THE GALLERY, by Laura Marx Fitzgerald

The story: When she's kicked out of school, her mother gets Martha a job in the mansion where she works. But no matter how rich, Mr. Sewell and his house are also mysterious. Why does he keep his wife locked up in the attic? Where did her fabulous collection of art go? And why is the brother of a notorious anarchist opening doors for the rich and famous? Martha is determined to get to the bottom of it, but to succeed, she'll have to brush up on mind-reading, plotting, and the art of riding unnoticed in dumbwaiters.

June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG; Violence PG; Sexual content G; Nudity G; Substance abuse PG: Magic & the occult G; GLBT content G; adult themes (fraud and fraudulent schemes) PG; overall rating PG.

Liz's comments: Here's a fun mystery wrapped up in a Roaring 20s historical novel. Martha is a smart, funny narrator, and the book offers young readers an intriguing glimpse into Prohibition and the stock market run-up to the great Depression, as well as a chance to look up some first-rate works of art in Google Images.