The Spy Catchers of Maple Hill, by Megan Frazer Blakemore
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The Spy Catchers of Maple Hill, by Megan Frazer Blakemore
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Hazel Kaplansky is a firm believer in the pursuit of knowledge and truth-and she also happens to love a good mystery. When suspicions swirl that a Russian spy has infiltrated her small town of Maple Hill, Vermont, amidst the fervor of Cold War era McCarthyism, Hazel knows it's up to her to find a suspect… starting with Mr. Jones, the quietly suspicious grave digger. Plus she's found a perfect sleuthing partner in Samuel Butler, the new boy in school with a few secrets of his own. But as Hazel and Samuel piece together clues from the past and present, the truth is suddenly not what they expected, and what they find reveals more about themselves and the people of their cozy little town than they could ever have imagined.
The Spy Catchers of Maple Hill, by Megan Frazer Blakemore - Amazon Sales Rank: #1013314 in Books
- Brand: Blakemore, Megan Frazer
- Published on: 2015-05-05
- Released on: 2015-05-05
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 8.30" h x .84" w x 5.53" l, .0 pounds
- Binding: Paperback
- 336 pages
The Spy Catchers of Maple Hill, by Megan Frazer Blakemore From School Library Journal Gr 4–6—Hazel may not be the best musician in her class, but she is a grade A detective. When rumors of Russian spies infiltrating her hometown of Maple Hill, Vermont begin swirling through the neighborhood, Hazel stops building her bomb shelter and starts tailing the most likely suspect—the mysterious Mr. Jones. With the help of Samuel, the new boy in town fascinated by the stories contained in her family's graveyard, the protagonist begins collecting clues and soon finds that most stories are more than they initially appear to the untrained eye. Hazel is a wonderfully memorable character, larger-than-life, and so certain of her well-intentioned, but often misguided, ways. Blakemore perfectly captures that fine line between childhood and early adolescence, when tall tales from large imaginations are quickly formed, friendships with boys are still easy, and a young girl sees her place in the world as an unstoppable force. The storytelling is vivid and descriptive, but it's the characters that will draw readers in, including quiet, unassuming Samuel and Hazel's mother, who serves as a more soft-spoken proponent of change than her incredibly vocal daughter. The book does a wonderful job of displaying the way in which the fear inherent in the McCarthy era turned neighbor against neighbor. While the heart of the story lies within the issues of trust and truth, the writing is never preachy, using Hazel's innate humor to deflect moments that veer close to saccarine or preachy. A strong work of historical fiction for mystery fans.—Nicole Signoretta Sutton, Kingston Elementary School, Cherry Hill, NJ
From Booklist Hazel has a bit of Harriet the Spy in her. She’s not terribly likable, and she loves to snoop. She’d defend her snooping, however. It’s 1953, and Joe McCarthy is telling the country that there are Communists under every rock. And there are lots of rocks in the cemetery Hazel’s family owns. Hazel is quite sure that the new grave digger is a Commie spy, and Hazel has enough self-confidence to figure she can prove it. When Samuel, a boy from an old Maple Hill family, comes back to town and seems equally smart, she’s shaken. But he becomes an ally, willing to share his own deductive skills. Blakemore covers a lot of territory here—the Red Scare, fragile Samuel’s family history, Hazel’s mother’s ambitions—and sometimes the individually interesting stories give the narrative a disjointed feel. However, Hazel is that odd bird, an annoying heroine that readers will still root for, especially as she changes and grows. There’s lots to talk about here, subjects both public and personal, making this a great choice for book clubs or class discussion, and an author’s note offers more about the era. Grades 4-7. --Ilene Cooper
Review
“Hazel's inquisitiveness, independence and imperfections are a winning combination.” ―Kirkus Reviews
“There's lots to talk about here . . . making this a great choice for book clubs or class discussion.” ―Booklist
“The sense of the time period is seamlessly portrayed . . . The real strength of Blakemore's novel is the underlying juxtaposition of a seemingly pleasant small town and that community's harsh reaction to those who are different.” ―The Horn Book Magazine
“A strong work of historical fiction for mystery fans.” ―School Library Journal
“Hazel is an engaging, if not always likable, girl, and her kid's-eye-view of life offers an accessible entryway to the McCarthy/Cold War era. Blakemore's characters are refreshingly three-dimensional . . . Will also appeal to the mystery lovers of the middle grade crowd.” ―BCCB
“Science, history and literature references glow . . . With keen intelligence and bits of humor, the prose slips calmly between narrative perspectives, trusting readers to pick up a revelation that Ephraim and Mallory don't see--and it's a doozy. This one is special.” ―Kirkus Reviews, starred review, on The Water Castle
“What shines through . . . is Blakemore's tender understanding of how these children--and all children--feel about their lives and the adults who control them.” ―The New York Times on The Water Castle
“A book that deserves love.” ―Elizabeth Bird from Fuse8 on The Water Castle
“The Water Castle is full of adventure and mystery, but mostly it's about the importance of family, friendship and home.” ―The Washington Post on The Water Castle
“Blakemore skillfully explores the intersection of science and magic in this multifaceted story . . . a sense of skeptical wonder pervades the book and lingers.” ―Publishers Weekly on The Water Castle
“Hazel's inquisitiveness, independence and imperfections are a winning combination.” ―Kirkus Reviews
“The sense of the time period is seamlessly portrayed... The real strength of Blakemore's novel is the underlying juxtaposition of a seemingly pleasant small town and that community's harsh reaction to those who are different.” ―The Horn Book Magazine
“A strong work of historical fiction for mystery fans.” ―School Library Journal
“Hazel is an engaging, if not always likable, girl, and her kid's-eye-view of life offers an accessible entryway to the McCarthy/Cold War era. Blakemore's characters are refreshingly three-dimensional... Will also appeal to the mystery lovers of the middle grade crowd.” ―BCCB
“Science, history and literature references glow . . . With keen intelligence and bits of humor, the prose slips calmly between narrative perspectives, trusting readers to pick up a revelation that Ephraim and Mallory don't see-and it's a doozy. This one is special.” ―Kirkus Reviews, starred review, on The Water Castle
“What shines through…is Blakemore's tender understanding of how these children-and all children-feel about their lives and the adults who control them.” ―The New York Times on The Water Castle
“The Water Castle is full of adventure and mystery, but mostly it's about the importance of family, friendship and home.” ―The Washington Post on The Water Castle
“Blakemore skillfully explores the intersection of science and magic in this multifaceted story… a sense of skeptical wonder pervades the book and lingers.” ―Publishers Weekly on The Water Castle
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Most helpful customer reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. This is a great story about the power of gossip and rumors, the fear of Communism, bullies, friendship and growing up. By KidsReads Hazel Kaplantsky is a fifth-grader at Adelaide Switzer Elementary School in Maple Hill, Vermont in 1954 --- the time of the Red Scare, perpetuated by Senator McCarthy. Hazel has always been the smartest kid in her class --- until a new kid, Samuel Butler, arrives. At first there is animosity between them, but the two overcome the obstacles and become best friends.Hazel wants to be a detective; she is anxious for a mystery to appear so she can solve it. So, when a mysterious man named Paul Jones comes to town, she is sure something is going on. She convinces Samuel to work with her to unravel the mystery.Mr. Jones starts meeting with Mr. Short, the foreman at the Switzer Switch and Safe Factory. The factory is under investigation as a possible hotbed for Communist spies, just like the General Electric Plant in Schenectady, New York. Hazel puts two and two together and thinks she has come up with four, but her desire to be a spy and to catch someone doing something wrong overshadows the facts.This is a fictional tale, but author Megan Frazer Blakemore throws in some facts to set it in the era of the Red Scare. Of course she embellishes the story, but much of what she talks about really did happen. As Megan explains in her Author’s Note, the plant in Schenectady, NY really was under investigation for spy activity during this time period, but she made up the part about the Switzer Switch and Safe Factory. Also, since Hazel is great fan of mysteries, facts about the Nancy Drew mysteries are sprinkled throughout the text.This is a great story about the power of gossip and rumors, the fear of Communism, bullies, friendship and growing up.Reviewed by Christine Irvin
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. More historical fiction than mystery By Dolores, a teacher Hazel is a totally believable character, as a tween with a mission. Her vitality/vulnerability (almost) make it easy to overlook the fact that she is a little Joe McCarthy clone. And Samuel is the perfect sleuthing partner.All the characters in this story are so "real". You will root for this community to pull together when it seems they are being torn apart by fear.I will definitely be recommending this to some of my more avid readers in the 3rd grade. I wish that Hazel's antics hadn't been so juvenile (at times) because the historical parts of this story are worth sharing with those in high school, as well.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. I loved it--enjoyed every minute of it By Chautona I almost gave this four starts. Why? Well, I don't know. I loved it--enjoyed every minute of it. I'm achildren's book snob--crazy picky about what my kids read. So that I bought this book, sight unseen and never hearing a thing about it at all was pretty amazing. That I loved it--equally amazing. So why 4 stars I ask myself? It's not "great children's literature" which is probably why I started to go with a four-star rating, but you know what? I LOVED reading this book. And sometimes just a solid good book needs to be rewarded as such.So here I am with 5 stars and I don't make apologies for that.Hazel is a delightfully interesting and sympathetically flawed girl. She is a fully-developed character that you both love and want to shake a little sense into. Like most of us, she sees the flaws in others that she excuses in herself.And then there's Samuel. If he were any more perfect, he'd be a dreaded "Mary Sue" but he's just imperfect enough to make him a nice steady counterpart to Hazel.I love that the author both avoided the boy-girl silliness that so many books have AND didn't hide that some kids DO. Thank you!Some find the mystery to be lacking, but that's kind of the point of the book--seeing mysteries and intrigue where there is none. And that's a genius twist to an otherwise oft-hackneyed genre. I actually loved that the mystery turned out to be a lot less exciting and a lot more endearing. It's a way to make the mundane and the authentic INTERESTING. Well done.So, I'm back to my 5 stars. I have already bought it in hardback too and purchased "The Water Castle" to see how I like that. Keep writing. I look forward to see what you do next.
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