Exciting book game mystery set in san francisco. A truly fun and excellent middle grade novel. ( )

Just after twelve-year-old Emily and her family move to San Francisco, she teams up with new friend James to follow clues in an odd book they find, hoping to figure out its secrets before the men who attacked Emily's hero, publisher Garrison Griswold, solve the mystery.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and never wanted it to end! The combination of literary tidbits, codes and ciphers, and very real and likable characters had me reading into the night. The ending was suspenseful, a bit dangerous, and surprising. I think there's another book in the series, so I'm going to check that out NOW! Please read and enjoy. ( )

This fun middle-grade adventure stars a preteen bookdragon and mystery lover. Read my full review here. ( )

Great for fans of [b:The Westing Game|902|The Westing Game|Ellen Raskin|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1356850909s/902.jpg|869832], [b:Chasing Vermeer|444347|Chasing Vermeer (Chasing Vermeer, #1)|Blue Balliett|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1424651972s/444347.jpg|3280795], [b:Shakespeare's Secret|42048|Shakespeare's Secret|Elise Broach|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1420854786s/42048.jpg|333209], [b:The Ring of Rocamadour|4581447|The Ring of Rocamadour (The Red Blazer Girls, #1)|Michael D. Beil|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320427707s/4581447.jpg|4630843], [b:Under the Egg|18060008|Under the Egg|Laura Marx Fitzgerald|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1385354021s/18060008.jpg|25350097], and [b:Walls Within Walls|7737834|Walls Within Walls|Maureen Sherry|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348619118s/7737834.jpg|10537440]. Readers will come away wishing Book Scavenger was real, but luckily Bertman provides information on her inspiration for the game (BookCrossing.com, geocaching, and letterboxing) so motivated kids can get as close to the experience as possible. (I'm sure I'm not the only one who wishes Bertman or her publisher would establish a real Book Scavenger site, though.)

Bertman makes San Francisco come alive on the pages, from every touristy hill to the hidden neighborhood spots only locals know about.

Note: I received an ARC from the publisher. ( )