To Catch a Thief
To Catch a Thief by Martha Brockenbrough, published by Scholastic Press in 2023, is a juvenile fiction mystery that introduces readers to Amelia MacGuffin, an eleven-year-old girl who embarks on a quest to save her seaside town of Urchin Beach. When a thief steals the town’s dragonfly staff—an essential symbol of good fortune and a key element of the upcoming Dragonfly Day Festival—Amelia must navigate her way through a web of suspects to recover it. This edition spans 256 pages and is presented in English.
In her pursuit, Amelia, who feels overshadowed by her more talented siblings, teams up with her best friends, Birdie and Delphine, to crack the case before time runs out. The story explores themes of family, friendship, and the importance of community as Amelia races against the clock to prevent the festival’s cancellation and protect her family’s livelihood. With a mix of humor and heart, readers will follow Amelia as she uncovers clues and confronts various suspects, including new neighbors and a reclusive mystery writer.
Official synopsis Publisher
“To Catch a Thief is a page-turner of a mystery with a great big heart, and Amelia MacGuffin is the smart, funny kid sleuth we’ve all been waiting for. Readers will laugh and fall in love with the MacGuffin family as they follow the clues to crack this absolutely delightful case.” –Kate Messner, New York Times bestselling author of Blackout
Urchin Beach isn’t the sort of place where bad things happen. The little seaside town is too lucky for that. But then one day, a thief steals something precious–the town’s dragonfly staff, which is the source of all its good fortune and the most important part of the upcoming Dragonfly Day Festival.
Amelia MacGuffin is no detective. She’s eleven, quiet, and unlike her four younger siblings, she has no special talents. But Amelia loves her town. Her family has lived there forever. Her parents run the Pacific General Store, and she and her best friends, Birdie and Delphine, are about to start middle school. If Amelia doesn’t find the staff, the Dragonfly Day Festival will be canceled .
The town needs that tourist money to survive. Unless she cracks the case, Amelia’s family will lose everything–including the adorable stray dog they’ve fallen in love with. She only has seven days to solve Urchin Beach’s crime of the century. It’s not a lot of time, but Amelia has her list of suspects. It might be the new kids next door. Or the grumpy mystery writer who lives in the town’s creepiest mansion. Or perhaps even someone closer to home.
Amelia wants to save the town. She wants to save the dog. She wants both, so much.
But first, she has to catch a thief.
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