The Blue Empress

Margaret Drusilla, her hamster Geraldine and her mother fly to Riverbank, Tex., to visit Aunt Dru, who has been immobilized by a sprained ankle. The visit turns into a mystery for 11-year-old Margaret to investigate: Aunt Dru's priceless necklace, the Blue Empress, is missing, and Margaret, along with her friend Wilstet, is determined to find it. When she isn't feeding Geraldine, drawing sketches or riding bikes with Wil, Margaret is piecing together bits of informationsuspecting as culprits many of the colorful characters in the small townand she solves the mystery in an exciting and realistic fashion. Pelta's storywith an uncomplicated but intriguing plotis appropriate middle-grade fare; the story is humorous, and its characters, while occasionally stereotypical, are lively and believable. Morrill's black-and-white line drawings are somewhat stiff but lend an added sense of time and place to the tale. Ages 8-11. (March)