Pish Posh

If you are a fan of Thompson’s “Eloise” or Dahl’s “Matilda”, then read “Pish Posh” by Ellen Potter, the author of the “Olivia Kidney” series. “Pish Posh” follows the adventures of a snobby 11-year old girl named Clara Frankofile who lives alone in an apartment in New York City. She spends each evening in her parents’ restaurant, Pish Posh, where she watches actresses, princesses, and celebrities, and decides who is a “somebody” and who is a “nobody.” After she declares a prominent surgeon a "nobody," he tells her that she doesn't know all that goes on at Pish Posh, because there is a mystery unfolding right under her nose. In order to solve the mystery, Clara teams up with a 12-year old jewel thief and together they attempt to solve a 200-hundred-year-old secret. This is a humorous book that mixes fantasy with reality. Children will enjoy the funny, but sometimes sarcastic portrayal of a girl who not only solves a mystery, but realizes that it is okay to be just a kid. 166 pp, Grades 4-6.