Audie is the only actual orphan at Miss Maisie's School for Wayward Girls in Swayzee, Indiana. She's also the only one who must spend time in the dreaded "Punishment Room," which is really an extensive library that she keeps secret from the others. Only an extremely clever stray cat, Min, keeps her company there. When the wealthy Commodore Crutchfield requests an orphan for a mission, Audie volunteers. With Min as a stowaway, they travel to Washington, but she soon learns that not all is on the level: there's wickedness afoot. Posing as a cook's assistant, she winds up in the White House, where she meets the president and learns of the plot to kidnap his niece. Audie, Min, and Juice, a spunky newspaper boy, team up to foil the crime. Larson infuses her romp with plenty of humor, making Audacity, her cat, and friends into lively, likable characters. With characteristic deftness, she weaves her historical material seamlessly into the story; Audacity is a modern girl, but her modern time is 1910. She marvels at the new automobiles that are replacing horses as transportation. The story's focus on Audacity's remarkable cat, with some chapters told from the cat's point of view, adds just another element of charm. Clever, funny, and sweet in equal measures. (Historical fiction. 8-12)
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January 1, 2016
Gr 4-6-Readers will delight in the spunk and resourcefulness of Audacity Jones. An orphan living at Miss Maisie's School for Wayward Girls, she employs her intelligence and natural leadership to compensate for Miss Maisie's negligence and inattention. One day, a patron, Commodore Crutchfield, comes by the home seeking an orphan to accompany him on a special trip. Audie gets a buzzing in her ear that compels her to volunteer for the adventure. As the trip gets underway, she has no idea where they are going and what their purpose is, but she sends postcards back to her friends at every stop. Eventually they arrive in Washington, DC, where she makes a new friend in Juice, a newspaper boy, who rescues her when Crutchfield leaves her stranded at Union Station. Juice and his friend and mentor, Daddy Dub, continue to keep an eye on Audie-and she needs their help when the Commodore and his friend Elva Finch cook up a nefarious plan involving the president of the United States. Audacity and her friends use their wits and courage to save the day. VERDICT Readers will cheer Audacity's ingenuity and bravery as they relish every moment of her adventures. Highly recommended.-Laura Fields Eason, Parker Bennett Curry Elementary School, Bowling Green, KY
Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Starred review from November 15, 2015
Grades 3-6 *Starred Review* Newbery Honor author Larson's (Hattie Big Sky, 2006) series starter is just the ticket for readers who crave adventure and mystery as much as 11-year-old Audacity Jones, an intrepid, well-read, positive-minded orphan. Left at Miss Maisie's School for Wayward Girls, in Swayzee, Indiana, when she was 6, she is the guiding light for the other girls who live there. When Commodore Crutchfield appears and asks for a volunteer to accompany him on a secret mission, Audie's ears buzz, tipping her off that something bad is going to happen. Nevertheless, she is unable to resist the opportunity for adventure and agrees to assist Crutchfield. Completely in the dark but gathering clues along the way, Audie realizes the secret mission has to do with President Taft and a kidnappingand she's part of the plan! The cast of characters is delightful and includes Audie's best friends, Bimmy and triplets Lilac, Lavender, and Violet; Cypher, their secretive driver; beak-nosed Mrs. Finch; a clever cat; and the president's son Charlie, and niece Dorothy (who really did go missing in 1910). Though the vocabulary may be challenging for younger readers, it is not insurmountable, and the story's themes of trust, friendship, and good manners will resonate with many. Audacity's charm and smarts make this historical adventure a winner.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)
July 1, 2016
Eleven-year-old orphan Audacity Jones longs for the kind of adventure she reads about at Miss Maisie's School for Wayward Girls. She gets more than she bargained for, though, when she's mysteriously shuttled to Washington, DC, to help prevent a revenge plot against President Taft. Evocative descriptions, lively characters, and well-integrated historical details make this a sure bet for genre fans. Author's note included.
(Copyright 2016 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)