The Finders Keepers Rule: A Maryellen Mystery

American Girl Mysteries

by Jacqueline Dembar Greene, Juliana Kolesova (Illustrator)

Maryellen takes a break from practicing for the big "Rock Around the Clock" holiday dance to go to the beach with her friend Davy. While playing in the waves, they find a barnacle-encrusted ring buried in the sand. They imagine that it's lost treasure from a sunken ship. But why do other people seem desperate to get the ring?

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Middle Grade, Childrens, Juvenile

184 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2016

About the author

Ms. Greene is an American author of more than 30 books and stories for young readers. In addition to her American Girl series, some of her notable books of fiction include: Out of Many Waters, a historical novel about the first Jewish settlement in America.

Reviews

[Abigail McKenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

this took me right back to the good ol' days when the AG mysteries were EVERYTHING to me 🫶 as a Floridian (though I'm central, not coastal) Maryellen will always hold a special place in my heart hehe

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The great AG marathon continues. Again, reading for the first time as an adult. Here's what stood out:

I felt a more concrete sense of place in this one than in Maryellen's core books. The coquina clock tower and bandshell - real locations - are key to the plot, as is the beach.

There's a big subplot about Maryellen trying to learn to dance from big sister Carolyn. She struggles with it, but the implication is always that she's just clumsy. There's zero mention of polio anywhere, which is disappointing.

I said in my review of Book 2 that I wanted to see more of oldest sister Joan. She's here, working and studying, but not central. Jerry is actually closer to the plot, but the narrative keeps him at arm's length: If Ellie had too many opportunities to talk with Jerry, she'd figure things out too quickly.

As we close in on the end, it seems for a moment that Maryellen and Davey are only solving the mystery of "what are the grown ups doing actually," but at the last minute it turns out that something nefarious is actually going on. AND Ellie and Davey are in just the right place and time to foil the plot. Overall, generally fluffy but fun. A mystery made of meringue.

[RaspberryRoses · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was. Perfectly Fine, I suppose?

I found it interesting how much Maryellen yearns to be a teenager in this. I feel like American Girls are usually pretty firmly grounded in their Girlhood :tm: . They desire the freedom and respect of adults, but I don't think I've seen an American Girl who is as clear-eyed about the realities of growing up as Maryellen. She sees how her older sisters act, and she desires the glamor of their life and their romance in a very abstract way. She's aware of how her mom is not the Perfect TV Housewife, she's aware that her mom does all of the labor for this family of 8. It's interesting.

None of what I've said has to do with the mystery itself, because I don't really have thoughts on it.

[Brittany Wiggins · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5

[Meghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since Greene is the author of Rebecca's stories, I noticed a lot of Rebecca in Maryellen in this book.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was ok. The mystery was very hit or miss and the history was also kind of bland. This was my first Maryellen book and I think she's just ok as a character.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised by this. I felt drawn into the characters and storyline despite not having read any Maryellen books previously. The sense of place is well-done and I loved the dance aspects. The sunken treasure aspect took me back to my childhood when the treasure of the Atocha was found (the related Reading Rainbow episode fascinated me!) My ten-year-old son enjoyed this too. I am happy that Maryellen is friends with a boy, Davy. Even though my son reads plenty of books featuring girl protagonists, and I'm not sure Davy will convince boys who don't read "girl books" to pick this up, I think it's a nice touch.
For more details, I liked Katie's review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this book is totally wonderful in every way! It is an exciting story of a young girl, Maryellen, living in Daytona Beach, Florida during the 1950s. Maryellen becomes involved in the recovery of lost treasure against the background of getting ready for a big dance. It is exceptionally well-written and the pace is perfect. There are many references to the classic adventure Treasure Island.

My partner decided that we would raise my children in a gender neutral manner, so I had both my son and daughter read this mystery. They both really enjoyed it, and I certainly did as well. Thank you to the author, Jacqueline Dembar Greene, for writing such a delightful thriller:)

[Danielle T · Rating 3 out of 5]

I continue to find MaryEllen one of the less interesting historical characters, and maybe that's because her stakes are relatively low (which is ok; these characters are 10 year olds and history shouldn't necessarily be a gallery of trauma). The Finders Keepers Rule revels in it's Daytona Beach setting, and would be good for learning about the Atlantic coast of Florida, and who actually owns something that's found via salvage.

Only one of her friends was around (a little surprised the Karens weren't interested in prepping for the big dance?) but there were lots of good interactions between the Larkin siblings.

[Sesana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, it didn't make me love Maryellen more. Like most of her Central Series, not much happens that couldn't happen at virtually any point in history. This story could happen today, with very, very minor tweaks, and with the exception of one or two keywords, you could easily read this book without ever knowing it was set in the 50s. The story is a decent preteen adventure story, it just isn't terribly special or historically specific.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read to Isabel: love the historical element and like that it focused on Davy and Maryellen’s friendship solving the mystery without trying to add any romance to the story. My only beef is that this story adds so many new characters who are all super central to the mystery that it’s hard for a kid to follow all these threads with new people we haven’t met in previous books.

[Little Seal]

This one probably annoyed me the most of all the AG Girls mysteries (not including the standalone mysteries that AG put out) that I have read so far. I felt Maryellen just kept making bad choices. It's funny because usually I can suspend my belief or just enjoy the story without thinking too hard, but I had a harder time with this one.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful mystery for elementary kids and adults alike. Lots of history, treasure hunting, and not too scary. A great mystery read.

[Jaime]

made me nervous for her

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Finders Keepers Rule stars Maryellen, who, along with her friend, Davy, discovers a ring lying in the sand at the beach. At first Maryellen assumes a tourist must have dropped it, so she claims the find as her own and begins wearing it around town. When adults around the beach seem overly interested in the ring, and even begin to suggest that wearing it might be dangerous, Maryellen realizes what she has found might have untold value. Of the three Beforever books I read, this one was my favorite. That is partly because I love the 1950s, and all historical fiction set in the 20th century, but it's also because the mystery was stronger and less predictable. I had also never read a Maryellen book, and I enjoyed getting to know her spunky character, and her relationships with her friends and family.

[Holli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this plot although for some reason I thought it was all to take place at a resort. I love the era and MaryEllen's spirit and somewhat tomboyish ways. Although I have to say I happen to believe in the finder's keeper's rules. If I found what ME found I would have kept it as my right. If I saw fit to sell it to support my dreams in life or family, how can anyone argue against it? I got really tired of the writer driving home this point. ME certainly should have been able to keep it as a reward for all her help without which so my more would have been lost! Anyway, I will continue to read ME's adventures.

[Marian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was sick when I read this so that may have influenced how much I enjoyed the book. Basically, Maryellen's book reads an awful lot like a TV mystery and I assume that was intentional. I want to like ME far more than I do, but this was cute enough and I enjoyed the glimpse into her older sister Joan's life after the initial series ended.

If you like your mysteries for kids relatable, this probably isn't for you (treasure!) but it's definitely a fun read anyway.

[Maribeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked it so much but, I didn't like it as much as the runaway