Minerva Clark gets a Clue Author:Karen Karbo Gr. 6-9. Seventh-grader Minerva worries about her hair and weight, and wonders if her schoolmates will think she's weird because she likes staying home with her ferret and creating rebuses. Then she has the worst day ever, during which her favorite cousin, Jordan, is arrested and she gets an electric shock--with unusual results. Suddenly, she's ... more »no longer self-conscious. In fact, she's self-assured enough to turn her attention to a mystery in which a death, identity theft, and a money scam each play a part. This is Karbo's first novel for young people (all four of her adult books ended up as New York Times Notable Books), and it's both ambitious and, at times, convoluted. Though supporting characters aren't always consistently drawn, Minerva is wonderful--a likable, well-developed personality. Her droll, engaging narrative, which incorporates her wordplays and IM messages (and an occasional epithet or two), speaks to concerns about self-image and fitting in that will strike a chord with many readers.« less