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Material Type | Library | Call Number | Suggested Age | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Book | Searching... Eleanor Public Library | TAS | Juvenile | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
"Included are illustrations explaining how Hannah thinks and reacts, minicomics, and an author's note explaining that her son, the illustrator of this novel, is on the autism spectrum.... This is an inclusive, fun addition to the middle-school mystery field." ― Booklist
" Hannah is a lovable, relatable protagonist.... Her story provides some clever lessons on life's grey areas, which are universally frustrating (even if they manifest differently for all of us)." -- School Library Journal
"Hannah Sharpe is courageous, smart, talented, and funny. " --Ethan Long, award-winning creator of The Death and Life of Benny Brooks
From the creators of the bestselling My Life series comes a fresh and funny story about Hannah Sharpe--an observant young sleuth on the autism spectrum who likes to solve mysteries by drawing cartoons of her cowboy alter ego, Dusty Pickle--in this colorfully illustrated adventure featuring full-color art on every page.
Young cartoonist Hannah Sharpe has many strengths: she's curious, creative, has an amazing memory, and most important--she notices things. When Doug Williams moves into her family's Airbnb, Hannah can't shake the feeling that he's got something to hide. But his girlfriend, Remy Furtado, couldn't be nicer or more helpful. As Hannah investigates, often with her sketchbook in hand, she makes a series of unsettling discoveries involving stolen packages, changed keypad codes, and hidden stacks of cash. Can Hannah crack the case and unfold the mystery on her own?
Including full-color illustrations with panel art featuring Hannah and her cartoon alter ego, Dusty Pickle, here is a thoughtful and propulsive new book starring a neurodiverse protagonist.
Author Notes
Janet Tashjian is the author of the bestselling My Life series, illustrated by her son, Jake Tashjian , which includes My Life as a Book , My Life as a Cartoonist , My Life as a Gamer , and My Life as a Youtuber . Janet is also the author of the Einstein the Class Hamster series, illustrated by Jake Tashjian, and the Sticker Girl series. Janet and Jake live in Los Angeles.
Reviews (2)
Publisher's Weekly Review
An autistic 11-year-old who's considered the class sleuth practices her investigative knack in this illustrated series starter from mother-son duo the Tashjians (the My Life series). The creator of a comic book series featuring Dusty Pickle--a pickle cowgirl in the Wild West--artist Hannah Sharpe also uses drawing to better understand idioms and decode social interactions. Though she's not a fan of altered routines, Hannah soon navigates a teacher change and befriends the woman renting her family's converted garage apartment. And when a string of catalytic converter and porch package thefts occurs in her family's Northern California neighborhood, she employs her observational skills around the inquiry, noticing patterns that add up to a curveball that Hannah cannot handle alone. Though the concept of the young autistic detective is well-trodden, Hannah's openhearted voice adds myriad details about her neurodivergent experience (drawn, per an author's note, from Jake Tashjian's own life), while comics interstitials--both Dusty Pickle episodes and interpersonal experiences--add humor to the straightforward narrative. Hannah and her family read as white; the broader cast is portrayed with various skin tones. Ages 8--12. (Sept.)
Booklist Review
When her teacher, Mrs. Monroe, takes an indefinite leave of absence, white autistic girl Hannah doesn't think any of the coping skills she's learned either in school or from her play therapist will help navigate such a big change. On top of that, there's a mystery of why some of the school's plants aren't doing well, plus a string of porch pirate robberies in her neighborhood. Hannah may not be good with social skills, but her pattern recognition might just be what these cases need. Helping her out are her classmates Noah and Gabriella, as well as her drawings of Dusty Pickle. Included are illustrations explaining how Hannah thinks and reacts, minicomics, and an author's note explaining that her son, the illustrator of this novel, is on the autism spectrum. This is an inclusive, fun addition to the middle-school mystery field, perfect for readers who need a little extra help moving to typical chapter books.
