This funny and engaging series comes to America with two books featuring a smart female hero named Henrie. Her first person narrative speaks to the readers like she’s sitting across the table from you. From her first words “I KNOW I have to tell you right away…” Henrie will have you hooked on her story. Here’s the background from Kane Miller Publishing:

Twelve-year-old Henrie is the first girl heir of the Melchior family in 200 years. For the House of Melchior (HoMe), in the business of heroes for hire – boy heroes, that is – this is terrible news…

Book one, HAPLESS HERO HENRIE

When Henrie receives a mysterious note, it sets off a chain of events including a kidnapping, a fancy skateboard maneuver, a private jet – and the discovery of something rotten at the heart of HoMe. As past, present, and future collide, HoMe is poised to come tumbling down… unless a new kind of hero can emerge from the rubble.

The pacing is excellent and there are many surprising twists along the way. Henrie lives with her Aunt Ellie and has always been curious about the fate of her parents. She was whisked away at birth when she was supposed to be a boy and doesn’t even know what mom and dad look like.

The story is accompanied by the occasional illustration and side notes from Henrie. She sneaks on a private jet with new friend Alex and the mystery unfolds. She meets her grandfather who is at least civil towards her—compared to the hateful and undermining reception she gets from an uncle and two boy cousins. No, she doesn’t find her parents but does find answers to the many questions she has about the Melchior family.

A page-turning good time for middle grade readers!

Book two, HENRIE’S HERO HUNT

After Marley Hart calls on the Hero Hotline, Henrie, Marley, and Alex Fischer are in a race against time to find Henrie’s missing parents, a missing gold statue, and the answers to questions piling up… Will Henrie solve the Hunt? Will she find her parents? Or will the House of Melchior shadow her forever?

The hunt is on…

Henrie answers the phone at HoMe and suddenly is in the middle of her first hero case. It delays the search for her parents but the case actually brings them closer.

This second books is more of a sleuthing mystery. Henrie has the help of Alex and his father, Aunt Ellie, and Marley, who has enlisted their help to find the truth about her Great Aunt Agnes.

It all comes to a satisfying end, and there’s a bonus 2-page Hero Passport readers will enjoy filling out on themselves—all in secret of course.

Intriguing puzzles for solving the mystery are scattered throughout. Henrie Melchior is a heroine that keeps you turning the pages. A fun mystery for middle grade readers.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Petra James was born in a small town in the South Island of New Zealand, and came to Australia via London. She has written several fiction and nonfiction titles for children and, most recently, is the author of the seven books in the Arkie Sparkle series. Like Arkie, she wanted to be an archaeologist when she grew up (she had planned to work her way through the career alphabet but didn’t get past ”A”), but instead sold chocolate chip cookies and eventually found her way into publishing. When she is not sending fictional characters (often named after streets) on adventures, she works in children’s publishing in Sydney.