The Light in the Cellar: A Molly Mystery (American Girl Mysteries) [Hardcover]

Sarah M Buckey (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up | Series: American Girl Mysteries

Molly wishes she and her friend Emily had an exciting volunteer job that really helped in the fight to win World War Two. Instead, they're magazine delivery girls at Oak Knoll Hospital. Soon, however, Molly and Emily start to suspect that something very un-patriotic is going on at Oak Knoll--and their snooping leads them deep into trouble!

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-6–In Light in the Cellar, set during World War II, Molly and her friend Emily deliver recycled magazines to the patients at the Oak Knoll Hospital to help the war effort. While there, they suspect theft when bags of sugar, a rationed item, go missing. The second story takes place during the Depression. Kit is visiting her aunt in Kentucky and meets a professor from Chicago who wants to learn local traditions. Trouble finds them when the professor's supplies and pictures are ruined. These nicely paced mysteries integrate historical information from each period into the story lines well. These titles seamlessly place the well-developed American Girl characters in longer stories. Concluding Looking Back sections include explanations about the eras and photographs. Older American Girl and mystery fans will enjoy learning more about their favorite characters.–Krista Tokarz, Cuyahoga County Public Library, OH
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From Booklist

Missing sugar doesn't seem like much of a premise for a mystery, but it works when set against the background of World War II, where rationing was a big part of the war effort. Braided and bespectacled American Girl Molly is not thrilled that doing her part means delivering magazines at a convalescent home. But Emily, a Brit living with Molly's family, has asked for that assignment because she can visit her recuperating aunt, and Molly has agreed to accompany her. Meanwhile, there is a mysterious shortage of flour and sugar in the town, just when it is needed for cookies the soldiers will be enjoying at the Jefferson train stop. The plot includes plenty of red herrings, but what may engage readers most is the sometimes-testy relationship between the girls coupled with the effect the war has on everyone. The fascinating back matter, which features posters and other photos, describes how rationing aided the war effort and some of the things kids missed. Bubble gum! Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 162 pages
• Publisher: American Girl (March 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1593691599
• ISBN-13: 978-1593691592
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,523,972 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More than just a mystery, April 25, 2007

By 

Sylvia C. Hall (Kansas City, MO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Light in the Cellar: A Molly Mystery (American Girl Mysteries) (Paperback)

The Light in the Cellar is much more than just a mystery; it is also a patriotic book of one girl's determination to make a difference! It's just too easy to enjoy Molly's sweet charm and zesty determination.

The Light in the Cellar is a mystery about missing rationed goods. Someone is stealing sugar, and Molly knows it's up to her to put the clues together.

This Molly Mystery, which takes place during WWII, does such a great job of relaying a patriotic message. Molly and all of her friends and family are always doing their part to help with the war-effort.

To find out why there is a "light in the cellar" you'll have to read this great mystery. This book is sure to be a page-turner and you'll enjoy Molly's journey, as you wonder, "will Molly catch the thief?"

Readers will be turning the pages quickly to see if Molly's detective work will solve the mystery!


Also, be sure to check out the last few pages, filled with a lot of interesting information about WWII, rationing goods, and much more!

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars One of the better American Girl Mysteries, August 25, 2011

By 

Julie W. "jujubean122" (Virginia, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Light in the Cellar: A Molly Mystery (American Girl Mysteries) (Paperback)

One night while teaching Emily how to ride a bike, Molly and her friends see a light on in the cellar of an old mansion in Jefferson that they know to be vacant. When they get a little closer to investigate the light goes off! Who is turning on and off lights in an old abandoned house and does it have anything to do with the missing sugar from the Red Cross? Molly and her friends to the rescue!

While I'm a huge fan of the American Girl series in general, I've never been a huge fan of the mystery series the Pleasant company came out with to up their book sales. "The Light in the Cellar" may have turned me however.

"Light in the Cellar" is a fairly beefy book for American Girl, rounding out a whole 157 pages respectfully. That being said, because it's longer it ends up being a much more developed mystery than some other books in this series and the other Molly Mystery (Spy on the Home Front) can't hold a candle to this book (no pun intended). Because the author, Sarah Buckley, took the time to do research and create a good back story for her mystery the book became a much more enjoyable read than I was really expecting. I was pleasantly surprised.

Overall, the American Girl Mystery series is for a slightly older audience. The original books are much shorter and probably great for third to fourth graders. The mystery series I feel a third grader might have trouble getting through all the way because of the length. So if your girl(s) have outgrown the original American Girls, but still like the characters, the mystery series is a great stepping stone into YA literature. However, the great paintings and large pictures that make the original American Girl series so wonderful and vibrant are distinctly missing from the mystery series. Sad.

4 stars. Entertaining, but not overly complex or page-turning.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Page Turner", May 12, 2007

By 

Laurel "Revered Reviewer" (Asia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Light in the Cellar: A Molly Mystery (American Girl Mysteries) (Hardcover)

My 10 y/o referred to this as a "page-turner" and loved it so much she bought a large, hardcover Molly book with six different stories included (not offered thru Amazon) at a chain-bookstore last evening. She says, "It's incredibly interesting and I wished the book never ended. Probably the most interesting book I've ever read."