The Order of the Owls

Originally published in Italy, this first book in the Minerva Mint series opens with a newspaper report about a custodian’s discovery of an abandoned baby girl in London’s Victoria Station. Found with the child are an encyclopedia, a letter containing an enigmatic recipe, and the deed to a house in Cornwall. Nine years later, independent, animal-loving Minerva lives in the dilapidated seaside manor with the absent-minded custodian-turned-housekeeper (and quite a few foxes and owls), scouring the encyclopedia for hints to her parents’ whereabouts. Guerra’s plot expands in several directions: a couple from the city appears claiming to be Minerva’s parents in hopes of procuring the manor; Minerva tussles with the local bully and his gang; and she enlists the aid of two new friends to decipher the secret behind the recipe. Minerva is a delightfully eccentric heroine (Bernstein portrays her with curly hair, freckles, and an abundance of daring), and the author interjects some imaginative flourishes, including a flute that summons owls, in this magic-tinged adventure. Merlin’s Island and The Legend of Black Bart arrive simultaneously. Ages 7–10. (Feb.)