School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-7-When Lou overhears her parents discussing the fate of the Civil War-era house that is their ancestral home-the ramshackle building is slated for demolition-Lou's devoted friend Benzer joins her in a quest to try to save the historic property. They attempt to get it listed on the historic registry and to find a cache of gold alleged to be hidden on the estate. In their search for the gold and the history of the home, they end up finding clues about Lou's ancestors who turn out to include slave owners, abolitionists, and a thief and murderer. As Lou fights to save her family home, she finds herself embroiled in the racism and injustice that are still prevalent in her small Tennessee town, learning that she is a rebel just like her colorful Mayhew ancestors. This lively mystery and coming-of-age story is told with grace and humor. Narrator Dorothy Dillingham Blue's girlish voice is perfectly suited for young Lou, and she has the Tennessee accent down pat. VERDICT This delightful debut novel will appeal to middle school readers who enjoyed the "Tupelo Landing" mysteries by Sheila Turnage (Dial). ["A solid debut novel for middle graders who enjoy a blend of history and mystery": SLJ 8/15 review of the Nancy Paulsen book.]-Lisa Hubler, Charles F. Brush High School, Lyndhurst, OH © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Tyre's accomplished debut takes place in 1999 in the small Southern town of Zollicoffer, Tenn., where 12-year-old Lou Mayhew's 175-year-old home is her only claim to fame. The daughter of a junkman and a pregnant "enviro-artist" mother, Lou is determined that the summer before seventh grade will be less boring than the previous one. Eavesdropping one day, she learns that her beloved house may soon be razed, and her mission immediately becomes clear. Enlisting her best friends to help save her home, high-spirited, persistent Lou finds a new interest in history-especially her family's, which holds its own surprises. As the four children try to solve a Civil War mystery and find a cache of purportedly missing gold, they also confront a contemporary case of racism. Strong secondary characters, including Lou's thrice-divorced flirtatious grandmother, help build the strong sense of small-town community. Tyre masterfully weaves historical details into Lou's discoveries in ways that never feel facile, while deftly and satisfyingly resolving past and present puzzles. Ages 10-up. Agent: Susan Hawk, Bent Agency. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
With the future of her generations-old home in jeopardy, twelve-year-old Louise "Lou" Mayhew and three friends hatch a plan to save the house--with a Civil Warera diary and rumors of hidden gold fueling their quest. The spunky, realistic characters; well-drawn small-town-Tennessee setting; and thought-provoking portrayals of racism, past and present, make for a compelling mix of mystery and history. (c) Copyright 2016. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
In Tyre's debut middle-grade novel, a girl's research into her family's history uncovers racism and injustice both past and present. Lou had prayed for an exciting summer, but fighting to save her 175-year-old family home from demolition wasn't what she had in mind. When Lou overhears the city's plan to seize the Mayhew family home, she and her friends make a plan. Their best chance is to register the house as a heritage site, so they search the museum, the library, and a Civil War-era diary written by Lou's ancestor for evidence of its historical significance. Instead, they stumble upon another mystery: an unsolved murder and stolen gold. Excerpts from the diary make this feel like historical fiction; Louise Duncan Mayhew's perspective in the 1860s is an intriguing contrast to Lou's modern narration at the turn of the 21st century. A major theme is the persistence of racism. Tensions are running high in town after the high school football star loses a college scholarship because of the coach's prejudice, and Lou's neighbor, who is intrusively suspicious of a black man visiting their house, is as disappointing as her slave-owning, Confederate ancestor. In the end, Lou and her community learn that it's never too late to right a wrong. Though at times heavy-handed and didactic, the story addresses injustice in plain language that is accessible to young readers who enjoy whodunits. (Mystery. 9-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Finding buried treasure, solving an old family mystery, and righting modern wrongs are a few things that push 12-year-old Louise Mayhew's summer from boring to exciting. Upon learning that her family's home is slated for demolition, Louise is determined to save the 175-year-old house by getting it declared historic. With the help of her two best friends and cousin Patty, the kids set out to learn about its Civil War-era history. Louise is surprised to find her great-great-great-grandfather was a Confederate army captain and an alleged thief and murderer. She is devastated to discover that her family once owned slaves, and equally upset that prejudice is still alive in her Tennessee town. Tyre's debut features characters that are believable in their naïveté and sense of invincibility, even if the success of their various efforts is implausible. Louise's account of their summer adventures, with chapters headed by entries from a Civil War diary, should please middle-grade readers looking for a solid story with an intriguing historical connection.--Isaacs, Kathleen Copyright 2015 Booklist
