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The Wollstonecraft Detective Agency #1
The Case of the Missing Moonstone
History, mystery, and science collide in a new series for middle-grade readers, perfect for fans of The Mysterious Benedict Society and Lemony Snicket!
Jordan Stratford imagines an alternate 1826, where Ada Lovelace (the world’s first computer programmer) and Mary Shelley (author of Frankenstein) meet as girls and form a secret detective agency!
Lady Ada Byron, age eleven, is a genius. Isolated, awkward and a bit rude—but a genius. Mary Godwin, age fourteen, is a romantic. Adventurous, astute, and kind, Mary is to become Ada’s first true friend. And together, the girls conspire to form the Wollstonecraft Detective Agency—a secret constabulary for the apprehension of clever criminals. Their first case involves a stolen heirloom, a false confession, and an array of fishy suspects. But it’s no match for the deductive powers and bold hearts of Ada and Mary.
Mystery fans will love this tween girl riff on Sherlock Holmes and John Watson. History buffs will be delighted to see all the real figures who play a role in this story and appreciate the extensive backmatter that helps separate truth from fiction. Parents and educators hoping to promote the STEM fields for girls will be thrilled to have a series where two girls use math, science, and creative analytical thinking to solve crimes. But most espicially--emerging readers will love this series filled with humor, action, intrigue and wonderful artwork from Kelly Murphy.
From the Hardcover edition.
Jordan Stratford imagines an alternate 1826, where Ada Lovelace (the world’s first computer programmer) and Mary Shelley (author of Frankenstein) meet as girls and form a secret detective agency!
Lady Ada Byron, age eleven, is a genius. Isolated, awkward and a bit rude—but a genius. Mary Godwin, age fourteen, is a romantic. Adventurous, astute, and kind, Mary is to become Ada’s first true friend. And together, the girls conspire to form the Wollstonecraft Detective Agency—a secret constabulary for the apprehension of clever criminals. Their first case involves a stolen heirloom, a false confession, and an array of fishy suspects. But it’s no match for the deductive powers and bold hearts of Ada and Mary.
Mystery fans will love this tween girl riff on Sherlock Holmes and John Watson. History buffs will be delighted to see all the real figures who play a role in this story and appreciate the extensive backmatter that helps separate truth from fiction. Parents and educators hoping to promote the STEM fields for girls will be thrilled to have a series where two girls use math, science, and creative analytical thinking to solve crimes. But most espicially--emerging readers will love this series filled with humor, action, intrigue and wonderful artwork from Kelly Murphy.
From the Hardcover edition.
240 pages, Library Binding
First published January 6, 2015
156 people are currently reading
3041 people want to read
About the author
Jordan Stratford
10 books149 followersJordan Stratford has been pronounced clinically dead, and was briefly mistakenly wanted by INTERPOL for international industrial espionage. He is an ordained priest, has won numerous sword fights, jaywalked across the streets of Paris, San Franciso, and Sao Paolo, and was once shot by a stray rubber bullet in a London riot. He lives on a tiny windswept Pacific island populated predominantly by realtors and carnivorous gulls.
Represented by Heather Schroder of ICM Partners, New York.
Represented by Heather Schroder of ICM Partners, New York.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 533 reviews
January 25, 2015
Three cheers for Jordan Stratford.
In this steampunk story aimed at middle readers (but delightful for adults, as well), Stratford brings together the mother of modern science fiction, Mary Shelley, and the world's first computer programmer, Ada Lovelace, as girls (14 and 11, respectively). In honor of the feminist writings of Mary's late mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, the two create the Wollstonecraft Detective Agency. They use science to solve the mystery of the missing moonstone. There is so much to love here: clever dialogue, evocative description, action, and intelligent young women using their reason.
For young readers, the novel serves as an introduction of sorts to the intellectual history of the Victorian era; for those who are already in the know, the inside jokes and loving homages are a treat. The mystery is a retelling of The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins, the first great detective novel in English. Percy B. Shelley and Charles Dickens play key roles in the tale, as do mesmerism and Newgate Prison. Fantastic.
The book ends with a discussion of the real history behind Ada, Mary, Wollstonecraft, The Moonstone, and the other ingredients of the story, and Stratford makes it clear when and why he's taken liberties with the past (for example, in narrowing the real gap between the ages of his protagonists so they have the chance to be young heroines together).
This is the perfect storm of inspiration, entertainment, and education. I'm already making plans to put a copy of this book into the hands of the young readers I know.
In this steampunk story aimed at middle readers (but delightful for adults, as well), Stratford brings together the mother of modern science fiction, Mary Shelley, and the world's first computer programmer, Ada Lovelace, as girls (14 and 11, respectively). In honor of the feminist writings of Mary's late mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, the two create the Wollstonecraft Detective Agency. They use science to solve the mystery of the missing moonstone. There is so much to love here: clever dialogue, evocative description, action, and intelligent young women using their reason.
For young readers, the novel serves as an introduction of sorts to the intellectual history of the Victorian era; for those who are already in the know, the inside jokes and loving homages are a treat. The mystery is a retelling of The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins, the first great detective novel in English. Percy B. Shelley and Charles Dickens play key roles in the tale, as do mesmerism and Newgate Prison. Fantastic.
The book ends with a discussion of the real history behind Ada, Mary, Wollstonecraft, The Moonstone, and the other ingredients of the story, and Stratford makes it clear when and why he's taken liberties with the past (for example, in narrowing the real gap between the ages of his protagonists so they have the chance to be young heroines together).
This is the perfect storm of inspiration, entertainment, and education. I'm already making plans to put a copy of this book into the hands of the young readers I know.
May 15, 2021
*** RE-READ MAY 2021!
Updated rating: 3.5 STARS!!!
Really enjoyed it the second time around! I think when I read it the first time, I expected something more but I think I've changed my mind on that since reading so many more MG mysteries since 2016. I changed the rating from 3 to 3.5, which isn't a lot, but it deserves a bit of a higher rating now. If you love Victorian MG mysteries I highly recommend this one and this series.
-R.
------------------------------------------------
2016 REVIEW+
3 STARS!
This was a hilarious and fun middle-grade mystery. It took a bit for things to get started and only being 203 pages I was expecting a high-octane thrill ride and I got that to a certain extent. It was pretty predictable as well, I do have to say that. But I still very much enjoyed it and will be checking out the second book in the series.
I read this with both the audio book and the physical book and that made it an even better read. I hope to read the second book the same way because the narrator did a great job. :)
- Richard
Updated rating: 3.5 STARS!!!
Really enjoyed it the second time around! I think when I read it the first time, I expected something more but I think I've changed my mind on that since reading so many more MG mysteries since 2016. I changed the rating from 3 to 3.5, which isn't a lot, but it deserves a bit of a higher rating now. If you love Victorian MG mysteries I highly recommend this one and this series.
-R.
------------------------------------------------
2016 REVIEW+
3 STARS!
This was a hilarious and fun middle-grade mystery. It took a bit for things to get started and only being 203 pages I was expecting a high-octane thrill ride and I got that to a certain extent. It was pretty predictable as well, I do have to say that. But I still very much enjoyed it and will be checking out the second book in the series.
I read this with both the audio book and the physical book and that made it an even better read. I hope to read the second book the same way because the narrator did a great job. :)
- Richard
Read
March 7, 2023This novel is about Lady Ada Byron and Mary Godwin, two very different people who go on to become unlikely friends. Together they form the Wollstonecraft Detective Agency, and their first case is to track down a stolen heirloom. They find themselves in dangerous situations as they break in and out of a prison and even pursue someone in a hot air balloon. This is a very exciting book and I highly recommend it! -Ram B., SPL Teen Volunteer
January 15, 2018
Rated G.
You cannot possibly be serious. There is only so much Deus Ex Machina that I can reasonably take, and The Case of the Missing Moonstone surpasses that boundary spectacularly. I kind of want to say that it is a problem when the most interesting part of a book is the Notes section at the back. I mean, it's a cute story, but I think the main value of the book is its historical value, which is admittedly dubious. Shall we explore the Sins?
Sin #1: Every historical fact/figure is obscured or changed until the book has no real value as a historical fiction book. Is the purpose to be historical? Well, no and yes. Based on the story and the dates alone, the answer is no, but according to the concluding Notes, the majority of the story's cast is composed of real historical characters such as Charles Dickens, Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin (later Shelley), Percy Bysshe Shelley, Augusta Ada Byron (later Lovecraft), George Gordon Byron, and more.
The problem is really that nearly all of the characters' dates are totally switched around. For instance, the two heroines are, for the purposes of the story, only three years apart, whereas in real life, they were eighteen years apart. One of the characters should have been dead years before. Some never met in real life. Some didn't survive childhood. SO MUCH is made up that it is kind of ridiculous, especially when the characters are actually based on real people.
In other words, here's my take on it: If you are going to make everything up, make up the names, too. Don't even bother connecting these characters to history, or, if you really want these particular characters, make it an obvious alternate history. Go ahead and base the eleven-year-old girl on Ada Byron, and go ahead and base the fourteen-year-old girl on Mary Godwin, but for goodness' sakes, if you are going to make time and people do whatever you want them to do, don't even bother connecting it so obviously to historical people and places. You can cite your sources and inspiration, but don't pretend that these characters are the same as the real people. THEY. ARE. NOT.
This doesn't always bother me, but when it is carried to such an extent and in conjunction with many other Book Sins, you'd better believe that I am no longer amused.
Sin #2: Oversimplification Okay, perhaps this can be chalked up to being an elementary/middle grade book about the 19th century. Nevertheless, this feels like a cheap knockoff of Nancy Springer's Enola Holmes. Enola Holmes has character, verve, spunk--whatever you want to call it. Oh, and her methods and struggles both are kind of more realistic, even when they are somewhat improbable. For those of you who want to say that at least Mary and Ada use science and math, Enola also solves puzzles, cracks codes (that readers can learn to use!), and uses various methods of deductions to crack the case.
***BONUS: Enola Homes is the fictional sister of a fictional character, THE Sherlock Holmes, so there can be a bit of historical fiction mixed in with the admittedly fictional characters! The problem with completely recreated history kind of goes out the window since the Holmesian world is an alternate version of Victorian England anyway, colliding a few times with reality (e.g. Florence Nightingale makes a few appearances, and the Crimean War is mentioned). She has genuine struggles with the villains, with society, and with her brothers, who want to send her to boarding school.***
Ada and Mary are totally different. Ada is a spoiled child who runs rampant over all of the servants. (Okay, that's realistic. Never mind that point.) Mary, though, plays at being rebellious but isn't really. She rides in a carriage unchaperoned every day, but that's pretty much it until she helps Ada create a detective agency. And everything just feels clean and pretty and just like the illustrations. No shadows. No crinkles. Perfect hair. Convenient happenings. Just look at the cover and you'll see what I mean. All of the illustrations match (they are in black and white and shades of beautifully shaded gray). If you don't mind stories with characters whose dresses don't have a single fold or crinkle and their lives are drawn out in colored pencil, you'd probably like this book.
Sin #3: Deus Ex Machina, Meet Deus Ex Machina Ready or not, here I come! This is what really threw me into a snarling fit of book-rage. (Well, not really, but pretty close.) THE CONVENIENCE OF EVERYTHING IS BEYOND BELIEF.
Take the opening chapter, for instance. In what universe is a young Lady (eleven years old at the beginning of the book, which means that she had to have been ten years old or younger when she first conceived the idea) ever gifted with the materials, manpower, and sheer know-how to make a functional hot-air balloon? I'll grant that it is possible for an child prodigy to have a mind like a steel trap that can conceive of this. But to actually create it? That requires significant cooperation from a LOT of consenting, intelligent, wealthy, and supportive adults. Recap: Ada somehow designed and created a functioning hot air balloon, even though she has only two supporting adults in her life, BOTH of them servants, and despite her extreme youth and inability to function outside of the home. And remember that this is 19th century England, and the young lady in question is the daughter of Baroness Wentworth (who admittedly neglects her daughter, but STILL). Nope. Nope. NOPE. I need significant explanation for that particular occurrence.
Then we have the whole prison incident. Two wealthy young girls are allowed to get into a prison unchaperoned and then are able to wheedle their way out of prison by claiming that they are impoverished orphans. By the way, they couldn't use that excuse to get into the prison because they have fancy dresses and hats on. And I don't think that an actual prison guard would (a) allow such girls into the prison without interrogating them as to their purpose AND with an adult's supervision BECAUSE THIS IS 19TH CENTURY ENGLAND AND THIS IS NEWGATE PRISON AND THESE ARE CLEARLY UNSUPERVISED WEALTHY CHILDREN or (b) refuse to let them out again after having let them in, clearly understanding that they are not, in fact, prisoners who need to be kept in in the first place.
And I absolutely CANNOT finish this review without mentioning that appalling ending. Beware. Spoilers abound. Let's list the incidences of Deus Ex Machina, shall we?
Remember what I said about having a boundary of belief? I can endure pretty much all sins...up to a point. When a book crosses that line, I am totally okay with going on a full-on crazed book rant. And now that rant is over. Thank you. You've been a wonderful audience.
You cannot possibly be serious. There is only so much Deus Ex Machina that I can reasonably take, and The Case of the Missing Moonstone surpasses that boundary spectacularly. I kind of want to say that it is a problem when the most interesting part of a book is the Notes section at the back. I mean, it's a cute story, but I think the main value of the book is its historical value, which is admittedly dubious. Shall we explore the Sins?
Sin #1: Every historical fact/figure is obscured or changed until the book has no real value as a historical fiction book. Is the purpose to be historical? Well, no and yes. Based on the story and the dates alone, the answer is no, but according to the concluding Notes, the majority of the story's cast is composed of real historical characters such as Charles Dickens, Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin (later Shelley), Percy Bysshe Shelley, Augusta Ada Byron (later Lovecraft), George Gordon Byron, and more.
The problem is really that nearly all of the characters' dates are totally switched around. For instance, the two heroines are, for the purposes of the story, only three years apart, whereas in real life, they were eighteen years apart. One of the characters should have been dead years before. Some never met in real life. Some didn't survive childhood. SO MUCH is made up that it is kind of ridiculous, especially when the characters are actually based on real people.
In other words, here's my take on it: If you are going to make everything up, make up the names, too. Don't even bother connecting these characters to history, or, if you really want these particular characters, make it an obvious alternate history. Go ahead and base the eleven-year-old girl on Ada Byron, and go ahead and base the fourteen-year-old girl on Mary Godwin, but for goodness' sakes, if you are going to make time and people do whatever you want them to do, don't even bother connecting it so obviously to historical people and places. You can cite your sources and inspiration, but don't pretend that these characters are the same as the real people. THEY. ARE. NOT.
This doesn't always bother me, but when it is carried to such an extent and in conjunction with many other Book Sins, you'd better believe that I am no longer amused.
Sin #2: Oversimplification Okay, perhaps this can be chalked up to being an elementary/middle grade book about the 19th century. Nevertheless, this feels like a cheap knockoff of Nancy Springer's Enola Holmes. Enola Holmes has character, verve, spunk--whatever you want to call it. Oh, and her methods and struggles both are kind of more realistic, even when they are somewhat improbable. For those of you who want to say that at least Mary and Ada use science and math, Enola also solves puzzles, cracks codes (that readers can learn to use!), and uses various methods of deductions to crack the case.
***BONUS: Enola Homes is the fictional sister of a fictional character, THE Sherlock Holmes, so there can be a bit of historical fiction mixed in with the admittedly fictional characters! The problem with completely recreated history kind of goes out the window since the Holmesian world is an alternate version of Victorian England anyway, colliding a few times with reality (e.g. Florence Nightingale makes a few appearances, and the Crimean War is mentioned). She has genuine struggles with the villains, with society, and with her brothers, who want to send her to boarding school.***
Ada and Mary are totally different. Ada is a spoiled child who runs rampant over all of the servants. (Okay, that's realistic. Never mind that point.) Mary, though, plays at being rebellious but isn't really. She rides in a carriage unchaperoned every day, but that's pretty much it until she helps Ada create a detective agency. And everything just feels clean and pretty and just like the illustrations. No shadows. No crinkles. Perfect hair. Convenient happenings. Just look at the cover and you'll see what I mean. All of the illustrations match (they are in black and white and shades of beautifully shaded gray). If you don't mind stories with characters whose dresses don't have a single fold or crinkle and their lives are drawn out in colored pencil, you'd probably like this book.
Sin #3: Deus Ex Machina, Meet Deus Ex Machina Ready or not, here I come! This is what really threw me into a snarling fit of book-rage. (Well, not really, but pretty close.) THE CONVENIENCE OF EVERYTHING IS BEYOND BELIEF.
Take the opening chapter, for instance. In what universe is a young Lady (eleven years old at the beginning of the book, which means that she had to have been ten years old or younger when she first conceived the idea) ever gifted with the materials, manpower, and sheer know-how to make a functional hot-air balloon? I'll grant that it is possible for an child prodigy to have a mind like a steel trap that can conceive of this. But to actually create it? That requires significant cooperation from a LOT of consenting, intelligent, wealthy, and supportive adults. Recap: Ada somehow designed and created a functioning hot air balloon, even though she has only two supporting adults in her life, BOTH of them servants, and despite her extreme youth and inability to function outside of the home. And remember that this is 19th century England, and the young lady in question is the daughter of Baroness Wentworth (who admittedly neglects her daughter, but STILL). Nope. Nope. NOPE. I need significant explanation for that particular occurrence.
Then we have the whole prison incident. Two wealthy young girls are allowed to get into a prison unchaperoned and then are able to wheedle their way out of prison by claiming that they are impoverished orphans. By the way, they couldn't use that excuse to get into the prison because they have fancy dresses and hats on. And I don't think that an actual prison guard would (a) allow such girls into the prison without interrogating them as to their purpose AND with an adult's supervision BECAUSE THIS IS 19TH CENTURY ENGLAND AND THIS IS NEWGATE PRISON AND THESE ARE CLEARLY UNSUPERVISED WEALTHY CHILDREN or (b) refuse to let them out again after having let them in, clearly understanding that they are not, in fact, prisoners who need to be kept in in the first place.
And I absolutely CANNOT finish this review without mentioning that appalling ending. Beware. Spoilers abound. Let's list the incidences of Deus Ex Machina, shall we?
Remember what I said about having a boundary of belief? I can endure pretty much all sins...up to a point. When a book crosses that line, I am totally okay with going on a full-on crazed book rant. And now that rant is over. Thank you. You've been a wonderful audience.
May 16, 2017
Every once in a while, my mood will tolerate nothing but a children’s book. Often I’ll reread a book from the golden age of literature for young people, but this week I ventured into unfamiliar territory and tried #1 in the Wollstonecraft Detective Agency series, The Case of the Missing Moonstone. What a thrill! I hope I can entice everyone to read this fresh, clever, touching, and utterly delightful tale.
The story begins with the meeting of two girls in 1826: Ada Byron (more widely known as Ada Lovelace), daughter of the poet George Gordon, Lord Byron, and Mary Godwin, daughter of early feminist Mary Wollstonecraft and philosopher William Godwin. The time-space continuum needs to be messed with a bit to put these two together, but it’s so totally worth it. Ada lives alone in London with a couple of servants; she is headstrong and brilliant and peculiar (and modern readers will soon recognize that she’s on the autism spectrum). Mary lives with her family but is sent daily to Ada’s house to share a tutor (and we soon twig to who he is—just about everyone in this book is famous). The two girls are very different but develop a friendship based on complementarity. Bored and unaccustomed to obedience, they cook up the idea of starting their own clandestine detective agency, and we’re off to the races.
The action is wildly implausible but follows a relentless childish logic that is entirely appropriate to fiction for young readers. The underlying research is excellent, and when the story strays from historical fact, it does so for good reason. The writing is deft and hilarious, the author gifted at letting the reader know more than the characters do about themselves and their world. It is, in fact, a little piece of kid-lit perfection. And Jordan Stratford’s story is ably supplemented by the simple but charming artwork of Kelly Murphy.
This work got started with a Kickstarter campaign, but I’m delighted that the editors at Knopf came to their senses, snatched it up, and gave it a worthy packaging. This ought to be a modern classic!
The story begins with the meeting of two girls in 1826: Ada Byron (more widely known as Ada Lovelace), daughter of the poet George Gordon, Lord Byron, and Mary Godwin, daughter of early feminist Mary Wollstonecraft and philosopher William Godwin. The time-space continuum needs to be messed with a bit to put these two together, but it’s so totally worth it. Ada lives alone in London with a couple of servants; she is headstrong and brilliant and peculiar (and modern readers will soon recognize that she’s on the autism spectrum). Mary lives with her family but is sent daily to Ada’s house to share a tutor (and we soon twig to who he is—just about everyone in this book is famous). The two girls are very different but develop a friendship based on complementarity. Bored and unaccustomed to obedience, they cook up the idea of starting their own clandestine detective agency, and we’re off to the races.
The action is wildly implausible but follows a relentless childish logic that is entirely appropriate to fiction for young readers. The underlying research is excellent, and when the story strays from historical fact, it does so for good reason. The writing is deft and hilarious, the author gifted at letting the reader know more than the characters do about themselves and their world. It is, in fact, a little piece of kid-lit perfection. And Jordan Stratford’s story is ably supplemented by the simple but charming artwork of Kelly Murphy.
This work got started with a Kickstarter campaign, but I’m delighted that the editors at Knopf came to their senses, snatched it up, and gave it a worthy packaging. This ought to be a modern classic!
Read
May 23, 2020Cute!
July 25, 2016
It is such a joy to read aloud to kids, especially when a book is as well written as this one. It's a fast-paced mystery that’s solved by Ada (11) and Mary (14) in classic detective style using deduction, intuition and a whole lot of serendipity. If the names seem a little familiar, you’re right. Stratford based the characters loosely on Ada Lovelace, the programmer-assistant to Charles Babbage of computing fame, and Mary Godwin (Shelley) of Frankenstein fame, whose mother was Mary Wollstonecraft . Kids may not care about the real-life connections, but full credit to Stratford for creating a set (actually about ten altogether) of engaging characters based on a period some 200 years ago, though he does take quite a few liberties with the overlap of their “real” lives.
As part of their quest to retrieve the Moonstone (a bow to Wilkie Collins’ mystery, of course) the girls manage to sneak into and out of Newgate Prison, which requires some sassy challenging of a dim-witted guard. And you will be interested to know that “Peebs” (Percy Bysshe Shelley, who makes a clandestine appearance as the girls’ tutor), is locked in the pantry at one point, and is plaintively heard to call out that he needs to go to the bathroom. It’s just that sort of adventure.
One thing I particularly liked is that, while TWDA is promoting girls in leading roles and solving problems, it isn’t at all preachy about that or about the references to the real characters, and it’s written with a lot of wit and humour that appealed to me as well as the two girls I was reading to.
What’s more, I discovered that Jordan Stratford is a local writer!
As part of their quest to retrieve the Moonstone (a bow to Wilkie Collins’ mystery, of course) the girls manage to sneak into and out of Newgate Prison, which requires some sassy challenging of a dim-witted guard. And you will be interested to know that “Peebs” (Percy Bysshe Shelley, who makes a clandestine appearance as the girls’ tutor), is locked in the pantry at one point, and is plaintively heard to call out that he needs to go to the bathroom. It’s just that sort of adventure.
One thing I particularly liked is that, while TWDA is promoting girls in leading roles and solving problems, it isn’t at all preachy about that or about the references to the real characters, and it’s written with a lot of wit and humour that appealed to me as well as the two girls I was reading to.
What’s more, I discovered that Jordan Stratford is a local writer!
October 25, 2022
What a fun story, pulling two amazing women from history and putting them together as teenage detectives. I thought the premise of this was unique and I'm always here for books about strong women who defied expectations. There are also a few other historical figures sprinkled in, like Charles Dickens being the girl's helper in their case.
The pacing is quick and a few times Ada said things that made me laugh. She's so straightforward and tells you exactly what she's thinking. Mary is a good counterpart for her, she understands society more and can relate to people. I hope there are more books in this series, because I will be reading them!
The pacing is quick and a few times Ada said things that made me laugh. She's so straightforward and tells you exactly what she's thinking. Mary is a good counterpart for her, she understands society more and can relate to people. I hope there are more books in this series, because I will be reading them!
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November 25, 2020I really, REALLY enjoyed it.
גילוי נאות: ללא דירוג כי זו גם העבודה שלי (יח״צ להוצאה שתרגמה אותו לעברית) וזה לא הוגן, אבל הוא באמת מקסים ומצחיק וכיפי ממש.
גילוי נאות: ללא דירוג כי זו גם העבודה שלי (יח״צ להוצאה שתרגמה אותו לעברית) וזה לא הוגן, אבל הוא באמת מקסים ומצחיק וכיפי ממש.
September 22, 2022
This was a recommendation from my niece and I really enjoyed this blend of historical fiction, science fiction, and mystery. While parts of it were completely fantastical (), I loved the reimagined characters of Ada, Mary, and Percy! The adventure/mystery was fun, and I loved the idea of Mary and Ada joining forces even if in real life, Mary was 18 years older than Ada. The author's note at the end was also very helpful as there was one character who I wasn't able to place in history (I'll let you figure it out). When I read her note about this character, I actually gasped and grinned! This quick read is perfect for middle school students, but it can easily be enjoyed by older folks who like reading middle school books. It reminded me a little bit of the Benedict Society in terms of style, but this is probably more accessible for younger children, if only because it's half the length! I am so glad my niece recommended this and will now be recommending this to some of my other students!
October 1, 2020
Eleven-year-old Ada Byron (later Lovelace) and fourteen-year-old Mary Godwin (later Shelley) form a detective agency and solve crimes--only those with clever criminals. Stratford has bent history quite a bit here, for there was a generational difference between Ada and Mary, and Charles Dickens likely didn't know them, and Percy Bysshe Shelley wasn't quite so involved, either. Yet, this is all explained very well in a lengthy historical note, which eased my historian's conscience greatly.
Stratford writes so well about the young, eccentric Enchantress of Numbers. Ada is a bit odd: she prefers hanging about in her hot air balloon. She draws up plans for a cannon to shoot her unwanted tutor away from the house. And she is not afraid of a little dirt. I found it refreshing that a middle-grade heroine was allowed to be weird, mumbling about physics and turning mysteries into math problems, without having to change for society (she's eleven!) or even for her (absent) mother. Young readers, perhaps girls especially, will find her a refreshing character. I'd have related more to Mary's responsible, wordy, personable character as a child, but Ada was endearing and not annoying.
The Case of the Missing Moonstone has the type of references one will find in Arthur and other children's media that aim to build cultural literacy. The plot, Stratford acknowledges, is lifted from Wilkie Collins's The Moonstone (minus the drugs). Ada, Mary, Percy, Babbage, and Charles are cultural touchstones in their own rights. And the history of STEM is part of the story, which is explicated further in the historical note, providing topics for young readers to explore.
Overall, this book is good plain fun, with additional delights for the literary- and/or STEM-minded reader. It's rare that I think about recommending a middle-grade novel to my husband, a computer scientist, but I have a suspicion he would enjoy this one as much as I did.
Ada Lovelace wrote the first computer code in history, and perhaps made the first standard for an artificial intelligence. The computing machines of her day could not "think;" Alan Turing, forefather of AI, called this Lady Lovelace's Objection. Though mathematical history often claims Lovelace, to me she is staunchly within the history of computing, being the first coder. The two fields are not wholly separate, since computers are, well, computational, and computer science is based entirely on mathematics. Mary Shelley's impact on the world hardly needs explanation. In the most recent season of Doctor Who, the Doctor and her companions travel to the famous night when Shelley creates the story of Frankenstein (Lovelace is present as an infant, and made a grown-up appearance earlier that season). As Shelley created the genre of sci-fi, having Doctor Who go back to that night gave me no end of pleasure. I don't usually care for sci fi (unless it involves time travel into the past) and haven't even read Frankenstein, but the delight was not lessened by my ignorance.
Stratford writes so well about the young, eccentric Enchantress of Numbers. Ada is a bit odd: she prefers hanging about in her hot air balloon. She draws up plans for a cannon to shoot her unwanted tutor away from the house. And she is not afraid of a little dirt. I found it refreshing that a middle-grade heroine was allowed to be weird, mumbling about physics and turning mysteries into math problems, without having to change for society (she's eleven!) or even for her (absent) mother. Young readers, perhaps girls especially, will find her a refreshing character. I'd have related more to Mary's responsible, wordy, personable character as a child, but Ada was endearing and not annoying.
The Case of the Missing Moonstone has the type of references one will find in Arthur and other children's media that aim to build cultural literacy. The plot, Stratford acknowledges, is lifted from Wilkie Collins's The Moonstone (minus the drugs). Ada, Mary, Percy, Babbage, and Charles are cultural touchstones in their own rights. And the history of STEM is part of the story, which is explicated further in the historical note, providing topics for young readers to explore.
Overall, this book is good plain fun, with additional delights for the literary- and/or STEM-minded reader. It's rare that I think about recommending a middle-grade novel to my husband, a computer scientist, but I have a suspicion he would enjoy this one as much as I did.
Ada Lovelace wrote the first computer code in history, and perhaps made the first standard for an artificial intelligence. The computing machines of her day could not "think;" Alan Turing, forefather of AI, called this Lady Lovelace's Objection. Though mathematical history often claims Lovelace, to me she is staunchly within the history of computing, being the first coder. The two fields are not wholly separate, since computers are, well, computational, and computer science is based entirely on mathematics. Mary Shelley's impact on the world hardly needs explanation. In the most recent season of Doctor Who, the Doctor and her companions travel to the famous night when Shelley creates the story of Frankenstein (Lovelace is present as an infant, and made a grown-up appearance earlier that season). As Shelley created the genre of sci-fi, having Doctor Who go back to that night gave me no end of pleasure. I don't usually care for sci fi (unless it involves time travel into the past) and haven't even read Frankenstein, but the delight was not lessened by my ignorance.
January 15, 2018
Pros:
Some of the most fascinating characters of the later 1800s get together for detective hijinx.
Interesting people, most noticeably Ada.
Real emotions.
Fun.
Cons:
So. Many. Plotholes!
Characters at times inconsistent: most noticeably Ada. Sometimes she's completely clueless about the most basic meanings of human facial expressions, customs, and emotions. Other times she's suddenly a human-relationship-and-social-manipulations genius.
The mystery has a solution and a climax that are each as crazy as the other. (See: plotholes).
But hardest for me to handle was the fact that if you are going to write about a period - particularly if major motifs are 'how unfair the period is to women' and 'how prisons and the justice system worked' and 'how stratified society was' ....then you are morally obligated to present those aspects accurately.
No, Newgate did not have no procedure for visitors to enter but allow anyone with a fast tongue to leave.
No, a necklace particularly left to a woman was quite likely to remain legally her own property, not her husband's, and to pass after the woman's death to her daughter or (if she had none) daughter in law or niece, not pass after her husband's death to his eldest son. Jewelry was considered particularly feminine property, and any number of jewels specifically were inherited through the female line. No, if it was left to the daughter by a third party in a proper will with proper executors, it would be impossible for the girl's mother to legally just keep the jewel for herself.
The list goes on and on.
I particularly choked when the gently-born-and-bred Miss Godwin -- a young lady if ever there was one -- explained that she, of course, was not gentry. Ada (Lady Byron) was gentry. Miss Mary Godwin was 'just a girl'.
Sigh. Miss Godwin is gentry. Her father does not work as a merchant or labor in any 'common' occupation... he is a gentleman. She is a young lady.
Lady Byron is not gentry. That is an insult. She is a noblewoman...in fact, a peeress in her own right. Yes, their statuses are different.
If you wish to write in a historical period without the dreary necessity of doing scads of research, either make it obviously a fantasy world or else leave the setting as much in the background as humanly possible...don't keep trotting out something wildly incorrect and saying, "See? See? The Past was totally exactly like this! Aren't you grateful for modern reforms?"
It spoils the effect.
Some of the most fascinating characters of the later 1800s get together for detective hijinx.
Interesting people, most noticeably Ada.
Real emotions.
Fun.
Cons:
So. Many. Plotholes!
Characters at times inconsistent: most noticeably Ada. Sometimes she's completely clueless about the most basic meanings of human facial expressions, customs, and emotions. Other times she's suddenly a human-relationship-and-social-manipulations genius.
The mystery has a solution and a climax that are each as crazy as the other. (See: plotholes).
But hardest for me to handle was the fact that if you are going to write about a period - particularly if major motifs are 'how unfair the period is to women' and 'how prisons and the justice system worked' and 'how stratified society was' ....then you are morally obligated to present those aspects accurately.
No, Newgate did not have no procedure for visitors to enter but allow anyone with a fast tongue to leave.
No, a necklace particularly left to a woman was quite likely to remain legally her own property, not her husband's, and to pass after the woman's death to her daughter or (if she had none) daughter in law or niece, not pass after her husband's death to his eldest son. Jewelry was considered particularly feminine property, and any number of jewels specifically were inherited through the female line. No, if it was left to the daughter by a third party in a proper will with proper executors, it would be impossible for the girl's mother to legally just keep the jewel for herself.
The list goes on and on.
I particularly choked when the gently-born-and-bred Miss Godwin -- a young lady if ever there was one -- explained that she, of course, was not gentry. Ada (Lady Byron) was gentry. Miss Mary Godwin was 'just a girl'.
Sigh. Miss Godwin is gentry. Her father does not work as a merchant or labor in any 'common' occupation... he is a gentleman. She is a young lady.
Lady Byron is not gentry. That is an insult. She is a noblewoman...in fact, a peeress in her own right. Yes, their statuses are different.
If you wish to write in a historical period without the dreary necessity of doing scads of research, either make it obviously a fantasy world or else leave the setting as much in the background as humanly possible...don't keep trotting out something wildly incorrect and saying, "See? See? The Past was totally exactly like this! Aren't you grateful for modern reforms?"
It spoils the effect.
August 4, 2023
I tried reading this several years ago and couldn't get into it despite feeling that I should love it. I'm so glad that I picked it back up for my ten-year-old for our read-aloud together. This time, I found it a delight! While, yes, it is somewhat frustrating that there is so much fabrication going on in terms of fiddling with characters ages and situations being different from what they were in real life (and I sincerely hope all readers will not skip the author's notes which explain that, for example, in real life Mary was eighteen years older than Ada and they didn't really know one another, let alone run a detective agency together). However, take with a huge grain of salt, this is historical fiction and I feel that, poetic license aside, it does a very fine job of conveying the personalities of Ada Lovelace and Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin and evoking London of 1826. A few other characters are also real-life figures but I'll leave those for the reader to discover and, of course, there are some fun nods to Wilkie Collin's The Moonstone, as you may imagine given the title.. The mystery elements are well-done, but my favorite part was the peek into the minds and hearts of two very different girls and the way they appreciated and learned from one another's strengths. I am also very glad that, while a story focusing on two girls and definitely has a lot of "girl power" the story also doesn't demote boys and includes a few portrayed in a positive light. Both my ten-year-old (son) and myself thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to more in the series.
June 15, 2017
A somewhat fantastical read, this book explores the concept of "What if Ada Byron Lovelace and Mary Godwin Shelley grew up together. And solved mysteries?" It was quite interesting, and stayed fairly true to what the girls might have been like, as, well, young girls. Mr. Stratford takes a bit of a Sherlockian approach to the solving of the crime, but it doesn't feel overwrought due to Ada's personality AND affinity for numbers. My only issue with the story was that the dialogue was a bit annoying and ridiculous at times, but it was otherwise a charming read. The girls are 11 & 14, and reading level is 5.4, but I'm thinking more for 4th graders, especially as the more difficult words are explained (which is part of what got on my nerves--Lemony Snicket did it masterfully, but it's getting old by other children's authors--can we go back to glossaries and footnotes, now?).
June 21, 2013
I can't remember the last time I read a book this fast and with so much delight. The whole book is just a load of fun. I was absolutely taken with Ada, Mary, and their world to the point that I didn't quite want to return to this one when I had to break for such mundane things like work, food, and sleep.
There's hardly a misstep in this; my only complaint is that Ada is occasionally difficult to follow. Stratford wrangles multiple POVs across the chapters easily and without any confusion.
The historical notes at the end were age-appropriate and I enjoyed that. A good introduction to the world Wollstonecraft was inspired by and I hope young readers look into the real-world characters when they grow older.
Charmed. CHARMED.
There's hardly a misstep in this; my only complaint is that Ada is occasionally difficult to follow. Stratford wrangles multiple POVs across the chapters easily and without any confusion.
The historical notes at the end were age-appropriate and I enjoyed that. A good introduction to the world Wollstonecraft was inspired by and I hope young readers look into the real-world characters when they grow older.
Charmed. CHARMED.
August 10, 2021
Clever, with lots of fresh bits that kept me engaged. I highly recommend everyone interested at least check it out. Otoh, I don't feel compelled to keep reading the series (maybe just because I'm not a fan of series in general, maybe because I'm not the target audience). But definitely worth adding to library collections.
"The word 'disaster' presented itself to Mary. It does a good job of describing things like earthquakes and mud slides and tornadoes, but it was simply not up to the task of describing Ada's bedroom. Mary suddenly felt sorry for the word."
"The word 'disaster' presented itself to Mary. It does a good job of describing things like earthquakes and mud slides and tornadoes, but it was simply not up to the task of describing Ada's bedroom. Mary suddenly felt sorry for the word."
April 27, 2024
Rating: 2.8 / 5
As an idea, this is pretty interesting; hence, why I was willing to give it a shot: two historical figures (with LOTS of liberties taken), Ada Lovelace and Mary Shelley, meet together in this world as girlhood friends and form a detective agency together to solve crimes--the first of which is NOT the Wilkie Collins case of the missing Moonstone.
Okay. Seriously, okay. I mean, I felt it a bit big for its britches to claim to be anything as brilliant as The Mysterious Benedict Society, but seeing as I've resigned myself to the fact that nothing will ever match that, I didn't have such high expectations.
And...yeah, it didn't meet those.
I think that my greatest problem has to do with pacing and with...well, particularly how Ada's character is portrayed.
To discuss my latter complaint first, basically she just seems...very strange. Like, a bratty kid, but she's 11/12, and a wannabe Sherlock, with no social skills and a very cold and calculating "strange child" kind of vibe. Honestly, I feel that does Ada Lovelace a disservice, as at that time, a child of that age, unsupervised or not (which is totally NOT realistic, by the way, at least without a governess and NOT a tutor at her age, btw, especially since she's a daughter of the gentry) she would have had more dignity and upright baring than...what frankly seems like a random urchin off the street who's a Jim Hawkins wannabe and just "does her own thing". Yeah...no. Doesn't fit. Nuh-uh. (Especially when paired next to Mary, who's not all that much older than her, but who is so ladylike that it's hard to believe that she would strike up a friendship with Ada at all, even how different they are.)
So...yeah, that's a bit one for me, a definite turn-off for the series, and just not a good way to portray her as a character. Tip for everyone: if you're looking for a GOOD children's portrayal of Ada Lovelace, check out Goth Girl and the Ghost of a Mouse, it's MUCH better.
Ahem, and then, as for the pacing, it just felt LONGER than I think it should've. Stuff did happen, true, but because there were also a lot of inconsequential details thrown in as well (just to set an atmosphere, I guess?), it felt very slow-moving and even just 100 pages in, I felt like I'd read a book TWICE that length, and so I can only imagine how kids might feel reading it.
STILL
I am rounding up to a rating of 3 stars rather than 2, because despite its shortcomings, I did feel that the story had a certain charm set to it as well. The illustrations were wonderful, for one thing, and the side characters fairly interesting. The mystery element was also good for a kids level book, and I did like Mary's character and just recognizing the historical references as well.
I liked the book half-way in terms of counting tallys, and so I'll meet it half-way with my rating.
As an idea, this is pretty interesting; hence, why I was willing to give it a shot: two historical figures (with LOTS of liberties taken), Ada Lovelace and Mary Shelley, meet together in this world as girlhood friends and form a detective agency together to solve crimes--the first of which is NOT the Wilkie Collins case of the missing Moonstone.
Okay. Seriously, okay. I mean, I felt it a bit big for its britches to claim to be anything as brilliant as The Mysterious Benedict Society, but seeing as I've resigned myself to the fact that nothing will ever match that, I didn't have such high expectations.
And...yeah, it didn't meet those.
I think that my greatest problem has to do with pacing and with...well, particularly how Ada's character is portrayed.
To discuss my latter complaint first, basically she just seems...very strange. Like, a bratty kid, but she's 11/12, and a wannabe Sherlock, with no social skills and a very cold and calculating "strange child" kind of vibe. Honestly, I feel that does Ada Lovelace a disservice, as at that time, a child of that age, unsupervised or not (which is totally NOT realistic, by the way, at least without a governess and NOT a tutor at her age, btw, especially since she's a daughter of the gentry) she would have had more dignity and upright baring than...what frankly seems like a random urchin off the street who's a Jim Hawkins wannabe and just "does her own thing". Yeah...no. Doesn't fit. Nuh-uh. (Especially when paired next to Mary, who's not all that much older than her, but who is so ladylike that it's hard to believe that she would strike up a friendship with Ada at all, even how different they are.)
So...yeah, that's a bit one for me, a definite turn-off for the series, and just not a good way to portray her as a character. Tip for everyone: if you're looking for a GOOD children's portrayal of Ada Lovelace, check out Goth Girl and the Ghost of a Mouse, it's MUCH better.
Ahem, and then, as for the pacing, it just felt LONGER than I think it should've. Stuff did happen, true, but because there were also a lot of inconsequential details thrown in as well (just to set an atmosphere, I guess?), it felt very slow-moving and even just 100 pages in, I felt like I'd read a book TWICE that length, and so I can only imagine how kids might feel reading it.
STILL
I am rounding up to a rating of 3 stars rather than 2, because despite its shortcomings, I did feel that the story had a certain charm set to it as well. The illustrations were wonderful, for one thing, and the side characters fairly interesting. The mystery element was also good for a kids level book, and I did like Mary's character and just recognizing the historical references as well.
I liked the book half-way in terms of counting tallys, and so I'll meet it half-way with my rating.
August 29, 2025
This was an adorable first book in a series that is an MG ode to the classics, featuring as it does Ada Lovelace nee Byron and Mary Godwin Shelley as young girls who form a detective agency in the early nineteenth century.
Mary and Ada meet when the former is sent to be tutored along with the latter at her mansion. She finds Lady Ada to be a brilliant and somewhat eccentric 11 yo who has excellent powers of observation when it comes to things she is interested in but can't remember the name of her maid. Ada lacks the ability to read social cues and is awkward. She's also lonely with her mother living in the country, leaving her with her governess and tutor. Mary, thrilled to have the chance to learn, and three years older, takes Ada under her wing and gradually starts to understand her quirks.
When the two girls decide to form the Wollstonecraft detective agency and get their first case involving a missing moonstone and the possibility of mesmerism being involved, they use their combined skills to investigate. They are helped by Charles, a boy who seems to be a stowaway on the carriage that brings Mary to Ada each day and is always reading.
The way the two girls interacted was fun and I enjoyed Ada in particular with her impatience for social niceties and her utter disregard for the conventions of the time. Mary was also such a refreshing character and a wonderful friend. The case they work on has shades of The moonstone, a book I loved as well. Ada's attitude and Mary's attempts to smoothe things leads to a lot of humorous situations. Their tutor also a very familiar historical figure,bears the brunt of their adventures as well.
The author note gives the historical context and specifies the parts that are fact and the ones that are altered/fictional and I liked the context that provided. This is a book that the target age will definitely enjoy. It has some really cute illustrations too of Ada,Mary and their shenanigans! I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
Mary and Ada meet when the former is sent to be tutored along with the latter at her mansion. She finds Lady Ada to be a brilliant and somewhat eccentric 11 yo who has excellent powers of observation when it comes to things she is interested in but can't remember the name of her maid. Ada lacks the ability to read social cues and is awkward. She's also lonely with her mother living in the country, leaving her with her governess and tutor. Mary, thrilled to have the chance to learn, and three years older, takes Ada under her wing and gradually starts to understand her quirks.
When the two girls decide to form the Wollstonecraft detective agency and get their first case involving a missing moonstone and the possibility of mesmerism being involved, they use their combined skills to investigate. They are helped by Charles, a boy who seems to be a stowaway on the carriage that brings Mary to Ada each day and is always reading.
The way the two girls interacted was fun and I enjoyed Ada in particular with her impatience for social niceties and her utter disregard for the conventions of the time. Mary was also such a refreshing character and a wonderful friend. The case they work on has shades of The moonstone, a book I loved as well. Ada's attitude and Mary's attempts to smoothe things leads to a lot of humorous situations. Their tutor also a very familiar historical figure,bears the brunt of their adventures as well.
The author note gives the historical context and specifies the parts that are fact and the ones that are altered/fictional and I liked the context that provided. This is a book that the target age will definitely enjoy. It has some really cute illustrations too of Ada,Mary and their shenanigans! I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
January 16, 2021
עדה ביירון ומרי גודווין (ידועה יותר בשם מרי שלי) מפצחות תעלומה, קצת כמו שרלוק הולמס.
לקח לי חודש לקרוא את הספרון הזה כי לצערי מצאתי אותו מאוד משעמם. בעיקר לא הצלחתי להזדהות עם הדמויות.
למרות שהספר נפתח בהסבר שדברים מסוימים שונו על מנת להפוך את עדה ומרי קרובות בגילן, לא הצלחתי להתגבר על הדיסוננס.
אם מטרת הספר היא להכיר לילדים את עבודתה של עדה, למה לא לספר ביותר פירוט על התרומה שלה למדעי המחשב?
הסופר גם מכניס את צ'רלס דיקנס בצורה קצת מאולצת.
אני חושבת שבאופן כללי, "מאולץ" היא מילת התיאור הכי מתאימה לספר הזה
לקח לי חודש לקרוא את הספרון הזה כי לצערי מצאתי אותו מאוד משעמם. בעיקר לא הצלחתי להזדהות עם הדמויות.
למרות שהספר נפתח בהסבר שדברים מסוימים שונו על מנת להפוך את עדה ומרי קרובות בגילן, לא הצלחתי להתגבר על הדיסוננס.
אם מטרת הספר היא להכיר לילדים את עבודתה של עדה, למה לא לספר ביותר פירוט על התרומה שלה למדעי המחשב?
הסופר גם מכניס את צ'רלס דיקנס בצורה קצת מאולצת.
אני חושבת שבאופן כללי, "מאולץ" היא מילת התיאור הכי מתאימה לספר הזה
February 7, 2015
Please note that I received a free ARC of this book as a result of a contest in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 4.5/5
Ada is a peculiar girl. Her intelligence is spectacular for her age, and the inventions that she conjures out of her own ingenuity are breathtaking. However, despite being the smartest child I have ever read about, her people skills leave little to be desired. Whatever she is thinking pops right out of her mouth even if it is rude or curt. With her late father obviously not a part of her life, a mother who is constantly away from home for months, a silent butler, two maids whose names always escape her mind, and a dear governess ripped away, Ada is not extremely friendly. The addition of the odd Mr. Snagsby, the tutor (also called Peebs by Ada) hired to replace the governess, and a girl named Mary who is to study with her, makes Ada even more upset.
However, despite Miss Ada's less than warm disposition, Mary befriends this younger girl and together, under certain circumstances, they decide to put their brains to use and become detectives in their own secret agency known as the Wollstonecraft Detective Agency. While Mary is not too picky about who they help, Ada pours over the letters from those who send pleas of help to them in hope of their assistance (even though the letter writers believe these so called detectives to be more than just children). Finally, she comes to just the right case. Rebecca has recently turned sixteen years old. Her late uncle left her a necklace in his will that was to be given to her on this birthday, a beautiful pendant that is shaped like an acorn. During the night of her coming-out party, the priceless gift was stolen soon after it was gifted to her. The maid Rosie confessed to the thievery, but Rebecca knows that she is innocent. It is now up to Mary and Ada to discover the true culprit and why Rosie lied about the crime before time runs out and the pendant is lost to their client forever.
My thoughts on the book:
The Case of the Missing Moonstone was a pleasantly enjoyable read. I ended up loving it and flipping through the book in practically one sitting. Ada was so fun to listen to and read about! She was truly unique. While she began as a closed off individual, her journey to try and start to open up in this first installment (in what will undoubtedly be an amazing series) was cute and heartwarming at the same time. Her dialogue and nickname Peebs made me smile over and over again. The whole thing was honestly charming.
The historical aspect to this book was definitely captivating and a huge plus for me. Ada Lovelace is credited for being the world's first computer programmer while Mary Shelley is the author of Frankenstein. When these two collided in this fascinating work of fiction, I instantly fell in love with them. Sure, I realize that it's not perfectly historically accurate, and that's what makes the story so captivating. It's an earnest book based on two strong and amazing girls, even if the facts aren't perfectly on the dot. Bringing these two together was a brilliant idea. The characters immediately came to life. Middle graders will love this dynamic duo. In fact, people of all ages can take something away from Stratford's work. (I did anyway!)
I personally have so much respect for The Case of the Missing Moonstone. It promotes an interest in history, young girls achieving whatever they want even if society isn't ready for it, doing what you believe in, and friendship. Plus, at the end of the novel, there is a section for what really happened to the historical figures mentioned throughout the book during their actual lives so you can see the changes made by Jordan Stratford. Kelly Murphy even illustrated beautiful pictures that were nicely dispersed amongst the pages. What more can one possibly ask for?
The only reason that I took off a half star was because sometimes a fact would be stated and then the character would voice that fact right after it was stated. This threw me off for a minute while reading because of its repetitiveness, but this only happened a few times. I still highly recommend this book!
Rating: 4.5/5
Ada is a peculiar girl. Her intelligence is spectacular for her age, and the inventions that she conjures out of her own ingenuity are breathtaking. However, despite being the smartest child I have ever read about, her people skills leave little to be desired. Whatever she is thinking pops right out of her mouth even if it is rude or curt. With her late father obviously not a part of her life, a mother who is constantly away from home for months, a silent butler, two maids whose names always escape her mind, and a dear governess ripped away, Ada is not extremely friendly. The addition of the odd Mr. Snagsby, the tutor (also called Peebs by Ada) hired to replace the governess, and a girl named Mary who is to study with her, makes Ada even more upset.
However, despite Miss Ada's less than warm disposition, Mary befriends this younger girl and together, under certain circumstances, they decide to put their brains to use and become detectives in their own secret agency known as the Wollstonecraft Detective Agency. While Mary is not too picky about who they help, Ada pours over the letters from those who send pleas of help to them in hope of their assistance (even though the letter writers believe these so called detectives to be more than just children). Finally, she comes to just the right case. Rebecca has recently turned sixteen years old. Her late uncle left her a necklace in his will that was to be given to her on this birthday, a beautiful pendant that is shaped like an acorn. During the night of her coming-out party, the priceless gift was stolen soon after it was gifted to her. The maid Rosie confessed to the thievery, but Rebecca knows that she is innocent. It is now up to Mary and Ada to discover the true culprit and why Rosie lied about the crime before time runs out and the pendant is lost to their client forever.
My thoughts on the book:
The Case of the Missing Moonstone was a pleasantly enjoyable read. I ended up loving it and flipping through the book in practically one sitting. Ada was so fun to listen to and read about! She was truly unique. While she began as a closed off individual, her journey to try and start to open up in this first installment (in what will undoubtedly be an amazing series) was cute and heartwarming at the same time. Her dialogue and nickname Peebs made me smile over and over again. The whole thing was honestly charming.
The historical aspect to this book was definitely captivating and a huge plus for me. Ada Lovelace is credited for being the world's first computer programmer while Mary Shelley is the author of Frankenstein. When these two collided in this fascinating work of fiction, I instantly fell in love with them. Sure, I realize that it's not perfectly historically accurate, and that's what makes the story so captivating. It's an earnest book based on two strong and amazing girls, even if the facts aren't perfectly on the dot. Bringing these two together was a brilliant idea. The characters immediately came to life. Middle graders will love this dynamic duo. In fact, people of all ages can take something away from Stratford's work. (I did anyway!)
I personally have so much respect for The Case of the Missing Moonstone. It promotes an interest in history, young girls achieving whatever they want even if society isn't ready for it, doing what you believe in, and friendship. Plus, at the end of the novel, there is a section for what really happened to the historical figures mentioned throughout the book during their actual lives so you can see the changes made by Jordan Stratford. Kelly Murphy even illustrated beautiful pictures that were nicely dispersed amongst the pages. What more can one possibly ask for?
The only reason that I took off a half star was because sometimes a fact would be stated and then the character would voice that fact right after it was stated. This threw me off for a minute while reading because of its repetitiveness, but this only happened a few times. I still highly recommend this book!
September 4, 2018
My 11 year old said 5 stars, I say 3, so I'll go with 4.
May 22, 2015
The changes in historical timelines worry me, but the detecting team of Mary and Ada is just too wonderfully realised. A lovely book for 8-12 year olds ideally, and the illustrations are adorable.
Want to read
November 13, 201513 NOV 2015 - spied on Wendy's update feed. Thanks, Wendy.
January 19, 2025
This was quite endearing. I love Stratford's historical notes at the end to put it all into perspective.
Perhaps even a bit easier to connect to it since I had read Wilkie's The Moonstone.
Fully intend to read the others in this series!
Perhaps even a bit easier to connect to it since I had read Wilkie's The Moonstone.
Fully intend to read the others in this series!
October 27, 2019
At the beginning of the book, before the story starts, Stratford states up front that he played a little fast and loose with the timeline of our story. Ava and Mary would not have been young friends, Mary being several years older in real life. Also, there are characters who are alive in this story which would be dead in history.
I appreciated this note to history, and also the recap at the end where Stratford gives us a little bit of the real history of the girls portrayed in the story.
And with that said, I was able to set aside any qualms or quibbles I had about historical accuracy, and just delve in the mystery story and the relationship between the 2 girls - which was quite enjoyable.
I really enjoyed watching Ava and Mary get to know each other, and work out their personality differences and work together. Ava seems a bit difficult to deal with, but the Mary in this story has a way of understanding and mediating some of Ava's... eccentricities.
The mystery itself was fun - though a bit obvious to adults and anyone familiar with , since a lot of the mystery, to the girls at least, was not knowing why someone would react a certain way, but it was pretty obvious to readers in the know.
Knowing the solution, though, didn't really detract from the story itself, for me, and I appreciated that the story was based on one of the first whodunit novels ever written. (And I did appreciate that Poe is given credit in the history part, though it is fair to say that Poe wrote short stories and the first mystery novel credit doesn't go to him.)
Overall, I found this a fun, quick read and I look forward to continuing the series - even though I'm a little bit concerned about the influx of .
I appreciated this note to history, and also the recap at the end where Stratford gives us a little bit of the real history of the girls portrayed in the story.
And with that said, I was able to set aside any qualms or quibbles I had about historical accuracy, and just delve in the mystery story and the relationship between the 2 girls - which was quite enjoyable.
I really enjoyed watching Ava and Mary get to know each other, and work out their personality differences and work together. Ava seems a bit difficult to deal with, but the Mary in this story has a way of understanding and mediating some of Ava's... eccentricities.
The mystery itself was fun - though a bit obvious to adults and anyone familiar with , since a lot of the mystery, to the girls at least, was not knowing why someone would react a certain way, but it was pretty obvious to readers in the know.
Knowing the solution, though, didn't really detract from the story itself, for me, and I appreciated that the story was based on one of the first whodunit novels ever written. (And I did appreciate that Poe is given credit in the history part, though it is fair to say that Poe wrote short stories and the first mystery novel credit doesn't go to him.)
Overall, I found this a fun, quick read and I look forward to continuing the series - even though I'm a little bit concerned about the influx of .
August 16, 2025
This made me laugh a lot! It’s short middle grade fiction and super fun, with characters based on real people (but do not expect ANY accuracy: lots of dates, facts, and relationships get jumbled in the service of a fun setup).
Probably good for fans of Enola Holmes, though this is way nuttier.
Probably good for fans of Enola Holmes, though this is way nuttier.
September 20, 2018
Lady Ada Byron is used to being alone. Her Papa died when she was only 8 (she's now 11) but had abandoned her mother long before. Ada is left in London with her governess while her Mama stays in the country. Ada can always count on her governess to ease her pain but now Mrs. Coverlet is leaving - leaving to get MARRIED! The horror! Ada is to have a tutor now! Ada doesn't need a tutor, she has books. Books tell her how to compute equations, how to build amazing calculating engines and hot air balloons. What does she need a tutor for? Mary Godwin is not as lucky as Ada. Though she has a large family, she feels left out sometimes. She longs for the instruction of a tutor who will allow her to study poetry and literature to her heart's content. It's either that or the dreaded place called school her cousins keep complaining about. Mary needs to convince Ada to let their tutor, known as "Peebs" stay. Mary's kind, compassionate nature soon wins over the temperamental Ada, but Ada is still bored. When she discovers stupid criminals get their names in the paper, she decides that she and Mary will catch the clever criminals that eluded the police! Soon they have their first case: a teenage girl barely older than themselves is concerned over her missing moonstone necklace. Her maid has confessed but something seems fishy. It's up to the Wollstonecraft Detective Agency to solve the mystery! They have help from a mysterious boy named Charles who loves to read when he is not at work at a boot polish factory pasting labels on the bottles. (Who the dickens could he be?!)
I knew I'd love this book from the title alone. If you live under a modern day rock, the title is an allusion to early proto-feminist writer Mary Woolstonecraft who argued men and women are equally as intelligent and should receive equal education. The author takes that idea and runs with it. Mary Wollstonecraft died giving birth to her daughter Mary, who at 19 would write the famous gothic horror story Frankenstein. In this mystery series for tweens, the timeline is fudged a lot to make Mary a teenager and a contemporary of Ada Byron Lovelace, the only legitimate daughter of poet Lord Byron. Here Ada is 11 and already showing signs of the brilliant mathematical and scientific mind that would bring her fame as an adult. There are other famous 19th-century literary and scientific figures who appear in this novel. I squealed with delight every time a new name I recognized popped up. This series is cleverly designed so adults can read along with their kids and enjoy the history behind the story while kids will enjoy the light mystery and seeing young ladies solve mysteries that elude grownups.
The mystery itself is an illusion to The Moonstone but solved by two young girls. I figured it out with the same clue Mary did. It's not the most complicated or best mystery but this series is more about introducing kids to the social backdrop of early 19th-century England and teaching girls that it's Ok to like math and science and be smart.
I loved Ada. I could relate to her a lot. I'm not brilliant like she is by a long shot but I do have a temper and I can relate to her feelings about the changes in her life. It signifies she's growing up and unhappy about it. Ada is also not a people person like me. She struggles to understand anything that's not a mathematical equation. I was stunned by her eccentric brilliance. Mary is softer, more compassionate and kind. She remembers the name of the household staff and notices people more than Ada. I can also relate to her because of her love for literature and of course her mother's call for women's rights. Charles eluded me at first but then I figured out who he was when he mentioned his job. While I would deplore the introduction of a boy to a modern story, he is necessary to take the girls where they can not go in 19th-century England. The author really did his research and stuck to the rules of society at that time. I think Ada and Mary are going to turn those rules upside down!
The illustrations are super cute. They reflect 19th-century England very well with a slightly wide-eyed anime look to the characters. The illustrator is local and will be appearing at a children's book festival near my home. I will have to go get her to autograph a book or two for my nieces.
I can not WAIT to read the rest of this series and force my nieces to read them.
I knew I'd love this book from the title alone. If you live under a modern day rock, the title is an allusion to early proto-feminist writer Mary Woolstonecraft who argued men and women are equally as intelligent and should receive equal education. The author takes that idea and runs with it. Mary Wollstonecraft died giving birth to her daughter Mary, who at 19 would write the famous gothic horror story Frankenstein. In this mystery series for tweens, the timeline is fudged a lot to make Mary a teenager and a contemporary of Ada Byron Lovelace, the only legitimate daughter of poet Lord Byron. Here Ada is 11 and already showing signs of the brilliant mathematical and scientific mind that would bring her fame as an adult. There are other famous 19th-century literary and scientific figures who appear in this novel. I squealed with delight every time a new name I recognized popped up. This series is cleverly designed so adults can read along with their kids and enjoy the history behind the story while kids will enjoy the light mystery and seeing young ladies solve mysteries that elude grownups.
The mystery itself is an illusion to The Moonstone but solved by two young girls. I figured it out with the same clue Mary did. It's not the most complicated or best mystery but this series is more about introducing kids to the social backdrop of early 19th-century England and teaching girls that it's Ok to like math and science and be smart.
I loved Ada. I could relate to her a lot. I'm not brilliant like she is by a long shot but I do have a temper and I can relate to her feelings about the changes in her life. It signifies she's growing up and unhappy about it. Ada is also not a people person like me. She struggles to understand anything that's not a mathematical equation. I was stunned by her eccentric brilliance. Mary is softer, more compassionate and kind. She remembers the name of the household staff and notices people more than Ada. I can also relate to her because of her love for literature and of course her mother's call for women's rights. Charles eluded me at first but then I figured out who he was when he mentioned his job. While I would deplore the introduction of a boy to a modern story, he is necessary to take the girls where they can not go in 19th-century England. The author really did his research and stuck to the rules of society at that time. I think Ada and Mary are going to turn those rules upside down!
The illustrations are super cute. They reflect 19th-century England very well with a slightly wide-eyed anime look to the characters. The illustrator is local and will be appearing at a children's book festival near my home. I will have to go get her to autograph a book or two for my nieces.
I can not WAIT to read the rest of this series and force my nieces to read them.
March 17, 2025
Mary Shelley's (nee Godwin's) life would have been so much better if she'd just gone around solving mysteries with Ada Lovelace in a balloon and negging Percy Bysshe. This was fun.
April 15, 2016
Initial Thoughts After Reading: Loved all the Dickens references, the nod to The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins, and the fact it features all my favorite Victorian gothic / Romantic writers and notable people in history! So fun. It's like MG gothic detective fiction for beginners! I wish I had something like this growing up.
Full Review: Ada finds numbers in everything. It's how she understands her world. Mary is observant and a romantic, longing for adventure. When the two girls are thrust together, they become a dynamic duo and form a detective agency to help London find and prosecute the real criminals not put in the newspaper Ada reads everyday. Mary and Ada take on a case regarding a missing heirloom, and are able to solve it by discovering loopholes in propriety, the power of logic, and learning from one another.
When I found this adorable middle grade read pertaining to Ada Lovelace (Lord Byron's genius computer programming daughter) and Mary Shelley (author of Frankenstein), I knew I had to read it. Toss in Percy Shelley, Charles Dickens, and references to The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins, and I knew I'd be in love! This is Victorian Gothic / early detective fiction for young readers!
The author's note regarding the ages and dates of all the characters was definitely a welcomed one. Mary was actually old enough to be Ada's mother in real history, and obviously Percy was not much older than Mary. In the book, the author took liberties to make Mary, Ada, and Charles roughly the same age (with Charles the only character the accurate age in 1826), Percy their tutor, and Byron long dead. Even with these liberties, Stratford managed to capture these characters in such a way that it truly reflects who they eventually became (or at least how we know them to be). For example, Ada really was a bit of a rude genius, and Percy passionate but somewhat wishy washy. Mary, from what I've read, longed for adventure outside her home, but outwardly showed herself to be docile and polite (hence the shock of her book!).
Anyway, enough with my amazement with the timeline and nods and general Victorian-ness!
I found myself laughing at least once each chapter. There would be a turn of phrase, a line, an observation, a remark, that would cause me to laugh at the pun or the reference or the characterization. I especially enjoyed reading Ada's line of logic -- like how a guard should let two young girls into Newgate because no one ever begs to be let in, only let out -- and Mary's observational skills coming into play later on. The things Percy would fall for -- like following the butler into the distillery and getting locked inside -- would make me smack my forehead in exasperation, laugh, and read on.
Everything fit together nicely, like a neat little puzzle. I'll admit I was paying more attention to all the Victorian literary parallels more so than the mystery -- so solving the mystery of the missing moonstone came as a surprise, and quite clever too. The mystery is easy and intriguing enough that I think young readers will really enjoy it.
This book is perfect for mystery readers, educators, librarians, and logophiles (who will especially enjoy the puns and dialogue). I can't wait for the next one, featuring Jane (aka Claire Clairmont) and Allegra! The Wollstonecraft Detective Agency will be an automatic buy for me.
Full Review: Ada finds numbers in everything. It's how she understands her world. Mary is observant and a romantic, longing for adventure. When the two girls are thrust together, they become a dynamic duo and form a detective agency to help London find and prosecute the real criminals not put in the newspaper Ada reads everyday. Mary and Ada take on a case regarding a missing heirloom, and are able to solve it by discovering loopholes in propriety, the power of logic, and learning from one another.
When I found this adorable middle grade read pertaining to Ada Lovelace (Lord Byron's genius computer programming daughter) and Mary Shelley (author of Frankenstein), I knew I had to read it. Toss in Percy Shelley, Charles Dickens, and references to The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins, and I knew I'd be in love! This is Victorian Gothic / early detective fiction for young readers!
The author's note regarding the ages and dates of all the characters was definitely a welcomed one. Mary was actually old enough to be Ada's mother in real history, and obviously Percy was not much older than Mary. In the book, the author took liberties to make Mary, Ada, and Charles roughly the same age (with Charles the only character the accurate age in 1826), Percy their tutor, and Byron long dead. Even with these liberties, Stratford managed to capture these characters in such a way that it truly reflects who they eventually became (or at least how we know them to be). For example, Ada really was a bit of a rude genius, and Percy passionate but somewhat wishy washy. Mary, from what I've read, longed for adventure outside her home, but outwardly showed herself to be docile and polite (hence the shock of her book!).
Anyway, enough with my amazement with the timeline and nods and general Victorian-ness!
I found myself laughing at least once each chapter. There would be a turn of phrase, a line, an observation, a remark, that would cause me to laugh at the pun or the reference or the characterization. I especially enjoyed reading Ada's line of logic -- like how a guard should let two young girls into Newgate because no one ever begs to be let in, only let out -- and Mary's observational skills coming into play later on. The things Percy would fall for -- like following the butler into the distillery and getting locked inside -- would make me smack my forehead in exasperation, laugh, and read on.
Everything fit together nicely, like a neat little puzzle. I'll admit I was paying more attention to all the Victorian literary parallels more so than the mystery -- so solving the mystery of the missing moonstone came as a surprise, and quite clever too. The mystery is easy and intriguing enough that I think young readers will really enjoy it.
This book is perfect for mystery readers, educators, librarians, and logophiles (who will especially enjoy the puns and dialogue). I can't wait for the next one, featuring Jane (aka Claire Clairmont) and Allegra! The Wollstonecraft Detective Agency will be an automatic buy for me.
March 9, 2015
Fourteen year old Mary Godwin and eleven year old Ada Byron are both highly clever, unique young ladies...but that doesn’t mean they became BFFs right away. With her father dead and her mother off living in the country, Ada lives in her fancy London home with her housemaid and butler. When Ada gets a new tutor, Percy (aka Peebs), and new classmate, Mary, she is anything but excited. Ada rather hang out in her hot air balloon, invent amazing things, and conduct science experiments. But a rise in crime in the city and a passion for solving puzzles, brings Ada and Mary together, as they form the secret Wollstonecraft Detective Agency. And their first case (a stolen necklace) takes them on an unbelievable journey!
I LOVE this book!! This is the kind of book that reminds me why middle-grade is my favorite. The Case of the Missing Moonstone, the first book in Jordan Stratford’s Wollstonecraft Detective Agency series, is simply marvelous. Stratford spins a spectacular story full of sparkling writing, superb characters, captivating history, and exciting adventure! This is book is just so clever, amusing, and executed exceptionally well.
Stratford is a fantastic word-spinner who has spun magic in this book! The Case of the Missing Moonstone is set in 19th century London and this era is vividly brought to life within its pages. This book is richly sprinkled with fascinating bits of history, science, literature, and mathematics. The story isn’t just fun and entertaining, it’s wonderfully smart and witty. Stratford masterfully balances adventure, mystery, humor, real history and the fictionalized kind, and the emotional aspects of Ada and Mary’s story. Young readers will love diving into this intriguing, beautifully crafted world and never want to leave.
The world-building and storytelling in The Case of the Missing Moonstone are perfection, but Stratford’s characters shine brightest! I absolutely fell in love with Ada and Mary. Based on two very real historical figures (the brilliant scientist Ada Lovelace, and the infamous sci-fi writer Mary Shelley), Ada and Mary are two of the most unforgettable and most awesome middle-grade heroines I’ve had the pleasure of meeting. Intelligent, curious, brave, compassionate, capable, endearing, and charming- Ada and Mary are all these things and more. Young readers will both admire and relate to these girls. And our young heroines are surrounded by some other truly fantastic (and maybe even infamous in their own rights!) characters.
The Case of the Missing Moonstone will take readers on a wild, dazzling adventure full of mystery, criminals, prison visits, clandestine meetings, and perilous hot air balloon rides and leave them excited for more...and thankfully, Stratford concludes book one by setting up book two nicely.
My final thoughts: I LOVED everything about this book-- the superb storytelling, enthralling premise, excellent world-building, and amazing heroines. The Case of the Missing Moonstone is sure to delight, intrigue, and entertain readers of all ages!
I LOVE this book!! This is the kind of book that reminds me why middle-grade is my favorite. The Case of the Missing Moonstone, the first book in Jordan Stratford’s Wollstonecraft Detective Agency series, is simply marvelous. Stratford spins a spectacular story full of sparkling writing, superb characters, captivating history, and exciting adventure! This is book is just so clever, amusing, and executed exceptionally well.
Stratford is a fantastic word-spinner who has spun magic in this book! The Case of the Missing Moonstone is set in 19th century London and this era is vividly brought to life within its pages. This book is richly sprinkled with fascinating bits of history, science, literature, and mathematics. The story isn’t just fun and entertaining, it’s wonderfully smart and witty. Stratford masterfully balances adventure, mystery, humor, real history and the fictionalized kind, and the emotional aspects of Ada and Mary’s story. Young readers will love diving into this intriguing, beautifully crafted world and never want to leave.
The world-building and storytelling in The Case of the Missing Moonstone are perfection, but Stratford’s characters shine brightest! I absolutely fell in love with Ada and Mary. Based on two very real historical figures (the brilliant scientist Ada Lovelace, and the infamous sci-fi writer Mary Shelley), Ada and Mary are two of the most unforgettable and most awesome middle-grade heroines I’ve had the pleasure of meeting. Intelligent, curious, brave, compassionate, capable, endearing, and charming- Ada and Mary are all these things and more. Young readers will both admire and relate to these girls. And our young heroines are surrounded by some other truly fantastic (and maybe even infamous in their own rights!) characters.
The Case of the Missing Moonstone will take readers on a wild, dazzling adventure full of mystery, criminals, prison visits, clandestine meetings, and perilous hot air balloon rides and leave them excited for more...and thankfully, Stratford concludes book one by setting up book two nicely.
My final thoughts: I LOVED everything about this book-- the superb storytelling, enthralling premise, excellent world-building, and amazing heroines. The Case of the Missing Moonstone is sure to delight, intrigue, and entertain readers of all ages!
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