The Unforgettable Guinevere St. Clair

Gr 4–6—Impetuous and mischievous, sixth grader Guinevere (Gwyn) relocates from New York City to the small Iowa town where her parents grew up. Her dad recently moved them in the hopes of finding a cure for her mother who has struggled with memory loss since Gwyn was very young. When her only friend, Wilbur, goes missing, Gwyn suspects her next-door neighbor, a giantess named Gaysie Cutter. Gwyn's detective work is complicated by Gaysie being the mother of Guinevere's new friend Micah. Gwyn and her little sister Bitty soon find all kinds of trouble, mostly in attempts to prove Gaysie's crimes. In the background, but well integrated, is the story of Vienna's own daredevil ways. Gwyn is on the wrong track from the first and her determination blinds her to what readers gradually begin to see. The underlying mystery keeps the pages turning, and the strength of plot and characters overcomes the somewhat stereotypical portrayal of a small town.