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Cynthia's Attic #1
The Missing Locket
Magical costumes, disappearing stairs and a spooky attic filled with dusty antiques what more could two, adventurous, young girls ask for? Best friends, Cynthia and Gus as she prefers to be called, are as 'different as bubble gum and broccoli.' They are, however, equal in their ability to get into trouble without much effort. In trying to escape the boring summer of 1964, the adventurous twelve-year-old girls stumble upon a trunk in Cynthia's attic that has been in her family for three generations. They discover its mystical qualities when they are swept into the trunk and whisked back to 1914, literally into the lives of their twelve-year-old grandmothers, Clara and Bess. The mystery of a missing family locket is revealed. Their quest takes numerous twists and turns, including a life-and-death struggle on a large steamship traveling from England to America. Along with perilous escapades, they make important, sometimes humorous discoveries about their ancestors, and even manage to change history...for the better...along the way.
- GenresFantasy
162 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2005
1 person is currently reading
112 people want to read
About the author
Mary Cunningham
57 books261 followersFormer Corydon, Indiana author, Mary Cunningham, now makes her home in the mountains of West Georgia with her husband.
The idea for the series, Cynthia's Attic, was inspired by a recurring dream. After realizing that the dream took place in the attic of her childhood friend, Cynthia, the dreams stopped and the writing began.
The first book, In her Andi Anna Jones Mystery series, is Margaritas, Mayhem & Murder.
Publication April 27, 2022 by Wild Rose Press, with more to come.
Along with her children's series, she is also co-writer of the women's humorous/lifestyle book, Women Only Over Fifty (WOOF), and the biography of military brat/star UConn basketball player will be published in the spring of 2022.
She is a member of Sisters In Crime, National Chapter, Sisters In Crime Regional chapter, International Thrillers Writers, Inc. and the Carrollton Writers Guild.
In between writing and editing the author enjoys golf, swimming and exploring the mountains.
"
The idea for the series, Cynthia's Attic, was inspired by a recurring dream. After realizing that the dream took place in the attic of her childhood friend, Cynthia, the dreams stopped and the writing began.
The first book, In her Andi Anna Jones Mystery series, is Margaritas, Mayhem & Murder.
Publication April 27, 2022 by Wild Rose Press, with more to come.
Along with her children's series, she is also co-writer of the women's humorous/lifestyle book, Women Only Over Fifty (WOOF), and the biography of military brat/star UConn basketball player will be published in the spring of 2022.
She is a member of Sisters In Crime, National Chapter, Sisters In Crime Regional chapter, International Thrillers Writers, Inc. and the Carrollton Writers Guild.
In between writing and editing the author enjoys golf, swimming and exploring the mountains.
"
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 7 reviews
February 14, 2016
In the summer of 1964, two twelve-year-old best friends Cynthia and Augusta (everyone calls her ‘Gus’) decided to explore Cynthia’s family attic. Her parents are planning on cleaning it out soon and the girls want to check it out to see if they can find anything they want to keep. The girls come upon an old trunk and are memorized by it. Mysteriously, the girls are swept fifty years into the past, where they try to unravel what happened to Cynthia’s great-great Aunt Belle, who vanished years ago without a trace. While on their adventure, the girls take a ride on the seven seas and they must also try to find a locket that was thought to be lost.
“The Missing Locket” is the first book in the series that follows in the footsteps of the Nancy Drew, and the Boxcar Children. I can’t believe I let this book sit around in my eBook reader for several months before making time to read it. Being an amateur genealogist myself, I found the premise of traveling back in time to help your ancestors to be intriguing. Now of days, the tween market is full of “Twilight” clones, so it was a bit of fresh air to find an exciting adventure written for kids that doesn’t involve creatures of the night. The main characters are two twelve-year-olds, so I was a bit surprised to see kids at this age to be excited about finding old family heirlooms to be thrilling, but Cynthia’s Attic is set in a more simpler time, before cable, cell phones, video games, and the internet. Despite being a mystery with a bit of a science fiction twist, the book offers great humor between the two girls as they try to change the past. I recommend Cynthia’s Attic: The Missing Locket to readers of all ages.
“The Missing Locket” is the first book in the series that follows in the footsteps of the Nancy Drew, and the Boxcar Children. I can’t believe I let this book sit around in my eBook reader for several months before making time to read it. Being an amateur genealogist myself, I found the premise of traveling back in time to help your ancestors to be intriguing. Now of days, the tween market is full of “Twilight” clones, so it was a bit of fresh air to find an exciting adventure written for kids that doesn’t involve creatures of the night. The main characters are two twelve-year-olds, so I was a bit surprised to see kids at this age to be excited about finding old family heirlooms to be thrilling, but Cynthia’s Attic is set in a more simpler time, before cable, cell phones, video games, and the internet. Despite being a mystery with a bit of a science fiction twist, the book offers great humor between the two girls as they try to change the past. I recommend Cynthia’s Attic: The Missing Locket to readers of all ages.
October 8, 2010
Hurray, hurray, for the first time in a very long time, I have read a book I can unequivocally recommend to my grandchild without any reservations. It takes about 1-2 hours to read and it will bring pleasure to any young "tween" reader.
There are no intimations of sex scenes, there are no dirty words with the exception of the use of stupid, once, but it is used rather appropriately. There are no unduly violent scenes. It is a clean, wonderfully, witty fantasy about two good friends, a mysteriously missing locket and a cobwebbed, little used attic with a trunk full of supernatural surprises. It will satisfy any juvenile's need for fantasy, without introducing subjects that are inappropriate for them. It is creative and imaginative.
The story is about two 12 year old best friends, Augusta (Gus) and Cynthia. They are as close as any two girls can be without being sisters and as Gus would say "as different as broccoli and bubble gum". Their families are just as close. Of the two, Gus is more of a risk taker than Cynthia but Cynthia often can be persuaded to join in her escapades. This book has several adventures including an exciting and scary ocean voyage, which takes place years before the girls were born! How did they get there?
The girls encounter magic, time travel, and friendly ghosts as they solve the problem of a missing relative and a missing locket.
The trunk in this attic is filled with magical surprises.
The best part about this book is that it is the first in a series. There are more of them! Let the child enter the attic and enjoy!
There are no intimations of sex scenes, there are no dirty words with the exception of the use of stupid, once, but it is used rather appropriately. There are no unduly violent scenes. It is a clean, wonderfully, witty fantasy about two good friends, a mysteriously missing locket and a cobwebbed, little used attic with a trunk full of supernatural surprises. It will satisfy any juvenile's need for fantasy, without introducing subjects that are inappropriate for them. It is creative and imaginative.
The story is about two 12 year old best friends, Augusta (Gus) and Cynthia. They are as close as any two girls can be without being sisters and as Gus would say "as different as broccoli and bubble gum". Their families are just as close. Of the two, Gus is more of a risk taker than Cynthia but Cynthia often can be persuaded to join in her escapades. This book has several adventures including an exciting and scary ocean voyage, which takes place years before the girls were born! How did they get there?
The girls encounter magic, time travel, and friendly ghosts as they solve the problem of a missing relative and a missing locket.
The trunk in this attic is filled with magical surprises.
The best part about this book is that it is the first in a series. There are more of them! Let the child enter the attic and enjoy!
Read
March 12, 2021It's one of mine! I love it, but I'm partial. :-)
October 14, 2010
The story of best friends who find adventure in a dusty old attic during the summer of 1964, Cynthia’s Attic is actually good clean fun. The characters are straightforward and without guile although they do still enjoy a harmless prank here and there. The girls are considerate of each other and if there are conflicts between them, they say what’s on their minds and settle things quickly. There are no mean girls, inappropriate relationships or Internet scandals. There’s no texting and there are no vampires, werewolves or mummies. Cynthia’s Attic does have some dead people, a few ghosts and one slightly violent scene but nothing to raise any real concerns.
The story begins with Gus and Cynthia, best friends despite their differences – Gus is more sporty and Cynthia, more girly – heading off to play a game of softball in the park. The reader learns right away that the girls are living in a simpler time when kids played outside until someone’s mother called them in for dinner – and by that, I mean they shouted out the door because cell phones were not an option back then. One thing Cynthia and Gus do have in common is their desire to play little pranks, often on Cynthia’s sister. These girls remind me a bit of Ivy & Bean (for those of you who enjoyed this Reader Jr. series) but a little older. In an attempt to avoid the boredom of summer and always looking for adventure, the girls decide to explore the attic in Cynthia’s house.
The house has been in Cynthia’s family for three generations so the attic is filled with things from the past. When they explore the mysterious trunk it is the beginning of a strange journey back to 1914 where they encounter their families from that era. They discover that all those years ago, Cynthia’s grandmother, Clara, lost a precious locket belonging to her mysterious Aunt Belle. They are determined to come to Clara’s aid and prevent the locket from being lost in the first place. It’s almost as if they are being guided by the ghost of Aunt Belle on a mission to rewrite her past. They learn to go back and forth in time and find that they can impact the past, and therefore alter future events. This ability is exciting for Cynthia and Gus as helping their friends and family is important to them.
In order to read this book, you must suspend belief and simply follow along with the girls on their adventure. They have a weird dream, and it comes true. They imagine a staircase, it appears. They want to meet Cynthia’s dead Aunt Belle and she shows up. Just go with it and enjoy the ride. My only negative about Cynthia’s Attic would be the book cover which seems a little outdated and honestly makes me feel like I’ve gone back in time to 1985!
The story begins with Gus and Cynthia, best friends despite their differences – Gus is more sporty and Cynthia, more girly – heading off to play a game of softball in the park. The reader learns right away that the girls are living in a simpler time when kids played outside until someone’s mother called them in for dinner – and by that, I mean they shouted out the door because cell phones were not an option back then. One thing Cynthia and Gus do have in common is their desire to play little pranks, often on Cynthia’s sister. These girls remind me a bit of Ivy & Bean (for those of you who enjoyed this Reader Jr. series) but a little older. In an attempt to avoid the boredom of summer and always looking for adventure, the girls decide to explore the attic in Cynthia’s house.
The house has been in Cynthia’s family for three generations so the attic is filled with things from the past. When they explore the mysterious trunk it is the beginning of a strange journey back to 1914 where they encounter their families from that era. They discover that all those years ago, Cynthia’s grandmother, Clara, lost a precious locket belonging to her mysterious Aunt Belle. They are determined to come to Clara’s aid and prevent the locket from being lost in the first place. It’s almost as if they are being guided by the ghost of Aunt Belle on a mission to rewrite her past. They learn to go back and forth in time and find that they can impact the past, and therefore alter future events. This ability is exciting for Cynthia and Gus as helping their friends and family is important to them.
In order to read this book, you must suspend belief and simply follow along with the girls on their adventure. They have a weird dream, and it comes true. They imagine a staircase, it appears. They want to meet Cynthia’s dead Aunt Belle and she shows up. Just go with it and enjoy the ride. My only negative about Cynthia’s Attic would be the book cover which seems a little outdated and honestly makes me feel like I’ve gone back in time to 1985!
November 9, 2018
(Middle-Grade Level/Ages 9-14)
The Missing Locket reaches out to young readers and pulls them into a story overflowing with excitement, adventures and laugh out loud dialogue.
Set in 1964, best friends, Cynthia and Augusta, are suffering from a bad case of summer-time boredom. Cynthia’s family lives in a mansion of a house, three floors filled with so many rooms just waiting to be explored. After overhearing her parents plans to clean out the attic, the twelve-year-old is determined to nose through those boxes before all the “good stuff” gets thrown out. Amid all the cobwebs, antiques and creepy-crawlies was an old, rusted trunk, which belonged to Cynthia’s grandmother, Clara. Once opened, the girls discovered a dingy, time-worn ballet costume, which Cynthia immediately put on. Instantly, she began to dance around the attic as if possessed by the spirit of a true ballerina!
Shocked and more than a bit confused, the two girls decide to leave the attic. When they are drawn back to the old trunk…suddenly, the hot, dusty attic turns cold and everything around them looks new. Intrigued, Gus puts on a sailor outfit and is transported to the year 1914. Not long after she is joined by Cynthia and the two are swept into the adventure of a lifetime. Crossing the Atlantic on a steamship, making friends with a ghost and ultimately solving the mystery of Aunt Isabella’s missing locket.
Mary Cunningham has crafted an entertaining, fanciful adventure that will keep young readers turning pages until the very end. A fast-paced read, well written, time travel story that will be treasured by all. I look forward to reading the next installment in this unique, character-driven series! Don’t Miss It!
Happy Reading!
RJ xx
The Missing Locket is the first installment in The Cynthia’s Attic series, from author Mary Cunningham. An exciting read, regardless of age– young readers concerned that Cynthia’s exploits might be limited have nothing to fear — the second book, “The Magic Medallion” is available now and a third book, “Curse of the Bayou”, will be available in December.
The Missing Locket reaches out to young readers and pulls them into a story overflowing with excitement, adventures and laugh out loud dialogue.
Set in 1964, best friends, Cynthia and Augusta, are suffering from a bad case of summer-time boredom. Cynthia’s family lives in a mansion of a house, three floors filled with so many rooms just waiting to be explored. After overhearing her parents plans to clean out the attic, the twelve-year-old is determined to nose through those boxes before all the “good stuff” gets thrown out. Amid all the cobwebs, antiques and creepy-crawlies was an old, rusted trunk, which belonged to Cynthia’s grandmother, Clara. Once opened, the girls discovered a dingy, time-worn ballet costume, which Cynthia immediately put on. Instantly, she began to dance around the attic as if possessed by the spirit of a true ballerina!
Shocked and more than a bit confused, the two girls decide to leave the attic. When they are drawn back to the old trunk…suddenly, the hot, dusty attic turns cold and everything around them looks new. Intrigued, Gus puts on a sailor outfit and is transported to the year 1914. Not long after she is joined by Cynthia and the two are swept into the adventure of a lifetime. Crossing the Atlantic on a steamship, making friends with a ghost and ultimately solving the mystery of Aunt Isabella’s missing locket.
Mary Cunningham has crafted an entertaining, fanciful adventure that will keep young readers turning pages until the very end. A fast-paced read, well written, time travel story that will be treasured by all. I look forward to reading the next installment in this unique, character-driven series! Don’t Miss It!
Happy Reading!
RJ xx
The Missing Locket is the first installment in The Cynthia’s Attic series, from author Mary Cunningham. An exciting read, regardless of age– young readers concerned that Cynthia’s exploits might be limited have nothing to fear — the second book, “The Magic Medallion” is available now and a third book, “Curse of the Bayou”, will be available in December.
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May 8, 2019Check out our review at the Reading Tub.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 7 reviews