Andi Unexpected! by Amanda Flower (for th 8-12 year old reader - Review & Giveaway)

ISBN 13: 9780310737018
Hardcover $10.99

About the book: Twelve-year-old Andora “Andi” Boggs and her sister Bethany move to rural Ohio to live with their eccentric aunt after the sudden death of their parents. While dealing with her grief, Andi discovers proof of another Andora Boggs hidden in a Depression-era trunk. No one remembers this Andora. Andi, with the help of her new friend Colin Carter, is determined to find out who Andora was and what happened to her.

Review:  I really like Andi as a character. She is sweet, smart, and  just jam-packed full of energy and inquisitiveness.  She and neighbor, Colin, go on a merry run to solve the mystery.  

Though written in today's world, it has the charm of a 1940s or 1950s era when kids could freely roam the neighborhood and town without harm. Of course, there is mystery here and "danger" and some intrigue. But there is just enough danger and just enough mystery to grab the attention of 8 to 13 year olds without scaring the be-jeebies out of them. 

I loved the unmarried Aunt Amelia that takes the orphaned girls in and provides a home for them. She is a character-study herself but devoted and loving to the girls. The next door neighbor grandmother of Colin is warm, smart, and sure to capture your heart, too.

All in all, this was a good read sure to please the young crowd.

GIVEAWAY: Want a copy for that special middle-reader? Use the Rafflecopter Form below to enter a book giveaway of Andi Unexpected provided by the good folks at ZoderKidz. Begins Sept. 26 & ENDS October 16 @ 12:01 a.m. ET. Open to US mainland addresses only.
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About the author:  Amanda Flower, an Agatha-nominated mystery author, started her writing career in elementary school when she read her story out loud and had the class in stitches with her description of being stuck on the top of a Ferris wheel. She knew at that moment she’d found her calling of making people laugh with her words. Her debut mystery, Maid of Murder, was an Agatha Award Nominee for Best First Novel. She writes the Appleseed Creek Mystery Series for Band H, and the India Hayes Mystery Series for Five Star. She also writes mysteries as Isabella Alan for NAL. A librarian for a small college near Cleveland, you can visit Amanda online at www.amandaflower.com and www.isabellaalan.com.  

DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy of Andy Unexpected from the publicist on behalf of Zonderevan and the author.