I am Half-Sick of Shadows by Alan Bradley *****

Flavia de Luce is a precocious eleven-year-old girl with interests in poisons (aka Chemistry) and solving murders. She excels at both. In I Am Half-Sick of Shadows by Alan Bradley, Flavia solves the murder of an aging movie star, strangled with a length of movie film while demonstrating her knowledge of Chemistry (mustard oil is C4H6NS) and first aid (P-A-D: pressure, antiseptic, dressing). She also learns about the value of a Shakespeare first quarto.

Flavia is a delightful preteen, the sole child in an adult world, equally ignorant of her older sister's boyfriends and adult affairs. However, this innocence doesn't stop her from careful observations and logical deductions. Simply delightful and a must buy for any precocious child in elementary school who can read a 290-page chapter book.