THE SECRET ORDER OF THE GUMM STREET GIRLS
by Elise Primavera
HarperTrophy
Hardcover: 0060569468
Paperback: 9780060569488
Ages 8-12
464 pages

Ivy Diamond has barely survived the past seven years. Ever since Ivy glanced into the shattering mirror at the age of four, her life has been plagued with bad luck. It started with her dad running out to the store and never returning. From that point on, Ivy and her mom have moved from town to town with the unlucky Jinx glued to Ivy's heels. But the decreed seven years of bad luck is finally coming to an end, and Ivy has high hopes for a new beginning.

It seems to be starting off well with she and her mom inheriting a house on Gumm Street in the town of Sherbet. Sherbet sounds like an awesome place, with riding stables, an amusement park, and huge candy and ice cream stores all nestled right next to the ocean. Even the Sherbet school shines special with classes like scuba diving, daydreaming and beauty tips. And to top it all off, Gumm Street is inhabited by three other girls who are Ivy's age --- spectacular friend potential!

Nevertheless, it seems that Ivy's seven years of bad luck will not end. Ivy, Franny, Cat and Pru can't stand each other; they're just too different to be friends. Franny loves to keep a watch on the neighborhood with her binoculars, and admires famous adventurers like Amelia Earhart and Sir Edmund Hillary. Cat lives in a treehouse, has 10 brothers, can do one-handed cartwheels, and is very brave and outgoing. Pru loves to curl up in a comfy quilt and read, spending the rest of her time memorizing important safety tips to help her survive the scary world. A foursome friendship appears to be impossible. But then strange things start happening on Gumm Street.

Cha Cha Staccato, the Gumm Street piano teacher, suddenly dies. All four girls mourn his death deeply, for they all had taken piano lessons from this unusual man. And to Ivy's surprise, Mr. Staccato leaves her his collection of ruby slippers from the movie set of The Wizard of Oz. But soon following his death, a strange woman moves in to his house claiming to be his niece, though none of the four believe her. In fact, Ivy could swear that she saw the woman's image in the mirror seven years ago just before it shattered. Moreover, this strange lady doesn't waste any time demanding the return of the ruby slippers. In desperation, Ivy, Franny, Cat and Pru join forces to create the Secret Order of the Gumm Street Girls to protect Ivy and figure out what the nasty woman is planning. This kickstarts a wild adventure that leads the four girls into a scary underground world on a discovery of a lifetime.

Elise Primavera already has been on bestseller lists with AUNTIE CLAUS. Established fans and newcomers alike will be enthralled with this most recent imaginative adventure that dips into the familiar Wizard of Oz storyline. In addition, Primavera creatively adorns the pages with her hilarious drawings and --- luckily for her readers --- is hard at work on a sequel to this exciting debut novel.

   --- Reviewed by Chris Shanley-Dillman, author of FINDING MY LIGHT and THE BLACK POND

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