Five Days at the Hotel Adams by Hailey Alcaraz

I'm a bit late...really late...with today's read. Let's just say that I had a change of plans last night as to things to do to day...real life things...and didn't get this up before heading out this morning. But there's no way I could skip today's read because I've been looking forward to picking it up for more than a few weeks. 

It is part of the American Stories for Gutsy Girls series, which I haven't read before but understand that it's a series of wholesome reads and highlights girls, who stretch beyond what usual life requires. So I'm expecting this to be a tale which inspires. I'm also expecting historical goodness and mystery.

Ready to see what these pages hold? I know I am!

FIVE DAYS AT THE HOTEL ADAMS

by Hailey Alcaraz

Tommy Nelson

Middle Grade Historical Mystery

272 pages

ages 8 to 12

COMING MAY 26th!!!

From Hispanic author Hailey Alcaraz, this historical tale of arson, sleuthing, and finding friendship in unlikely places is based on the real Hotel Adams fire of 1910. It's up to two Latina girls to turn their knack for being overlooked and underestimated into their greatest strength as they unravel a complex web of suspects, clues, and motives.

Ruth and Luisa live very different lives within the dusty desert town of Phoenix. Ruth is the only child of a political official. She spends her days stuffed into scratchy dresses and smiling prettily in the ballrooms of the Hotel Adams. Luisa is a young housekeeper. She looks at the Persian rug and thinks, I also know what it feels like to be walked over, barely noticed, and covered in other people's dirt. The girls stumble into a partnership when they overhear a plan to set fire to the hotel, a political hot spot for the growing western town. As they race to figure out who is behind the plot--and how to stop them--they must not only overcome what other people expect from them but what they've grown to expect from themselves.

Part of the Own Voices historical series American Stories for Gutsy Girls Five Days at the Hotel Adams ...

Transports children into the past with a compelling story full of secrets, subterfuge, and sisterhood;

Encourages tweens to look for friends in unexpected places;

Is perfect for fans of Pam Muñoz Ryan and Erin Entrada Kelly;

Includes black-and-white illustrations.

Enjoy this fast-paced adventure story in which two girls race against the clock to stop a crime as they learn that good always comes from trying your best--even if the outcome is the last thing you expected.

GOODREADS

MY TIDBITS

Set in 1910, this book takes a look at two very different girls and throws them into an exciting adventure.

Luisa is a very young housekeeper for the Hotel Adams and has a tendency to get side-tracked from her work...and this often gets her into trouble with the head maid. There's a lot going on at the hotel, especially with several big ordeals and very wealthy and prominent people involved. Ruth is about Luisa's age, and she's the daughter of one of the wealthy men staying at the hotel. Unlike many of the others from the upper class, Ruth finds it more important to see people for who they are rather than what they are. When she literally runs into Luisa, she finds her interesting right away. So, when Ruth accidentally overhears two unseen men whispering about setting the hotel on fire and knows no one will believe her, she decides right away who she wants to turn to for help, Luisa. Luckily, Luisa is all about mysteries and determined to stop the possible disaster.

This is a read wrapped with wholesome goodness. It begins with Luisa and her work as a maid, and she comes across sympathetic from the get-go. She's clever, has a good heart, but also tends to cause a little bit of clumsy trouble, which makes her very easy to connect with and root for. Ruth carries a tad bit more of astuteness thanks to her family's wealth, and yet, she's just as fun to meet. It's this forming friendship between two completely different girls, which gives this book its heart and inspiration.

While friendship is key, history and mystery roll right in as well. The setting is well done with natural descriptions to let readers sink right into the time frame. The novel has a steady pace, allowing the scenes and characters to unfold with grace. It brings readers into the scenes and life of that time smoothly. The mystery aspects add tension and urgency, which builds as the chapters progress. The clues are well laid, keeping readers guessing, and it's not clear how the two are going to work things out. 

It's an enjoyable read for mystery fans, who enjoy a wonderful tale of friendship along the way.