Danica dela Torre, Certified Sleuth

Gr 3-7–Middle schoolers Danica and her best friend Jack are the founders of the Unofficial Official Renley Crow Detective Club. When Kennedy Fang and his older brother Charlie move in next door, Danica learns there is a new detective in town. Danica is not sure she trusts Kennedy, but when he comes to them with a mystery that involves a ghost sending messages to the three of them, she can’t turn down what could be the biggest case the club's ever had. Danica is forbidden from meddling with the spirit realm, and as they get closer to finding answers and helping their ghost, she starts to learn why. Set to be the first in a new supernatural paranormal mystery series, this title covers topics that will appeal to young readers: LGBTQIA+ identity; immigration; and Danica’s complex relationships with her older sister and aunt, her parents who live in another country, and a best friend she feels is slipping away. Danica and her family are Filipino, and Lucido weaves Tagalog phrases into this fast-paced novel.