Alice-Miranda at School

Gr 2—4—Alice-Miranda Highton-Smith-Kennington-Jones is going away to the Winchesterfield-Downsfordvale Academy for Proper Young Ladies. At age seven-and-one-quarter, she's the youngest pupil in the school. Alice-Miranda arrives and begins solving problems immediately, from the students' to the groundskeeper's to the cook's. When the headmistress, Miss Grimm, takes a dislike to the adorable little girl, she must find a way to solve that problem too. As she adjusts to her new surroundings, Alice-Miranda and others notice that a mysterious stranger has been hiding about the school. Who is he, and why has Miss Grimm not left her office in 10 years? Alice-Miranda is just the one to find out. The child emulates the late-great Richie Rich of Harvey Comics fame in everything but the robot butler. The ultimate extreme in cute, rich, kind, and genius, she is a good role model with her ability always to see the best in everyone. Because the reading level may be slightly more difficult than the interest level, this would make an excellent classroom read-a-loud. A fun mystery, with fantastical, over-the-top elements.—Terry Ann Lawler, Phoenix Public Library, AZ