Wednesday, March 4, 2015

The Wig in the Window by Kristen Kittscher

I first learned about this book from my coworker. His cousin wrote this book, the Wig in the Window, by Kristen Kittscher. It's a Middle Grade (8-12 year old), 368 page novel.

I loved the concept of two girls playing detective. Immediately I was drawn into this book, the characters are very much their age, middle schoolers, and their interactions and conversations are exactly what someone their age would think and say. The first chapter really hooks you in as they spy a teacher at her home whacking something and spraying what looks like blood all over herself.

My favorite scene is when she describes the S.M.I.L.E group for the first time. It was hilarious and I had to read it over a few times because it's a perfect example of show, don't tell. I could picture this group of girls in how annoyingly happy they are.

Little details like what the cafeteria is serving and references to Chinese tai chi moves add some humor to the story.

This book had a lot of twists and it's not obvious how it will end. Clues along the way help the reader draw their own conclusions. It had my interest until the very end. It's a good length for a child looking for a longer read. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone, even adults!