The Suitcase

When a little boy is left at his grandparent’s for the summer holidays, he expects to be completely bored as nothing ever happens there and there is nothing to do. However, when searching the attic, he finds a suitcase, full of mysterious things and photos of people having incredible adventures and doing exciting things. Determined to find out who they are, he starts to investigate…

This is such a lovely story, perfect for helping children to appreciate their grandparents - and perhaps their parents- as ‘real’ people who have lived interesting and varied lives in their own right as well as being the ‘boring’ people they see day after day. Readers will love spotting all the clues hidden in plain sight and piecing together the solution whilst the young lad puzzles over the evidence. There is plenty here to amuse adults as well as children- a tape of ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ is labelled as possibly being some sort of spying equipment, for example!

The story would make an excellent starting point for developing children’s interest in their own family history, encouraging them to talk to relations and learn more about their lives and perhaps discovering new interests which they can share. For some family’s looking at the past might not be possible, but the story could lead to creating their own ‘suitcase’ of memorabilia of a holiday or day spent together (whether at home or away!), forging new memories and strengthening bonds across generations.

I could wax lyrical for hours about the fabulous illustrations - the antics of the cat, the before and after photos on the end papers, the links between the grandparents past and present lives- there is so much to notice and enjoy!

Heart-warming and joyful, ‘The Suitcase’ helps readers understand that other people might be more interesting that we give them credit for!

The Suitcase Daniela Sosa

Simon and Schuster ISBN: 978-1398518698

Agent Zaiba Investigates: The Smuggler’s Secret

Zaiba and the other members of the UK branch of the Snow Leopard Detective Agency have joined the school History Club. When they learn there is to be an outing to Chisel Bay to see a shipwreck and a priceless artefact recovered from the wreckage. But, when the artefact goes missing, Zaiba’s investigative skills take over and she and her team are quickly on the case…

This is a fabulous series! Zaiba is everything you could want from a young detective- bright, methodical and determined, she closely observes the world around her as she makes her deductions. Through her relationships with others, the reader also knows her to be kind and loving. Although she and cousin Mariam have not always been close, Zaiba is prepared to build bridges and welcome her as a valuable member of the Snow Leopard team. Part of a very warm, loving and supportive family, each of whom plays a role in the stories, Zaiba still feels a close bond to her own mother, constantly consulting the annotated copies of the ‘Eden Lockett’ mysteries she inherited from her mother. Although this book is the fourth in the series, it could easily be read as a stand alone as Annabelle Sami does an excellent job of filling in the details as this story builds.

Through the children’s investigations and the History Club’s visit, the reader learns much about smugglers and the East India Trading Company. The story also raises questions about the rightful ownership of historical artefacts, challenging children to think whilst still enjoying the story. An additional note on this subject at the end of the story encourages readers to develop the historical skills of questioning sources and looking at a range of accounts and evidence.

This pacy adventure is an excellent read with plenty of suspects and red herrings to keep the reader guessing. Daniela Sosa’s illustrations add much to the enjoyment of this fresh mystery series. These stories would make brilliant read alouds for a class of budding sleuths and also engaging guided readers.

Agent Zaiba Investigates: The Smuggler’s Secret

Annabelle Sami, illustrated by Daniela Sosa

Make sure you read the other adventures in this series. My review of ‘The Missing Diamonds’ can be found in the ‘Reviews from Another Life’ section.