I gave up on this pretty quickly because I really dislike when fat is used as a shorthand for bad or greedy or stupid and it felt like the author managed a trifecta. Audacity seemed like a fun character, smart, cheerful, and resourceful. But each description of Miss Maisie's "piggy eyes" or flapping arm skin etc. etc. etc. wore on me a little more until I decided there were better ways to spend my time. I also found (slightly spoilery->) this reader's take on the framing of race relations in the book, and overall I think there are better historical fiction choices out there for me to bring into schools.

Narrated by Lyssa Browne. Audacity is an orphan who lives in a home for "wayward girls." She doesn't mind being sent to the "punishment room," which is actually a library and her reading refuge. When the Commodore shows up looking for an orphan to accompany him on a mission, Audacity goes along with the house mother's approval. Audacity unwittingly finds herself party to the Commodore's scam to kidnap President Taft's niece for a ransom. Of course, Audacity stymies the plan and rescues Dorothy with determination and verve and the unlikely help of a very observant cat. The story is rich with advanced vocabulary that adept readers should be able to understand in context. This would be a good family listen although for me I found it hard to stay on track. ( )

AUDACITY JONES TO THE RESCUE by Kirby Larson is the first book in a new historical mystery series.

Set in the early 1900s, Audacity is a witty orphan who enjoys reading and adventure. She yearns to explore life outside the Miss Maisie’s School for Wayward Girls. When Commodore Crutchfield shows up at the school looking for an orphan, she immediately volunteers. However Audie soon realizes that Crutchfield and his colleagues are up to no good and she must save the day.

Although there are many middle grade books about orphans and boarding schools, librarians will find that the combination of adventure and mystery will be appeal to a broad cross section of readers. The historical context, particularly the White House setting make the book even more fun

To learn more about the author, go to http://www.kirbylarson.com/.

Published by Scholastic on January 26, 2016. ARC courtesy of the publisher. ( )