Available:*
Library | Call Number | Status |
|---|---|---|
Searching... Independence Public Library | J FICTION - LARSON | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Monmouth Public Library | J Fic Larson, K. 2016 | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Newberg Public Library | J FICTION LARSON | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Newberg Public Library | J FICTION LARSON | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Stayton Public Library | JF LARSON | Searching... Unknown |
Bound With These Titles
On Order
Summary
Summary
An irrepressible orphan named Audacity Jones is headed on an adventure of historic proportions! The first book in a brand-new series from beloved Newbery Honor author Kirby Larson!Audacity Jones is an eleven-year-old orphan who aches for adventure, a challenge to break up the monotony of her life at Miss Maisie's School for Wayward Girls. Life as a wayward girl isn't so bad; Audie has the best of friends, a clever cat companion, and plenty of books to read. Still, she longs for some excitement, like the characters in the novels she so loves encounter.So when the mysterious Commodore Crutchfield visits the school and whisks Audie off to Washington, DC, she knows she's in for the journey of a lifetime. But soon, it becomes clear that the Commodore has unsavory plans for Audie -- plans that involve the president of the United States and a sinister kidnapping plot. Before she knows it, Audie winds up in the White House kitchens, where she's determined to stop the Commodore dead in his tracks. Can Audie save the day before it's too late?
Author Notes
Kirby Larson is the acclaimed author of the 2007 Newbery Honor Book Hattie Big Sky ; its sequel, Hattie Ever After ; The Friendship Doll ; Dear America: The Fences Between Us ; Duke ; Dash , winner of the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction; Liberty ; Code Word Courage ; Audacity Jones to the Rescue ; and its sequel, Audacity Jones Steals the Show . She has also cowritten the award-winning picture books Two Bobbies: A True Story of Hurricane Katrina, Friendship, and Survival and Nubs: The True Story of a Mutt, a Marine, and a Miracle . She lives in Washington with her husband and Winston the Wonder Dog.
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-6-Audacity Jones is a resident of Miss Maisie's Home for Wayward Girls in Swayze, IN. And while life at Miss Maisie's is sometimes difficult, for Audacity and her best friends Bimi and the triplets, Lavender, Lilac, and Violet, it is home. Everything changes, however, on one Christmas Eve, when wealthy Commodore Crutchfield appears on Miss Maisie's doorstep in search of an orphan. Being the only orphan around, Audacity volunteers to accompany the Commodore on a mission to Washington, DC, that involves the president, an English cook, and a pot of terrapin soup. As the mission date draws closer, a buzzing in Audie's ear begins to warn her that all might not be as it appears. With the help of an old stable master and a newspaper boy, it is up to Audacity to save the day. Lyssa Brown's narration brings forth Audacity's well-read personality, as well as the Commodore's Southern absentmindedness and Miss Finch's pinched asperity. -VERDICT Fans of Lemony Snicket and Kate DiCamillo will gravitate toward this story of an unlikely heroine who is smart enough to make sure everything turns out right in the end. ["Readers will cheer Audacity's ingenuity and bravery as they relish every moment of her adventures": SLJ 1/16 review of the Scholastic book.]-Michaela Schied, Indian River Middle School, Philadelphia, NY © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
It's 1910, and Audacity "Audie" Jones is living in a home for "wayward girls" in Swayzee, Ind., when a frequent donor, Commodore Crutchfield, arrives asking for a volunteer for a secret mission. Sharp-witted and well-read, Audie has her doubts about a man "who seemed to have no idea that mainsails were never lashed together with ropes" and "that the rank of commodore had last been used by the United States Navy eleven years prior," but she also has a taste for adventure, and the commodore is headed to Washington, D.C. It quickly becomes clear that the commodore and his associates have nefarious plans regarding President Taft, plans for which they need Audie. Audie is too smart to do bad things, but what can one orphaned, wayward girl do? It is a good thing she knows how to make friends quickly. Browne narrates with cheerful energy, embodying a wide variety of characters. Some of the smaller wayward residents are snuffly. The commodore sounds a bit like Foghorn Leghorn; bad guys are nasal and impatient, while Audie is cheerful and spunky. The story moves along at a good pace, but never too fast. Though some listeners may find Browne's character voices over the top, the story is never dull. A Scholastic Press hardcover. (Jan.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
Audacity travels to Washington, D.C., where she foils a kidnapping plot at the White House. Audie is the only actual orphan at Miss Maisie's School for Wayward Girls in Swayzee, Indiana. She's also the only one who must spend time in the dreaded "Punishment Room," which is really an extensive library that she keeps secret from the others. Only an extremely clever stray cat, Min, keeps her company there. When the wealthy Commodore Crutchfield requests an orphan for a mission, Audie volunteers. With Min as a stowaway, they travel to Washington, but she soon learns that not all is on the level: there's wickedness afoot. Posing as a cook's assistant, she winds up in the White House, where she meets the president and learns of the plot to kidnap his niece. Audie, Min, and Juice, a spunky newspaper boy, team up to foil the crime. Larson infuses her romp with plenty of humor, making Audacity, her cat, and friends into lively, likable characters. With characteristic deftness, she weaves her historical material seamlessly into the story; Audacity is a modern girl, but her modern time is 1910. She marvels at the new automobiles that are replacing horses as transportation. The story's focus on Audacity's remarkable cat, with some chapters told from the cat's point of view, adds just another element of charm. Clever, funny, and sweet in equal measures. (Historical fiction. 8-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
*Starred Review* Newbery Honor author Larson's (Hattie Big Sky, 2006) series starter is just the ticket for readers who crave adventure and mystery as much as 11-year-old Audacity Jones, an intrepid, well-read, positive-minded orphan. Left at Miss Maisie's School for Wayward Girls, in Swayzee, Indiana, when she was 6, she is the guiding light for the other girls who live there. When Commodore Crutchfield appears and asks for a volunteer to accompany him on a secret mission, Audie's ears buzz, tipping her off that something bad is going to happen. Nevertheless, she is unable to resist the opportunity for adventure and agrees to assist Crutchfield. Completely in the dark but gathering clues along the way, Audie realizes the secret mission has to do with President Taft and a kidnapping and she's part of the plan! The cast of characters is delightful and includes Audie's best friends, Bimmy and triplets Lilac, Lavender, and Violet; Cypher, their secretive driver; beak-nosed Mrs. Finch; a clever cat; and the president's son Charlie, and niece Dorothy (who really did go missing in 1910). Though the vocabulary may be challenging for younger readers, it is not insurmountable, and the story's themes of trust, friendship, and good manners will resonate with many. Audacity's charm and smarts make this historical adventure a winner.--Fredriksen, Jeanne Copyright 2015 Booklist