Kit Kittredge is back, in a mystery that takes place in the Cincinnati Zoo! Kit lands a summer job writing a children’s column for her local newspaper and looks for story ideas at the Cincinnati Zoo, where her friend Stirling works as a guide and her old friend Will, the hobo, has a job cleaning cages. As Kit noses around, she stumbles into some strange activities in the monkey house. Meanwhile, Kit begins to notice small things missing at home too. It’s not long before Will looks like the logical suspect in both places. Can Kit clear her friend-and get a good story in the bargain? Fireworks fly as Kit’s mystery is solved at the zoo’s grand Fourth of July spectacular. Includes a full-color Looking Back historical essay.
It's 1935 and Kit Kittredge is volunteering backstage for a local theater company. She plans to write an exciting newspaper article about a new play that stars famous actors from New York City. But from behind the scenes, Kit and her friend Stirling discover more drama than they bargained for! Includes an illustrated Looking Back essay.
Felicity Merriman is alarmed when mysterious notices appear in Williamsburg, falsely accusing her friend Fiona's father of helping the British. With the Revolutionary War heating up, Felicity knows the accusations will bring danger to Fiona's family. When Felicity's own father is accused of being a traitor, too, Felicity decides she must find out who is behind the terrible accusations. Includes a Looking Back historical essay.
Felicity is spending the summer of 1776 at her family's Virginia plantation, King's Creek, where every day she rides her beloved horse Penny. Soon Felicity hears news that British soldiers are burning Patriot farms and stealing their animals. Then she finds evidence that makes her think the next raid could threaten King's Creek-and Penny! The book includes a Looking Back historical essay.
Felicity has just said good-bye to her mother, who's going on a trip and leaving Felicity in charge of the house. Mother's carriage has barely left before a surprise package arrives, holding silver heirlooms that have been passed down in the Merriman family for a hundred years. Felicity doesn't believe in ghosts … but what else can explain the odd and eerie things that begin to happen once the heirlooms arrive? Includes a Looking Back historical essay that provides facts about Felicity's time.
Kirsten Larson has been living on the Minnesota frontier for a only a few weeks when her neighbor and friend, Erik Sandahl, disappears. Erik had promised to help the Larsons at harvest time, and he owes Uncle Olav money. Everyone believes Erik has run out on his promises-except Kirsten. Can she figure out what's happened to her friend? Includes a glossary of Swedish words and a Looking Back historical essay.
Marie-Grace is excited that a well-known English opera company will perform in New Orleans–at the same theater where she takes singing lessons from Aunt Océane. Even better, her aunt has gotten a role in the opera! As Marie-Grace and her friend, Cécile, help out during rehearsals, they're thrilled to meet real opera stars and get a peek into theater life. But thrills turn to chills as the girls make disturbing discoveries behind the scenes! A Looking Back essay describes New Orleans’ place as a leading cultural center for opera and theater in 1800s America.
Uncle Gard and Aunt Cornelia’s New York City brownstone is being expanded to make more room for Samantha and the three O’Malley sisters. While the renovation is underway, the family moves to an apartment on the top floor of Ravenscourt, a fashionable new 13-story apartment-hotel. Samantha is excited about their luxurious new home-until she learns there’s a terrible curse on the building’s owner, Horace Raven! Are strange things happening because of the curse-or is something else scaring the residents from Ravenscourt? It’s up to Samantha and Nellie to find out! Includes a Looking Back historical essay.
Samantha can't wait to take Nellie to Piney Point, Grandmary's summer home in the mountains. But the girls arrive to find the lodge plagued with accidents–and Grandmary begins to think about selling. Samantha and Nellie must figure out what's going on before they lose Piney Point forever! Includes a Looking Back essay about the Adirondacks' grand lodges at the turn of the last century.
Samantha and Nellie are in England for the first time, vacationing with Grandmary and the Admiral. They are excited to visit an English knight who lives in an ancient manor house, next to a castle that's rumored to be haunted. But the visit turns spooky when the girls see odd and eerie lights in the castle tower at night . . . and learn that valuable books are disappearing from the manor's library. Can the girls find out who-or what-is behind the strange happenings? Includes a Looking Back essay about Americans traveling abroad at the turn of the last century.