School Library Journal Review

Gr 2-4-This mystery set in the early 1900s has vivid descriptions of clothing and finery, stilted dialogue, and a heavy-handed but well-meaning lesson. Samantha and her adopted sister, Nellie, join their grandparents on an ocean-liner voyage to Europe. When fellow passenger and archaeologist Fitzwilliam Wharton discovers that the legendary Blue Star sapphire he was carrying to a museum in London has gone missing during dinner, everyone traveling first class becomes a suspect-including the girls' French tutor. While Samantha and Nellie frantically try to prove her innocence, a subplot finds Nellie struggling with the prejudices of the day toward the Irish. In the end, the girls solve the mystery and everyone learns a valuable lesson about jumping to conclusions. Interesting endnotes about ocean travel at the beginning of the 20th century and a description of three famous gems round out the enticing package. While the "American Girl" fervor has certainly died down, this title is sure to find an audience in most libraries.-Adrienne Furness, Webster Public Library, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.