Jasmine Warga has a new middle grade book out called A Strange Thing Happened in Cherry Hall. On the whole, I love realistic books, but now and then one with a slice of magical realism touches my fancy. This is just such a book.
Actually, the title understates what happened in Cherry Hall. First, there is the painting stolen from the museum. Then a ghost appears who is seen only by certain people and looks like the girl in the stolen painting. This ghost doesn’t know her own name. Like Rami, the protagonist, she is looking to be seen, understood, and known for who she really is.
Rami and Veda set out to solve the mystery of who stole the painting with plenty of suspects including the director of the museum, a couple of guards, and Rami’s mother who works there. They get help from Rami’s extrovert classmate Veda who appears to be afraid of nothing at all and the turtle Agatha who has seen the robbery. The writing includes many asides that give Warga’s readers a sense of insider knowledge, bring them into the author’s confidence, and provide smiles. The enjoyable mystery with its solution carries a side of the universal longing to be seen and understood.
I recommend this light-hearted read for middle schoolers and others who want to have a bit of fun.